SINGAPORE – Plans to fix and replace the “digital plumbing and piping” in the new Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) media entity are in place, and its chairman on Wednesday (May 12) urged Singaporeans to be patient and give the new entity some time to embark on the acceleration of its digital transformation plans.

This is because transformation is not merely a technical exercise, but also involves a cultural change, which requires time and effort to take effect – especially for an existing company with established corporate traditions, said Mr Khaw Boon Wan, who will chair the to-be-formed SPH Media Trust.

In a speech to staff on Wednesday (May 12), which was live-streamed from the SPH auditorium, Mr Khaw noted that he has not yet examined the existing IT infrastructure of SPH Media.

But he will not be surprised if its legacy IT systems, for example, severely constrain efforts to immediately enhance the user interface and user experience of SPH Media’s digital products.

“We will work hard to overcome these constraints. We hope our readers and subscribers will bear with us as we fix and replace the ‘digital plumbing and piping’. Please be patient and give us some time.”

At a press conference that followed the townhall, Mr Khaw set out his key priorities for the new entity.

This includes ensuring a smooth transition to SPH Media Trust after SPH’s restructuring, having competitive wages and working conditions in order to recruit and retain talent, as well as enhancing the user experience of SPH products.

“In digital transformation, our digital products must be so seamless and user-friendly that… the customers will be (better) able to first, access the products and to subscribe to our products,” said Mr Khaw.

Using the e-book reader Kindle as an example, Mr Khaw, a former Cabinet minister who retired at last year’s general election, said that he reads a lot and used to buy a book every week from bookshops.

“But for three years now, I’m just completely on Kindle. And it’s so easy, one click,” he said, adding that the e-book reader allows him to instantly look up books that he is interested in reading on the Kindle store, as well as to read samples before buying the e-books.

Such a seamless and instant process makes it easy for a potential customer to access the product. If this transaction took a longer time, he may have lost interest after a few days, and the purchase might not even have been made.

“I do not know what is our level of user experience in the case of straitstimes.com or zaobao.com. I hope it’s as good as Kindle, but if it is not, then I think (we will) recognise that and work hard to try to catch up with the best in class. And to me, one good example of best in class will be Kindle,” added Mr Khaw.

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The incoming chairman also said that he would like to improve the user experience of the media entity’s internal customers – journalists in the newsroom.

Together with his team, he would like to sit down with the newsroom to understand journalists’ work processes and their day-to-day life – starting from the point when an idea is hatched, to the time when the project and article has been completed and is pushed out to audiences, whether print or digital.

“Can we, with the use of technology, make your life simpler and perhaps even faster so that it can bring (something) from idea to the audience as quickly as you can?” said Mr Khaw.

Along the way, he would also like to understand the constraints journalists face in the newsroom, and whether there are intelligent ways to overcome some of these constraints. “This I define as an internal customers’ experience, and I certainly want to be able to make a difference there,” he added.

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