P L AY B O O K

SME
SKILLS TRANSFORMATION
Every business transformation is powered by a skills transformation

Jan 2021
About this
Playbook

“
This playbook offers SMEs a step-by-step
This playbook contains:
approach to identifying the business impact on
skills, and the resources businesses can tap on ✓ SME Business Transformation
to unlock the highest value out of Approach
the transformation.
✓ SME Skills Transformation Approach
This guide is applicable for SMEs that are:
✓ Practical resources for SME leaders

• Embarking on company-wide transformation

• Making small incremental transformations
“ ✓ Case Studies

• Seeking to start a transformation

1
WHERE ARE YOU TODAY IN YOUR
BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION?
This is a simplified business transformation roadmap.

At every business stage, there are opportunities to build a skilled workforce to strengthen business outcomes.

2
As every business transformation is powered by a skills transformation, you can take reference from the following steps to embark on your
skills transformation.

A 5-STEP GUIDE TO SKILLS 5 Bridge the Gaps

TRANSFORMATION
Identify the Skills
4
Gaps

Conduct As-Is of
3
Current Skillsets

2
Design the
To-Be Job Role

Identify the
1 Job Role to
Transform

Page 4 Page 5 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9

3
STEP 1

IDENTIFY THE JOB ROLE TO

TRANSFORM EXAMPLE

Business Development
Manager (To-be transformed as
Digital Customer Engagement
Manager*)

Pick and prioritise the job role(s) to transform based on

the:
• potential it has to expand your top line or optimise
your bottom line
• impact due to digitalisation
• other company-specific factors such as succession
challenges, maturing workforce
Job Description
Responsible for business development,
managing large key accounts, marketing,
sales, performing market research,
prospecting, developing relationships with
potential customers and meeting sales
targets.

* Scan the Skills Framework QR

Code to find out more about
the skills required for job
roles in specific sectors
4
STEP 2A

DESIGN THE
TO-BE JOB ROLE
To design the To-Be job role, the first step is to define the What does the job role of a To-Be Business
Development Manager look like*?
Critical Work Functions and the supporting Key Tasks. The
second stage is to align the Technical Skills and Cross-border
Competencies as well as the Critical Core Skills. You may reach
find the skills information from the Skills Frameworks*.
Digital
customer Big Data
Critical Work Function profiles
1
E.g. Implement business development strategy

Key Tasks
2
E.g. Manage bid documents and proposals
Customer
User
Technical Skills and Competencies Experience
3 Digital Customer
E.g. Business Negotiation
Engagement Manager
(To-Be Job Role)
4 Critical Core Skills
See more information on next page.
Business
intelligence &
analytics

*Scan the Skills Framework QR Project

Code to find out more about the Management
skills required for job roles in
specific sectors
5
STEP 2b
I D E N T I F Y T H E S K I L L S TO B U I L D S K I L L S
( C R I T I C A L CO R E S K I L L S )
In addition to the technical skills, you should identify the Critical Core Skills (CCS), or soft skills for the To-Be job role.
The Critical Core Skills are workforce skills that foster critical thinking, ability to interact and ensuring one’s relevance
in the real world of business.

SkillsFuture Singapore has proactively collaborated with local industries to identify 16 CCS (as below) which our local
workforce needs to continually recalibrate and develop, more so as conditions change.

Scan the QR code to access

the CCS resources.

6
STEP 3

CONDUCT AS-IS
SKILLS ASSESSMENT
List down the current skillsets
After identifying the Critical Core Skills needed for the To- of the As-Is job role
Be job role, conduct an As-Is skills assessment. This will
allow the business to have a clear picture of its current EXAMPLE
capabilities.
Business Development
Manager
Objectives of As-Is Assessment
Technical Skills and Competencies
Business Opportunities Development
Business Negotiation
Networking
To capture an accurate To identify the
picture of the skills gaps and Market research
company’s prevailing areas that can Product Advisory
skills and capabilities of be improved Market Profiling
the job role

7
STEP 4

IDENTIFY THE
SKILLS GAPS What are the skill gaps to be closed?

Conduct your skills gap assessment by comparing the EXAMPLE

current skillsets with the required skillsets identified from Technical Skills and Competencies
the To-Be job description.
Business Opportunities Development

This will allow the business to identify the specific skills Business Negotiation
gaps to be bridged using the Build, Buy, Borrow or Bot Networking
strategy. Market research
Product Advisory
Objectives of Skills Gap Assessment Digital Market Profiling
Customer
Engagement Digital Customer Profiling*
Manager Cross Border Reach*
Big Data*
Customer User Experience*
To identify the new To assess the skills
skillsets your interventions needed to Business Intelligence & Analytics*
workforce requires reach the future state Project Management*

*Gaps to be closed

8
STEP 5

BRIDGING THE GAPS -

BUILD, BUY, BORROW, BOT
BORROW BOT
BUILD BUY
Leverage strengths of Automate with
Enable your workforce Recruit new talent
others technology

Reskill or upskill your Hire new employees Partner with external Supplement your
existing workforce to close identified providers and tap on manpower with
through skills skill gaps in the trainees to add workforce automation
training workforce capabilities technologies

*Enterprise
Development Grant
(EDG)

*Productivity
Solutions Grant
(PSG)

You can tap on the services You can tap on the resources You can tap on the You can tap on EDG and PSG
from the National Centre of for “Recruit Talent” as resources from the SG support to adopt automation
Excellence for Workplace published on the Enterprise United Jobs and Skills technologies. You may access
Learning (NACE) Portal for Jobs & Skills (EPJS) Package QR codes on the next page

9
OTHER RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR
TRANSFORMATION (1/2)
(from page 2)

SME Centres Enterprise Development Grant Productivity Solutions

(EDG) Grant (PSG)

Book an appointment with the Tap on the EDG to support Tap on the PSG to kick-start
SME Centres to get business transformation in business your adoption of technology
advisory on your transformation upgrading, innovation & to enhance productivity
needs internationalisation

The information on this page is accurate as of 12 January 2021.

These are suggested resources to expand your options and they are not exhaustive. For the full list of jobs and skills resources, pls visit EPJSLink 10
OTHER RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR
TRANSFORMATION (2/2)
(from page 2)

Courses for Transformation SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit

(SFEC)

Access the course directory to Eligible employers can further qualify

identify relevant skills training for additional subsidies above the
programmes to strengthen your existing support levels for business
business transformation and workforce transformation
initiatives

The information on this page is accurate as of 12 January 2021.

These are suggested resources to expand your options and they are not exhaustive. For the full list of jobs and skills resources, pls visit EPJSLink 11
SME SUCCESS STORY I

SUCCESS STORIES
SOREAL PROP
Singapore-based leading proptech SME democratising the use of data and
improving access to digital innovation in the real estate sector

Disruption to Sector: Business Impact:

• Change in house viewing practices due to • Revenue opportunities in product development

COVID-19 • Increased costs due to growing manpower needs
• Rising customer expectations towards data
transparency

Business Transformation Strategy: Workforce & Skills Transformation Strategy:

• Ascertain market demand for big data collection &
analysis
• Enhancement of technology product line
• Identified new skills needed to support product
development
• Assessed current workforce skills
• Identified talent gaps in workforce
• Onboarded 3 technology talent to support
product improvements and expansion

Come here to visit the company website

12
SME SUCCESS STORY II
Maha Chemicals (Asia) Pte Ltd
Singapore-based SME founded in 1975 specialising in the Speciality Chemicals
Marketing and Distribution Industry in the Southeast Asian region.
Disruption to Sector:
• Unable to meet clients face to face during
COVID-19
• Shipping restrictions
• Capacity restriction at workplace
Business Transformation Strategy:
• Invest in eCommerce platform to overcome
physical limitations
• Invest in data analytics to improve efficiency
• Embark on HR digitalization and engagement
Come here to visit the company website
SUCCESS STORIES
Business Impact:
• Greater effort needed to achieve sales revenue
• Heightened need for process efficiency to reduce
costs
• Upkeep employee welfare
Workforce & Skills Transformation Strategy:
• Incorporated various Skills Frameworks to
structure e-learning content to upskill employees
• Increased the team size through a “Build” and
“Buy” strategy in the areas of Digital Marketing
and Data Analytics
• Created a HR Dashboard to digitalize existing HR
processes to engage employees.
13
For further enquiries please contact: enterprise_engage@ssg.gov.sg