I have quoted a few examples about how things are being done in Singapore that lead to a stressful life , unnecessary work and expenses. They are caused by blind adherence to rules, disregard for the trouble caused to the other party and excessive focus on security (even for small amounts or risks). I have also suggested some practical ways to simplify these processes for the benefit of the customers and the staff.
We should be ready to ask "Can we simplify the way that things can be done, to make life easier for all?" I like to ask my readers to help identify other issues and suggest how they can be simplified.
We should be ready to ask "Can we simplify the way that things can be done, to make life easier for all?" I like to ask my readers to help identify other issues and suggest how they can be simplified.
4 comments:
Dear Mr Tan
Just writing to say I admire your persistent & positive attitude.
Leadership is sadly lacking in Singapore. Just a bunch of slogan wielding deaf frogs.
I still remember my American CEO when he wanted to simplify the Singapore operations he got parachuted into when he became expat.
He held town hall meetings with individual departments. Message to all staff members was simple:
"I want 1% improvement in 100 areas. NOT 100% improvement in ONE area. I want continuous improvement. I'm not going for the BIG win. I want a series of immediate small wins."
- no statements about turning S'pore into a hub.
- no strategic thrusts
Simple life is ideal but our life has been made complicated by our culture, government policy and commercial interest.
Take bus fare system as an example. It will be more productive and cost effective to adopt one or two fare stage system so the commuters do not need to read the card when alight. At busy bus stops, we can see human traffic jam waiting to board the bus and buses also queue to unload passengers because of this low efficient system. Money should be spent elsewhere but not a complicated system. In Hong Kong, boarding and alighting bus is like a breeze despite the commuter volume there is many times higher than Spore. Worst of all, this bus fare system is still unable to convince the public a fair and effective system.
To add insult to injury, our bus system is such that when there is an overcharge of fares, they make it so complicated for the passenger to make a claim, in the hope that he or she will forget or just walk away.
When I opened a utilities account for 2 weeks in my tenanted property, I had to complete and sign an application form and fax over a copy of my NRIC. There is really no need to send a NRIC as it served no purpose. If someone wants to impersonate me, he will be committing the crime of impersonating and cheating, which can be quite serious. Sending a copy of the NRIC does not prevent the fraud anyway, as it is easy to get a copy. It can be quite troublesome to make a copy of the NRIC as it involves a visit to the photocopy shop and finding a fax machine.
We are so used to asking for unnecesary requirements that cause hassle to the public.
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