COVER FEATURE
Digital Malaysia in 2018
By Dato ’ Ng Wan Peng , Chief Operating Officer , Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation ( MDEC )
COVER FEATURE
This time last year , I pointed out that Malaysia and the rest of the world are rapidly making its way to the Fourth Industrial Revolution ( now known as IR4.0 ). Rapidly evolving technologies – such as artificial intelligence , robotics , the Internet of Things ( IoT ), autonomous vehicles , 3D printing , nanotechnology , and quantum computing - together with emerging new models and approaches are starting to help us unlock even more value and benefits from the digital revolution .
Leading industry players in Malaysia have started their digital adoption and transformation journey , but are yet to fully leverage digital technologies across the full breadth of their business , according to recent analysis by Accenture using its Digital Performance Index ( DPI ).
As an example , an Accenture analysis in Malaysia , examines 28 leading companies across more than eight industries . It found that although companies are aware of the importance of incorporating digital into business strategies , there seems to be a gap between planning and taking action . Up to 44 % of companies have digital strategies in place , but only 7 % have announced dedicated budgets to implement these strategies .
The research also revealed that most digital transformation initiatives are focused on customerfacing activities rather than internal operations and management structures . More than half ( 52 %) have launched new digital products and up to 44 % have digitalised current products . However , only 11 % use digital in their manufacturing processes or to manage the supply network .
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