In the book “The Future is Faster Than You Think!”, the authors examine how the convergence of technologies is changing our lives faster than we can imagine. Consider these examples given in the book. In 2015, we have about 15 billion connected devices; by 2030, the number is projected to go up to 500 billion. And, how in less than two decades after the arrival of the internet, Google and Facebook together now command more advertising dollars than all the print media on the planet.
Are you ready for the future? The immediate future we face, unfortunately, must account for COVID-19. On a positive note, COVID-19 has been an impetus for many countries around the world to spur their digital transformation. In Singapore, digitalisation has been going on for some time, but with the pandemic, the Government will accelerate the process further by pledging a 30% increase in ICT spending this year (estimated total spending of $3.5 billion).
Indeed, we see that businesses with a strong online presence weathered the Circuit Breaker better. For businesses that have yet to come onboard, Government has launched various measures to make digitalisation more accessible amid COVID-19. For example, the “Stay Healthy, Go Digital” initiative by IMDA and Enterprise Singapore provides funding for businesses to build digital capabilities and covers costs for hardware, software, cybersecurity and so on. Now, therefore, is an opportune time to start thinking about how to better equip your business for the future.
As the future brings about increased digitalisation, innovation and growth can only happen alongside robust data management practices. The role of a DPO will correspondingly become increasingly important and multi-faceted. To remain relevant, a DPO’s role should evolve from being a gatekeeper, to actively helping your organisation embrace and harness the power of data. Have you prepared yourself to fulfil the role of the future-DPO? Our DPO Competency Framework and Training Roadmap sets out the skills a DPO should have in this regard. It is a unique approach in that we place equal emphasis on skills to manage data responsibly as well as skills that support your organisation’s innovation journey. This approach reflects our view of what an ideal DPO should be: a facilitator, advocate, and internal partner to business units who understands the value of data and customer trust. I encourage you to use the framework to assess your competencies and to undertake the relevant training to plug any gaps.
COVID-19 had created much uncertainty and bad news all round. As PDPC’s new Commissioner, I would like to take this opportunity to renew PDPC’s commitment that we will continue to foster an environment of trust and innovation amongst businesses and consumers. With this, we hope to help businesses build up the necessary resilience to meet the challenges the future may bring; COVID-19 and beyond. Let’s navigate the future together.
