Asean’s small businesses count on technology to beat Covid-19

KUCHING: Small businesses across Asean are counting on technology to help them overcome the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their operations.

Technology was ranked the top investment priority for 2020 by two in three (64 per cent) small businesses, including those who currently have cash flow concerns.

This is according to a recent survey of 1,000 Asean small businesses conducted by United Overseas Bank (UOB), Accenture and Dun & Bradstreet. The research sought to understand how the small firms were adapting to the business environment given the changes brought on by the pandemic .

Across the region, Thailand had the highest proportion (71 per cent) of respondents prioritising technology investments in 2020, followed by Indonesia (65 per cent), Vietnam (63 per cent), Singapore (60 per cent) and Malaysia (59 per cent).

The survey also found that small businesses across Asean are persevering in their efforts to invest in technology even when faced with the prospect of declining revenue.

Although close to nine in 10 (88 per cent) of these businesses have lowered their revenue expectations in 2020, almost half of them (44 per cent) still plan to increase their overall technology budget. This suggests that Asean small businesses are looking beyond the present challenges and are set on adopting technology to improve their competitiveness and sustainability.

According to UOB’s head of group Business Banking Lawrence Loh, the unprecedented economic, business and social impact of the Covid-19 outbreak has underscored the importance of technology for many small businesses across the region.

“Having had to cope with the disruption to their operations as a result of Covid-19, many of these firms realised quickly that technology can make all the difference to their business,” he said in a statement accompanying the survey.

“Whether in revising their business models or even transforming their operations, small businesses are responding to the changes brought about by the pandemic by turning to technology to ensure their long-term viability and competitiveness.”

By industry sector, small businesses from the food and beverage (F&B), information and communications technology and healthcare sectors (50 per cent) indicated the strongest desire to boost their technology investments, followed by those in construction (48 per cent) and retail trade (46 per cent).

Loh said, “We at UOB have been keeping close to our small

Having had to cope with the disruption to their operations as a result of Covid-19, many of these firms realised quickly that technology can make all the difference to their business Lawrence Loh

business customers to help them navigate the challenges in these difficult times. Apart from supporting their financial needs, we help them identify and implement digital solutions that enable them to manage their operations effectively and virtually.

“For example, for F&B small businesses in Malaysia, we are partnering a leading business technology company, StoreHub, to help them enhance their business models so that they can respond more nimbly to trends such as the growing demand for online food delivery services.

Through the collaboration, the bank’s F&B small business customers can digitalise their food ordering operations and save costs when using StoreHub’s tablet-based retail operating system and online food delivery service, Beep Delivery.”

Beyond technology, Asean small businesses are looking to invest in developing their employees’ skills (51 per cent) and in machinery or equipment (40 per cent). Their lowest investment priority is in motor vehicles (18 per cent).

As small businesses across the region embrace technology as a means of ensuring a more sustainable business model for the long term, they recognise that technology can also help them better manage their cash flow.

Eight in 10 (81 per cent) small businesses across the region ranked the use of digital solutions as their most preferred cash flow management method.

For instance, digital solutions such as UOB SmartBusiness enable small businesses to issue electronic invoices to manage their account receivables more promptly.