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Improving operations to empowering local heroes: S’pore firms get a makeover for tech-era success
Singtel’s all-in business broadband solutions equip three small and medium-sized businesses with the tools they need to improve efficiency and connectivity while deepening their community impact
These three home-grown business leaders (from left) Free Food For All's Shaik Ahmad Ali Nizar; ICM Pharma's Stuart Koe; and Finding Pictures' Lee Jiaying believe that dreams can materialise with the right digital tools, which can also help create meaningful change for those in need.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
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For this young medical doctor who leads Free Food For All (FFFA), serving meals to Singapore’s needy is about more than just feeding people. It is about building a better system of community care.
Dr Shaik Ahmad Ali Nizar, the social enterprise’s chairman, says: “In a conventional business, you might disappoint customers if you mess up, but for us, if we did, then people will go hungry. That’s something I can’t accept. These upgrades will help us reach more Singaporeans in need.”
His words capture the transformative power of putting the right digital tools in the hands of those who serve our communities, many of which are small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
Given the right solutions, they would be able to amplify their impact and benefit a bigger segment of society.
Like Dr Shaik, Dr Stuart Koe, managing director of ICM Pharma, also sees technology as a catalyst for change. “The more efficient and productive we become, the more we can give back to the community,” he shares.
For Ms Lee Jiaying, co-founder of animation studio Finding Pictures, a connectivity transformation means empowering more storytellers. She says: “We’ve been fortunate to have the support of the industry when we started out, and now we want to pay it forward.”
This is where Singtel’s all-in business broadband solutions
Watch this video to see the transformation unfold for Finding Pictures.
Finding Pictures: Animating dreams
Beyond food and medicine, stories also have the power to nurture communities. Home-grown studio Finding Pictures boasts an impressive track record thus far: Its short film, Piece of Meat, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival Director’s Fortnight and the Annecy International Film Festival in 2019 – an honour that recognises exceptional artistic and technical achievement.
Since then, the studio has continued to create several award-winning independent short films and TV series. It has also developed commercial capabilities by creating branded animations for clients.
Its next big dream? To create its original animated feature film that resonates with a global audience.
But to achieve that and other projects of similar scale, the 20-person studio is aware of the need for good, strong and reliable connectivity infrastructure.
The 33-year-old says: “Animation files can be extremely large. As we collaborate with multiple creatives remotely around the world, being able to share large files quickly and securely is essential.
“Right now, our current tech setup serves us well and supports everything we need at this stage. However, as we pursue the ambitious goal of producing our first animated feature film, we’d like to professionalise our systems for greater efficiency and scalability.”
To that end, Singtel recommends the installation of its symmetrical business broadband, which allows users to upload large files as quickly and reliably as they can download them, enabling seamless collaboration with work partners.
Ms Lee Jiaying, co-founder of Finding Pictures, leads the animation studio’s push towards realising its dream of creating original animated feature film.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Started in 2018, Finding Pictures was set up by five friends with a shared passion for storytelling through animation. For them, animation is more than just creating children’s cartoons – it is a powerful medium that transcends borders and languages and resonates with audiences of all ages.
This is evident in the studio’s Zombie Safari, an animated series three years in the making that showcases its commitment to telling original stories that connect with adults too. Finding Pictures’ ability to push creative boundaries has not gone unnoticed.
“We’re currently working on producing animation multimedia for the Singapore Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka. We’re excited about this project because it is another way to showcase Singapore’s creative capabilities in animation on a global scale,” says Ms Lee.
As its projects grow in scale, the need to have better cybersecurity increases. To prevent data and security breaches, the telco suggests using its Fortinet Unified Threat Management solution, which allows users to create a VPN, a secure tunnel for those accessing their network and assets remotely.
“Looking ahead, as we dive deeper into long-form narrative productions we’re passionate about, as well as scale up our commercial collaborations from around the world, we expect our data needs to grow even more,” explains Ms Lee.
“We’re keen to work towards greater efficiency and future-proof our business through technology. We want to be ready for big collaborations with international co-production partners and major broadcast networks.”
Singtel’s senior director of product team Amanda Ho says: “What businesses sometimes don’t realise is that even though you buy our broadband online, we are with you every step of the way from installation to support. We’re not just providing connectivity – we’re helping them reach their dream.”
For companies like Finding Pictures, this journey represents hope for Singapore’s multimedia ecosystem. With adequate support, local artists and animators can not only compete on the global stage but tell uniquely Singaporean stories that resonate worldwide.
“The animation community here is small and the journey can feel lonely,” she shares.
“It’s so important to empower young animators and give them the confidence to pursue their dreams. That’s why we’ve committed to mentoring those starting their creative journeys, regularly hosting animation masterclasses and sharing our insights at schools and industry events.”
Free Food For All: Carrying on a legacy of giving
The spirit of serving others takes many forms. Dr Shaik knows that helming FFFA was not an easy task. At just 30, with a demanding career as a physician and managing a young family, he took over from his late father and FFFA founder Nizar Mohamed Shariff, who was the life, soul and face of the organisation.
“I didn’t realise the impact my father made until after he passed away. The outpouring of stories about how he helped the community was overwhelming,” says Dr Shaik.
In 2014, when Mr Nizar noticed a gap in healthy halal food options for the needy, he founded FFFA
What started as giving out free meals after Friday prayers at the mosque has grown into a bustling operation that has provided over 300,000 halal-certified ready-to-eat meals to Singaporeans in need.
Watch this video to see how Dr Shaik is carrying forward his father’s legacy.
Through FFFA’s innovative app, beneficiaries can choose their preferred meals – much like a food delivery service, but offering free meals with privacy and dignity.
As the new face of FFFA, Dr Shaik sees even greater potential. “We’re working on improving the nutritional aspect of the food we serve,” he explains.
“We’re developing special meals for dialysis patients, and besides providing meals for children from needy families, we’re launching enrichment programmes to give them experiences they might not otherwise have.”
Free Food For All’s chairman Shaik Ahmad Ali Nizar wants to make the most of digital tools to expand the social enterprise’s reach and carry on his father’s legacy.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
While FFFA has established itself as a trusted social enterprise, reaching new donors and volunteers remains a key hurdle in expanding its community impact.
“So far, we have been using basic tools like spreadsheets and manual tracking,” says Dr Shaik. “I’m really proud of what we’ve been doing, but it’s important for me to be well-equipped when advocating for FFFA and the beneficiaries we serve.”
Recognising this need, Singtel stepped forward with more than just technical support. Beyond providing existing broadband and telephony services, Singtel equipped FFFA with new tools to expand its impact.
Singtel’s Ms Ho says: “FFFA is an incredible social enterprise that uses technology at the heart of its business – from its app to how they communicate with beneficiaries, volunteers and donors.
“Enabling the crucial work it is doing as well as of the many social enterprises throughout Singapore with reliable connectivity is an absolute privilege of the job that we do.”
A marketing leap forward
The telco provided the social enterprise with a TikTok Masterclass, training Dr Shaik and his team to create interesting content, strengthen its digital presence and engage a greater pool of donors and volunteers.
Beyond digital marketing expertise, FFFA gained access to valuable platforms to increase its visibility. The social enterprise can now tap Singtel’s owned media channels and Red Alliance
The masterclass, marketing and reward platforms are available to all of Singtel’s SMB customers. The telco even helps SMBs reward their employees through a programme called Taste of Red
The telco says it believes in going beyond connectivity and going all in for its SMBs. After all, SMBs in Singapore make up 99 per cent of businesses and employ 78 per cent of the workforce – it can be a win-win for all.
For Dr Shaik, the stakes to keep FFFA running could not be higher. “It’s more than just fulfilling my father’s dream,” he explains. “It’s about ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry, no matter their background.”
As FFFA strengthens its digital capabilities, Dr Shaik is hopeful for the future. “We fill a critical gap in providing halal-certified meals,” he says. “With more partners who share our commitment to serving with dignity, we can ensure this essential support stays alive for future generations.”
ICM Pharma: Serving the community better
For ICM Pharma, efficiency and productivity are not just business goals. They are pathways to giving back to the community.
This 55-year-old pharmaceutical company
Led by Dr Koe, the home-grown outfit is focused on how to “get better”, its brand motto. It wants to modernise its operations to make a greater impact on its 120 employees and its community of clinics, pharmacies, hospitals and patients that it serves.
This mission is deeply personal for the 51-year-old, who discovered the true meaning of community during his own transformative journey.
“I made some huge mistakes and spent almost five years in prison. You lose everything – your identity, your reason for being. It could easily have destroyed me,” he shares candidly, adding that he was jailed for drug trafficking in 2018.
“What got me through this was my family and my ICM Pharma family. Many of them came to visit me in prison and they gave me a second chance to make things right. It is because of them that I asked myself, ‘Do I want to keep repeating these mistakes, or do I want to learn and grow from this?’”
Watch this video to see how ICM Pharma is modernising the business.
Dr Koe chose to transform his experience into a force for good. Coincidentally, it was during this time that he met Awful Grace’s counsellors, who taught pottery to inmates.
Awful Grace is a charity organisation that reaches marginalised communities, as well as groups deprived of certain rights, privileges or access to opportunities, in Singapore.
The counsellors’ humanity and compassion left such an impression on Dr Koe that ICM Pharma now actively supports Awful Grace’s work with children whose parents are incarcerated.
“I’ve met so many fathers in prison whose biggest regret is not being able to be there for their children,” says Dr Koe.
“If we can help just one person break out of that vicious cycle of crime or poverty, then it’s a life worth living for.”
Dr Stuart Koe, managing director of ICM Pharma, sees technology upgrades as a way to improve efficiency and give back to the community.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
Dr Koe also wanted to put his technology expertise to good use, transforming and modernising ICM Pharma’s manufacturing operations.
“When I took over from my late father in 2014, it was very old-school,” he recalls. “Everything was done with pen and paper. I had to literally force people to use spreadsheets and compel them to stop using the fax machine.”
Today, while ICM Pharma has made progress, orders still come in through manual channels, with customers having to call or email sales representatives. Its delivery tracking system relies on phone calls to drivers, and as a manufacturing facility spread across multiple units, it needs better connectivity between its production, warehousing and distribution operations.
Smart manufacturing for a smart nation
ICM Pharma needed to upgrade from manual processing and basic connectivity infrastructure to better serve its network of hospitals, clinics and retail pharmacies.
With Singtel’s help, it aims to improve not just internal efficiency but also how quickly and reliably it can deliver medications to Singaporeans.
Singtel’s Ms Ho says: “I’m excited to share how Singtel can help transform ICM Pharma’s business operations, especially in the areas of connectivity, security and workflow optimisation.
“Our solutions aim to help its employees become more efficient and productive, ultimately benefitting both their customers and the community as a whole.”
To support its transformation, Singtel upgraded the firm’s connectivity and tech, starting with its business broadband
This allows ICM Pharma to manage its network centrally and optimise data routes to improve its application performance. For example, the ability to prioritise traffic by application can help to reduce latency, which is important for its upcoming B2B e-commerce portal for clinics and pharmacies, resulting in faster response times and smoother transactions for its corporate clients.
Additionally, Singtel implemented a fleet management system
One of the achievements that Dr Koe is proud of is that the ICM Pharma digitalisation journey has led to an increased number of employees, not a reduction. The firm is poised to expand its impact while staying true to its motto: Get better.
As Dr Koe explains, “It means our people get better, our patients get better and our community gets better. That’s what drives us forward.”
With 99 per cent of companies being SMBs, such digital transformations play a crucial role in driving the nation’s economic growth. It enables them to dream bigger, reach further and build a better Singapore.
These home-grown businesses pour their hearts into serving the community, and now with Singtel’s solutions, they can do so more effectively.
Singapore Dreamin’ is a glimpse into how Singtel is doing its part to support SMBs in meeting modern challenges and opportunities. Grow your business with Singtel here
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