AirAsia Group Berhad wins 2019 Digital Transformer at the 3rd Annual IDC Digital Transformation Awards (DXa) Malaysia

IDC announced today the Malaysia winners of the third IDC Digital Transformation Awards (DXa) 2019 and named AirAsia Group Berhad, the 2019 Digital Transformer for Malaysia. Now on its third year, IDC’s DX Awards honors the achievements of organizations that have successfully digitalized one or multiple areas of their business through the application of digital and disruptive technologies.

Other winners include: Shopee Malaysia, Malaysia Aviation Commission (MAVCOM), AFFINBANK Berhad, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Sunway Medical Centre and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes of ROKKI Sdn Bhd (A subsidiary of Air Asia) as Malaysia’s 2019 DX Leader, who all distinguished themselves for their discernible and measurable excellence in their digital transformation (DX) efforts across the six DX masteries and significant efforts to transform or disrupt the market.

“Enterprises continue to increase the benchmark in terms of competing in the digital ecosystem. As we move into the age of data-driven digital transformation, changing management pose a great challenge to organizations. However, there’s been tremendous progress in this journey of driving digital culture by an agile workforce of innovative organization. The significant increase in the number of nominations for this year’s IDC Digital Transformation Awards, as well as the vision towards achieving a digital economy in the region has proven that Malaysia and other market leaders are in a strategic position to embrace the future,” says Sudev Bangah, Managing Director for IDC ASEAN.

These are the winners of the 2019 Malaysia IDC Digital Transformation Awards, and the outstanding digital transformation initiatives that distinguished them:

• AirAsia Digital Airline Program by AirAsia Group Berhad named as 2019 Digital Transformer for Malaysia:

As the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destination, AirAsia has actively worked to be at the forefront of innovation in the aviation industry with the use of digital technologies. To maintain its competitive advantage as a leading low-cost air transport service provider in the ASEAN region with 110 destination hubs, it set its sights on becoming a digital airline by employing a data-first culture centered on delivering relevant and personalized experiences to its customers. Through big data analytics and machine learning, AirAsia has been able to capture the data of its 500 million passengers, analyze customer behavior, and derive insights quickly and accurately which allowed it to identify opportunities and transform ideas into deliverables. With customer-centricity at the core of its digital strategies and investments, AirAsia has begun to use predictive technology and complex algorithms to forecast customer demand for ancillary products such as baggage, seats, and meals and to optimize pricing for a broad range of services. On the operations side, the digital airline program has reduced costs by as much as 10% in just over a year and is poised to reap further benefits as its deployment matures. By employing an enterprise-wide cloud-based platform under its Digital Airline Program, AirAsia improved collaboration across business units, automated processes, and created custom reports – all of which contributed to enhanced operations, reduced costs, and increased revenue streams.

• Shopee Malaysia named as 2019 Digital Disruptor for Malaysia tied with Shopee e-commerce Platform project:

Shopee is a leading online shopping platform in Southeast Asia that offers a convenient experience to users eager to shop anytime and anywhere. As part of its commitment to excellence, it launched three programs to support its vision namely Shopee Live, Shopee Guarantee, and Global Leaders Program. Shopee Live aims bring users to their favored brands and retailers by allowing sellers to conduct live product demonstrations and reviews. Equipped with a chat function, customers can ask questions and get feedback in real-time. With its rich and interactive media content, customers are continuously engaged and spend more time in the platform which resulted in the increase of sales by brands and sellers by up to 75%. To address safety and authenticity concerns, Shopee released the Shopee Guarantee feature where it holds payment temporarily until a deal is fulfilled. Offering end-to-end security for both buyers and sellers, it eliminates fake orders, ensures payment, and acts as a dispute mediator. Finally, to support the organization’s growth and to foster an innovative culture, the Global Leaders Program was launched to identify and attract high-caliber talent. With its multi-faceted recruitment and rigorous talent development process, Shopee developed its branding as the employer of choice for recent graduates. Taking a customer-focused approach powered by digital technologies, Shopee delivers elevated customer experience befitting a service provider in the digital age.

• Tan Sri Tony Fernandes of ROKKI Sdn Bhd (A subsidiary of Air Asia) named as 2019 DX Leader for Malaysia:

Under the leadership of Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, AirAsia has embarked on a journey from being a transport service provider to a travel technology company. Guided by his vision of connecting Asia, Tony aligned business interests with stakeholder welfare through enterprise-wide efforts leveraged on an agile and data-driven culture – from improving communication tools and channels to providing tailor-fit recommendations to its users. One of his numerous initiatives was the development of ROKKI, an inflight marketplace that empowers SMEs across the region. With over 2,200 SKUs and more than 100 merchants available, passengers have access to a wide-ranging selection of products at the touch of their fingertips. Through this platform, merchants can access AirAsia’s extensive passenger reach, manage their overall value chain, and scale their business effectively. To support this project, Tony has strengthened synergies among internal and external parties, reformed the role of people and culture, and assisted various entities. Driven by the goal of offering customized products unique to the travelers’ destinations, ROKKI has elevated inflight retail and has delivered meaningful experience to its users. Beyond being AirAsia’s founder, he has also utilized his personal platform to raise awareness and to champion digital transformation.

• FlySmart CMS by Malaysia Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) named as 2019 Information Visionary for Malaysia:

As a government agency, the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) must respond to the growing needs of the public. Committed to their cause of serving the Malaysian people, it is the first ASEAN regulator to introduce a complaints management system. Before the introduction of the CMS, complaints were registered and tracked in a manual spreadsheet. Available in MAVCOM’s website and integrated in a mobile application, the CMS serves as a convenient channel for consumers to register their complaints on services rendered by airlines or airports in Malaysia. With the goal of improving operating efficiencies and complaint resolution time, the CMS organizes data and allows MAVCOM to systematically analyze non-compliance matters. With millions of passengers going in and out of airlines and airports, the system acts a strategic tool that records and tracks trends and performance. In 2018, out of more than 1,600 complaints received, 94% of these were resolved within 30 days. All in all, the CMS has re-engineered the complaints treatment process by cohesively engaging with the relevant parties to adhere to regulatory standards and to deliver a seamless customer experience.

• AFFINBANK Digital Branch by AFFINBANK Berhad named as 2019 Omni-Experience Innovator for Malaysia:

Given the increase of purchasing power of millennials and growth in mobile device adoption, banks and financial institutions are faced with the challenge to innovate how they conduct their business. As part of its efforts to appeal to and penetrate a wider customer base, especially the younger generation, AFFINBANK pioneered the first cashless bank experience with its digital branch in Kuala Lumpur. Designed as a digital journey divided into six zones, it utilizes self-service machines, electronic devices, and virtual reality to provide its users personal and memorable experiences at every touch point. With each zone catering to a specific need, customers can access different types of services powered by digital technologies. Paperless account opening, coupled with digital promotional pamphlets, have decreased friction caused by manual and paper-based processes and enhanced conversion. In the last six months, digital bank efforts resulted in the increase of the bank’s market share in its target segments by more than 25%. Rooted in the deep understanding of consumer lifestyle and behavior, AFFINBANK’s omni-channel ecosystem enabled a seamless integration of brick and mortar outlets and digital channels, reduced transaction costs, and improved sales.

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) by Tenaga Nasional Berhad named as 2019 Operating Model Master for Malaysia:

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the largest publicly listed utility company in Southeast Asia, has pioneered the use of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for its operations. Recognizing that conventional visual and condition-based inspection methods lead to lower data inspection quality and inefficiencies, it decided to implement the UAV. Controlled remotely and operating autonomously, the UAV eases inspection work and allows quick and accurate retrieval of data. Integrated with a Geographical Information System, it acts as a data collector and verification tool through visual and thermal inspection, aerial and route surveying, fault location, slope monitoring, 3D mapping, and safety surveillance among others. Capitalizing on the strength of AI and drone technology, Tenaga Nasional Berhad sets pre-programmed flight plans for the UAV, captures data in a centralized repository, and conducts thorough analyses to produce comprehensive reports. A safer and more efficient solution, the UAV minimizes risks and offers faster deployment and operation. With its adoption in TNB, productivity and performance rates have improved by 80% and inspection costs have been reduced by over MYR 60 million per year.

• Workforce Optimization through Real Time Location System by Sunway Medical Centre named as 2019 Talent Accelerator for Malaysia:

In a time-sensitive environment like a healthcare institution, the delivery and accuracy of information play a pivotal role in saving a patient’s life. Sunway Medical Center deployed a technology that uses wireless networks and real-time location tracking. An Internet of Things (IoT) device in the form of tags, it sends signals that captures the position of its wearer. Through this, nearby available resources are automatically assigned to waiting patients with a single push of a button. Because of the tag’s simple design, user participation is high and just 15 minutes of training is needed for hospital staff. Data capture by the system are used to analyze staff efficiency, customer movement, and service requirements. Supplemented by a dashboard, managers have access to individual staff performance, peak hours, and resource allocation. Since its launch in 2018, waiting and service time have been cut from 30 minutes to five minutes. As a result of this digital transformation initiative, employee engagement and patient satisfaction have improved.

All the winning Malaysia digital transformation projects were selected as part of over 1000 high-quality entries received from end-user organizations across Asia/Pacific. All the country winners will qualify as one of IDC’s finalists for the regional awards, where they will be benchmarked against other winners in the same category to ultimately determine the region’s best of the best.

The regional awarding ceremony will take place during IDC’s Digital Transformation Summit in Singapore happening on 23-24^th of October 2019 at the Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore. For more information on the awards and judging criteria, please visit the IDC DX awards website www.idcdxawards.com

IDC defines Digital Transformation (DX) as the approach where organizations drive changes in their business models and business ecosystems by leveraging digital technologies (e.g. Cloud, Mobile, Big Data/Analytics, Social and IoT) and competencies. Business ecosystems are comprised of customers, partners, competitors and the business itself, along with its business and regulatory environment. To learn more about IDC’s Asia/Pacific Digital Transformation Strategies and research, visit HERE

For media inquiries, contact Hardave Singh hasingh@idc.com or Alvin Afuang aafuang@idc.com.

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