SPRING Singapore launches productivity resource portal for businesses

Productivity@Work through EnterpriseOne website empowers SMEs by providing tools and resources to raise productivity.

From 1 June, businesses will have a dedicated portal to access information and various resources to help them take action to raise productivity. Users can access Productivity@Work through the EnterpriseOne website (www.enterpriseone.gov.sg), managed by SPRING Singapore.

Productivity@Work contains easy-to-understand productivity concepts, simple tools and other useful resources on productivity that businesses can tap on for self-help. It presents an Integrated Management of Productivity Activities (IMPACT) framework to guide businesses to manage productivity in a systematic manner; and provides case studies on how companies have implemented measures that resulted in higher productivity. It also guides businesses to the relevant government assistance programmes. And if they have any productivity-related questions or need help from a business consultant, they can send in their request through the website, according to a SPRING Singapore report.

An interesting feature of the portal is an online productivity calculator for businesses to work out their productivity performance based on four indicators – labour productivity, labour cost competitiveness, capital productivity and profit-to-value-added ratio. All they need is their profit & loss statement and balance sheet. They can also benchmark their productivity figures against the industry levels.

Productivity@Work is one of the channels outlined under the SME Productivity Roadmap (SME-PRO), a joint initiative by SPRING Singapore and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. The SME-PRO is a three-step approach for SMEs to 1) Be Aware, 2) Get Trained and 3) Take Action to improve productivity.

SMEs make up 99% of enterprises in Singapore. They employ nearly six out of every 10 workers and generate about half of total enterprises' value-added. However, their value-added per worker at $79,000 is trailing behind the total enterprises' average of $88,000. They need much help to improve their productivity.

"Productivity@Work will enable SMEs to learn the basic concepts, calculate their productivity and use the resources available on the website to raise their productivity. This is the first self-help website on productivity and I encourage companies, especially SMEs, to use this website to kickstart their productivity journey," said Mr Png Cheong Boon, Chief Executive, SPRING Singapore.

Users can look forward to richer content, including a self-help diagnostic tool, and more useful links in the future.