KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (Medac) will be collaborating with Maxis Bhd on the Digital Readiness Index (DRI) platform to spur the country’s digital transformation.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (pix) said the DRI — an online and interactive self-assessment tool — will help companies across industries assess their level of digital readiness.
“I look forward to the insights that the DRI will provide, including in terms of policies and best practices to drive digitalisation in the country.
“I also understand that Maxis will be sharing yearly updates on digital readiness in the country with government agencies to help them measure digital adoption in the country,” he said at the virtual launch of the DRI, today.
Medac and Maxis will be collaborating on several initiatives through the Medac’s agencies such as the National Entrepreneurship Institute (INSKEN), TEKUN Nasional and Co-operative Institute of Malaysia (IKKM).
These include incorporating the DRI into INSKEN’s ongoing targeted modules and trainings, exploring collaboration on Maxis’ Digital Entrepreneurship Workshop, and digital solutions for the micro and small and medium enterprise (SME) segments.
Meanwhile, Maxis chief enterprise business officer Paul McManus said it is clear that SME segment needs strong support to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape and to accelerate digitalisation.
“The DRI has the potential to generate actionable insights on the state of digital transformation of businesses and industries in the nation, including for government, particularly as a consideration for policy implementation and best practices for digital adoption,” he said.
Elaborating on the DRI, Maxis head of enterprise customer experience and commercial management Tan Cheong Tatt said the DRI survey analyses three key pillars in business which are customer satisfaction, employee productivity and operational efficiency.
He said a formula determines the score for each pillar that tabulates a total score to gauge digital readiness ranging from ‘Ready’, ‘Nearly Ready’, ‘Not Ready’, and ‘At Risk’.
“Along with comprehensive and personalised insights into their business, the final report provides competitor analysis, industry benchmarking, as well as recommendations on the most suitable digital solutions for their needs.
“Companies can also opt to follow up with guidance from dedicated Maxis consultants,” he said.
Sharing the initial results from the DRI tool among 2,000 SMEs across the country, he said it revealed that 58 percent of Malaysian SMEs are categorised as ‘Not Ready’ in reaching its full potential in embracing digital technologies.
The use of digital tools for customer engagement is still at a basic level, with 61 percent using email and 40 percent using social media as main communication channels to customers. — Bernama
