Executives air thoughts on dealing with disruption
Digital transformation is unavoidable for every business sector and companies are advised to hasten their adoption, operators say.
At the Bangkok Post International Forum on “Asian Transformation: The Changing Landscape”, Kosit Suksingha, chief of beer business and supply chain management for Thai Beverage Plc (ThaiBev), said the company has adjusted to deal with disruption in the drinks industry.
“But a key point in the transformation is, are the people ready for the digital disruption?” he said. “In many organisations, you cannot focus only on technology, but you must also pay attention to the people using this thing.”
Mr Kosit said the business sector needs high-quality people who can use technology to maximise efficiency.
New technology can be used for sustainable transformation inside companies.
“Corporations must work with governments to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which is the goal of ThaiBev,” Mr Kosit said. “Moreover, we are looking at how to respond to natural disasters and water resource management.”
As part of this transformation, the older generation of workers must not be left behind. Each company has to guide and train legacy workers in new technologies, instead of simply replacing them with digital-savvy ones.
“We must be inclusive and make everyone understand the transformation,” Mr Kosit said. “If we do not adapt to technology, it will force us to adapt ourselves.”
In the automotive sector, Hideo Tsurumaki, chief executive of FOMM Asia, specified five pillars of disruption: connected, autonomous, sharing, electrification and smart city.
“In Thailand, electric vehicles (EVs) are affecting and changing the sector,” Mr Tsurumaki said. Japan’s FOMM is the first car maker to win the government’s incentives to manufacture battery EVs in Chon Buri.
“The b a ttery EV will be equipped with only 1,600 parts, while a conventional car has to rely on 30,000 parts,” Mr Tsurumaki said.
As a result of the automotive transformation, he said, manufacturers of engines and transmissions will suffer from the penetration of EVs, as they are innovative vehicles mobilised by batteries.
Moreover, FOMM is studying the feasibility of connected cars and cloudbased battery swapping, both elements of future automotive disruption.
“We aim to implement this plan in Thailand after FOMM mini EVs receive acceptance from Thai buyers,” Mr Tsurumaki said. “FOMM has teamed up with Fujitsu for the cloud service.”
He said that while the five pillars seem far off in the distance, cooperation among all stakeholders in society will help the industry meet the government’s goal of maintaining Thailand’s standing as the automotive leader in Southeast Asia.