Digital Business Requires Paradigm Shift To Succeed

By Mohd Faizal Hassan KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- The transformation of services and businesses from traditional platforms to online or digital is growing rapidly but requires a paradigm shift from the community if they want to advance like other countries, industry players say. Those active in this digital business consider the online service and business trend involve a two-way link between providers and consumers who need to move in tandem and need one another. The chief executive officer of a company offering online healthcare services, Mohd Hafiz Safie, said awareness on the use of online services and businesses would only increase and expand if it was practised and expanded continuously. "We have to build an ecosystem for a win-win situation connecting service providers with customers or consumers. It's important for a product or brand to be trusted and avoid the 'can it be trusted' stigma in the community. "I also believe that a brand should be strong in terms of its name and service for it to be viral from word of mouth to the market," he said when met by Bernama at the Wild Digital Conference 2019 on Wednesday. The conference gives exposure to the digital industry and the opportunity to expand its network among major industry players in Southeast Asia and international continents. Mohd Hafiz said to change the stigma of society towards the use of services in digital is not easy but it is possible to happen as proven in his digital business that provides therapist services. "Through our app, a cupping therapy service, massage, facial treatments, can now be booked via the phone only without customers having to go to a salon or spa centre instead of having the therapist come directly to the customer's residence or office. These are the transformations that make it convenient for users," he said. Meanwhile, talking about the transformation of digital services and businesses, assistant director of another company that also offers online healthcare services, Nur Afifah Samsuddin, said awareness on the platform was at an increasing level but needs improvement by industry players for easy access without any doubt. She argued that some customers still preferred to meet the service provider in person rather than surf the website or smartphone for the service. "We provide health-based services where customers will be able to know the status of their health through the saliva sample testing. Currently, people are more likely to take blood tests to find out their current illness and not interested in possible future illnesses. "Through our examination, consumers are now able to know if they are at risk of potential disease and therefore will be able to control it in terms of nutrition or lifestyle," she said. In the meantime, the chief operating officer and founder of a company that offers online delivery services, Syairil Reza, said the transformation of digital service providers is not only benefiting customers but also the public as a whole. Speaking about his carrier's parcel or courier service, Syairil said the service also benefited single mothers or the less fortunate in boosting their earnings since being involved in the industry. "We have about 7,000 riders including taxi drivers, Grab from various categories including single mothers who deliver almost 5,000 parcels daily. We not only provide a platform to profit, but it is changing lives for the better too. "Imagine, back in the days, delivery could take three days, but now it can be done in less than three hours as the number of riders and consumers grow. "From the consumers’ perspective, security features are also improved over time, where once before the items were lost, damaged, undetected, etc. All of these have been resolved and it is beneficial to consumers. This is the digital transformation that is taking place," he said. These three digital entrepreneurs are among the top 1,000 industry players who joined the two-day conference from Wednesday which has entered the fifth edition with the theme of "Advancing SEA's Billion-Dollar Ideas"! -- BERNAMA