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TOWARDS A 24-HOUR
SERVICE DAY FOR SINGAPORE
To stand out in the global competition, Singapore must
take the lead in round-the-clock business convenience.
The Stock Exchange of Singapore recently decided to
extend trading hours by an additional hour each day.
This is another move in the right direction for
Singapore. My comment is: Keep moving.
I am writing this article at 1:00am. Moments ago I
completed some banking transactions with Citibank via
its 24-hour telephone service. And I've just finished
making a flight reservation to Hong Kong with SIA's
round-the-clock reservations. But I have another long
list of calls which can only be addressed after 9:00am
tomorrow, after the relevant government and business
offices re-open.
But by 9:00am tomorrow I will be working with my
clients. Time to handle my personal matters will be
limited. Too bad more agencies and businesses do not
provide the convenience of true 24-hour service.
The issue of "Service Singapore, 24-hours a day" is
becoming more urgent. Cities around the world are
promoting themselves aggressively as "24-hour centers
for your business". Japan's Kansai International Airport
wants to be "your non-stop window to the world". London
joins New York in claiming to be "the city that never
sleeps".
The Economic Development Board promotes Singapore as
"Your Global
Business Architect". But this claim will not stand up to
scrutiny if Singapore does not implement global hours,
or does so only after other cities have set the eager
pace.
To stand out in the global competition, Singapore must
take the lead in round-the-clock business convenience.
We must be ready to do business whenever our customers
and service partners are ready, whatever time zone they
may be in.
Singapore recognizes that the future lies in being a
value-added, service-based economy. While manufacturing
moves offshore, what must remain and grow are high-end
services which do not close their doors every time the
clock strikes 5:00pm.
Many people and organizations are familiar with long
working hours. Quitting at 10:00pm is often the norm;
working past midnight is not unheard of. Even now, at
1:32 am, there are others on this busy island who are
telecommuting and working on the Web. But if you need
access to government or business services? Sorry, you
must wait until 9:00am!
Australia is one example of an economy that has been
running the clock race backwards. How can Australians
complain about economic distress when insisting in the
next breath that shops close up at 5:00pm? That is
exactly the hour when businesses release their workers
into the shop-lined streets, eager and ready to buy. The
volume of retail transactions in Australian cities might
double if shops were allowed to freely and competitively
remain open beyond 5:00pm, when people have leisure time
for shopping.
In today's accelerating business climate, leading
companies will not wait for countries to catch up on
their working hours. Intel has chip development teams
working round the clock, split by shifts and location
between Austin, Texas, and Tel Aviv. The Texas-based
teams work on new chip designs all day and then "hand
over" their progress electronically to colleagues in
Israel; the Israelis put in the next 12 hours and "hand
back" further improved designs to their counterparts in
Texas for another round in a continuous and vigorous
cycle. How can chip developers with only one shift ever
hope to compete?
Is Singapore moving aggressively enough towards a real
24-hour economy? Are other businesses taking their cue
from the Stock Exchange of Singapore?
Many hotels in Singapore still close their "Business
Centers" at 6:00pm. That's not most convenient for
visitors from overseas. Must the phone company always
close business offices promptly at 5:00pm? Must the tax
office always close "on-time"? Whose time!? The now Post
Office stays open late on Wednesday nights, and that's a
good idea. Could we benefit from such a service every
night of the week?
What about your business, your company, or your
department? What
enhancement of service could you provide by extending
your service hours? Federal Express recently implemented
a 24-hour pick-up service. Should you do the same?
Automated dial-in systems, fax-on-demand, information on
the World Wide Web, 24-hour customer support hotlines:
all these technologies support customers and business
partners doing business with us at their convenience. Is
your organization up to date?
Of course we can anticipate the social debate: "The
evening is for relaxation." "What about changes to
family life?" "It's just not right to be working at such
odd hours."
Fortunately Singapore is a highly-pragmatic society.
Before we find ourselves too quickly defending the
habits of our past, we must take a level-headed look at
the present and realize that the demand for 24-hour
business is already here.
Singapore should take seriously this business phenomenon
and provide excellent business, cultural and government
facilities, 24-hours a day. It's only a matter of time
before other cities in the region surely do.
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- Ron's successful background includes high-impact special events at the
Rose Bowl, the Great Wall of China, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow and on the Capitol
Mall in Washington DC. His unique approaches to leadership and learning have been featured
in LIFE Magazine, the New York Times and frequently on TV. A graduate of Brown University,
USA, Ron is certified in Applied Neuro-linguistics and is a professional member of the
National Speakers Association. For more information please visit his web site: http://www.ronkaufman.com/
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