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Challenges in adopting concepts

TUAH Guard (M) Sdn Bhd group managing director Mohd Fariz Abu Bakar was told about the book by executive chairman and founder Datuk Abu Bakar Lajim.

“He had a call from his source at MPH to say that it was the latest book then and one which Lee Kuan Yew made many of his cabinet members read.

“Our chairman made senior management read the book, explain what we understood by it and brainstorm ideas,” he told StarBiz.

Fariz found the book to be very relevant to the company and a good supplement to Michael Robert's book, Strategy, Pure & Simple.

Mohd Fariz Abu Bakar

He said the book talked about not playing in the same sandbox as others but to re-look at what management could do in relation to the customer or potential target market.

“In a way, it is about minding our own business rather than other people's (competition) and extract the current strengths of our organisation to deliver superior service or even unlock hidden values in our services.

“These services may not be too much trouble for us to deliver but the targeted customers could be very grateful or even better, be willing to pay a bit more for them,” he said.

Tuah Guard identified project management and outsourcing of security services to be a very important and much needed solution to clients and potential clients as no player in the industry provided it.

The company started training its key management and field staff on project management and outsourcing issues in all aspects, including legal, financial, operational and human capital.

Fariz said the company produced cost effective and measurable solutions to its clients with savings of 10% to 72%.

“We managed to increase our portfolio by 50% in the first nine months after putting in place the Blue Ocean strategy in project management and outsourcing of security services,” he added.

He believes adopting the Blue Ocean strategy would benefit the company in several ways:

·It put Tuah Guard in the forefront of the industry and a leader in security project management and outsourcing initiatives and capabilities.

·It increased the livelihood of its staff who have been better paid as outsourcing and project management clients pay on time. The company makes money while saving for clients as well.

·It also provides staff with an increased level of knowledge and skill in areas and methodologies never seen before.

·It will help Tuah Guard obtain an ISO in project management for security services which will be a first in the country and possibly in Asia.

Nevertheless, Fariz foresees challenges in adopting the book's concepts.

“The challenge is for human capital to cope and keep abreast of the new direction. The quality of training and training schools in security is very poor in Malaysia.

“Our challenge is also to keep the human capital at managerial, field and support staff levels always in tune towards customer needs and continuous improvements,” he said.

He stressed that unanimity of a particular company's management was also vital in embracing the concepts in Blue Ocean Strategy.

“The chances of success are better if the will of management is to solve the customers' issues and provide value for what is charged,” he said.

Fariz reckoned that management trying to deliver what they have formulated out of reading Blue Ocean Strategy might feel frustrated when they find their customers or potential clients were not open to new ideas and new ways of doing things.

“Blue Ocean is about looking at things in a new horizon and giving value to clients,” he said.

Fariz also noted that it would be harder for Blue Ocean strategies to get best, if not the appropriate results and yield for client and provider in organisations where corruption and bribery were the norm.

Source: The Star