NUS-ISS x NVPC Presents Community Matters: "Process Innovation"

The ageing population, coupled with the low fertility rate, has seen Singapore’s workforce shrinking. Businesses are learning to adapt and evolve amidst the mounting pressure. The social sector is not spared from this conundrum. In tackling the manpower shortage and dwindling funds, some have turned to process innovation in pursuit of their quest to be better, faster and cheaper. However, therein lies the commonly held misconception that innovation involves extensive technology adoption, it is highly disruptive and chaotic or that it is reserved for the creative few who have the abilities to be game-changers. All these increase the barrier for organisations to innovate.

This talk shall debunk the myths surrounding process innovation, and expound on the core tenets of process innovation to make existing processes more efficient and productive. Through the sharing of real-world applications in the social sector, it demonstrates the methodological implementation of process innovation that organisations can adopt regardless of where they are at right now. Process innovation may not reverse the effects of an ageing population, but it certainly can help organisations to reduce the inefficiencies of their processes and maximise their productivity to cope with the burden of a shrinking workforce.