Industry leaders spotlight the need to ask the right questions to harness technology for real-world impact

In today’s turbulent world, the ability to ask the right questions has become indispensable. 

Wielding the right questions, we can unlock new insights and spur action, cutting through the uncertainty created by geopolitics, technological disruption, climate change and other complexities.

As a leading technology services firm in Asia Pacific, NCS has embraced this new approach with the purpose of going back to the fundamentals of what really matters to communities and businesses. It convened some of the industry’s brightest minds at the inaugural NCS Impact event, held on Sept 7, 2023, at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, to share insights and discuss ways to not just navigate the turbulence, but to rise above it. This strategy isn’t just theoretical – it’s being put to the test in real-world applications.

Mr Ng Kuo Pin, chief executive officer of NCS, acknowledges the complexities of today’s landscape, a central theme of discussions at the NCS Impact event. He says: “Today’s world is not an easy one to navigate. Businesses and governments face complexities on many fronts, such as geopolitical tensions, technology inflexion and changing expectations of work.

“To address these challenges and rise above the turbulence, there’s a need to ask the right questions, starting with what matters most to us as communities and how we can make tomorrow safer, empowered and collaborative.”

“None of us have all the answers. We believe collaboration is the way everyone can harness technology more confidently to achieve the outcomes we want,” he adds.

Mr Alfred Goh, managing partner for the enterprise strategic business group at NCS, highlights the company’s purpose-driven approach. He says, “At NCS, we believe that we cannot just implement technology for its own sake. We start by asking, ‘How can we advance our communities and businesses using technology?’. We work closely with clients to ask ‘what are the problems to be solved?’"

“With focused questions like these, we can use technology meaningfully in multiple industries such as healthcare, art galleries, transportation, banking and finance and so on,” he adds.

NCS has embraced this inquiry-driven approach to transform sectors such as healthcare. In hospitals and clinics, for example, dispensing medicine at the pharmacies can be time consuming and prone to human error. How then, can technology be used to solve this long-standing problem?

The company partnered with healthcare providers like Tan Tock Seng Hospital to deploy the Outpatient Pharmacy Automation System. Using a combination of AI, robotics, and data analytics, the system has greatly improved the patient’s experience. Wait times have been reduced from 20 to 10 minutes, and the project has saved $5.8 million in operational costs annually.

NCS is also highly focused on the growing issue of cybersecurity. As more people and businesses go online, the risks of cyberattacks such as ransomware, phishing scams, and data breaches increase. For example, ransomware attacks can lock companies out of their own systems, demanding hefty payments for access to be restored. Phishing scams can trick employees into revealing sensitive information, and data breaches can expose customer records.

According to Cybercrime Magazine, as the digital economy grows, the cost of such cyberattacks could amount to about US$10.5 trillion annually by 2025. NCS is partnering with leading cybersecurity companies like global player Mandiant (now part of Google Cloud) to conduct research and development on generative AI for cybersecurity and Assurity Trusted Solutions to increase resilience of digital infrastructure, to help businesses fight against cyber threats. These include solutions such as anomaly detection to identify unusual patterns that could signify cyber threats, and phishing detection to spot nuanced signs of phishing attempts.

Asking the right questions extends beyond technological innovation; it’s also about choosing the right collaborators. One question often on the minds of businesses is how to employ AI solutions without risking data exposure. NCS’ collaboration with Dell Technologies addresses this concern. Together, they are developing localised generative AI solutions that can be deployed securely on a company’s premises, ensuring data security without compromising technological efficacy.

A commonly asked question in the industry is how Singapore together with the companies here can establish itself as a global leader in the AI landscape. The nation’s advantages are its strong technological infrastructure, robust academic institutions, and a government that is supportive of innovation. These factors make it well-positioned to be a frontrunner in AI development.

With these in mind, NCS announced a strategic alliance with AI Singapore, the national programme focused on advancing AI technologies. The partnership aims to tap into AI Singapore’s deep technical expertise to co-develop innovative solutions and grow local talent.

The solutions will leverage AISG and NCS' capabilities and technologies to transform industries by enabling precise language processing, hyperlocal solutions, and heightened customer experiences for Southeast Asia – Australia.

The scope of AI applications is broad, with potential benefits in areas such as scam detection and customer service call management. For instance, by auditing all customer interactions – be it calls, emails, or chats – organisations can ensure adherence to both standard operating procedures and regulatory compliance, rather than relying on sample checks. This comprehensive approach not only elevates the level of customer service but also enables targeted training recommendations for agents who may fall short of quality standards.

Yet, the success of any technological initiative relies heavily on the expertise of the individuals behind it. “We’re facing a considerable talent gap, especially in specialised IT sectors such as generative AI and data science,” says Mr Goh. “One of the biggest challenges is delivering high quality solutions, and that requires talent.”

One key reason for this gap is the fast pace of technological advancements, which often outstrips the speed at which professionals can acquire new skills. To address such issues, NCS is partnering with education institutions and organisations including the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). Together with IMDA, for instance, NCS aims to establish as many as 1,600 tech roles and educational pathways for tertiary students in Singapore.

“At NCS, we are not only helping customers find the right technological solutions, we are also helping them find the best talent for their needs,” Mr Goh adds.