Viewing Transformation | MSC Malaysia |

An Informative Newsletter from MSC Malaysia Capability Development Programme (CDP) ISSUE 03/2010

Maximising Your Potential

FrEE NEt Business Solutions Sdn Bhd (FREENET), a MSC Malaysia Status Company, is one of the countrys leading IT Outsourcing (ITO) service providers.

FREENET, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, provides six core services focus-ing on Data Centre Services, Managed Services, Network Services, Service Desk Services, Business Continuity Services and IT Solutions Services all strategically built to cover the entire IT infrastructure ecosystem.

The company, which already owns and operates three data centres in Malaysia, has built an impressive customer base with proven customer satisfaction testimonies within just 12 years of its inception in 1998. Today, FREENETs customers include MNCs and Top 100 local companies and organisations of all sizes from various verticals such as financial services, healthcare, IT, media, manufacturing, retail and non-profit organisations.

Recently, the company was certified in ISO 20000 (IT Service Management ITSM) and ISO 27001 (Information Security Management System ISMS).

In this interview, its CEO Billy Lee explains why certifications add certain competitive advantages to the companys core services in reaching out to the global marketplace.

What are the factors that pushed FREENET to secure ISO 20000 through CDP ITSM?Strengthening our processes, service deliv-ery, brand awareness, credibility, customer trust and global positioning are among

the contributing factors for FREENET to obtain the ISO 20000 certification through the MSC Malaysia Capability Development Programme (CDP) ITSM.

The ISO 20000 certification helps us to align with our mission of delivering high quality ITO services that exceed the customers service level expectations. By adopting the ITIL best practices, FREENET aims to attract the global market with exceptional business services while continuously improving its processes.

In other words, securing the ISO 20000 differentiates us against our competitors by providing the much-needed global recognition. This is in line with our long-term expansion plan.

Can you please elaborate on the efforts it took to accomplish this certifica-tion?

The successful achievement and completion of the ISO 20000 certification was made possible through the incentive

FREENET casts bigger net with right certifications

CEO of FREENET Billy Lee

| MSC Malaysia | Viewing Transformation

Cover Story

thIS ISSUE of MSC Malaysia CDP eNewslet-ter shines the spotlight on Free Net Business Solutions Sdn Bhd (FREENET) one of Malaysias leading IT Outsourcing service provider. What marks FREENET apart

from its counterparts is its capabilities through rational deployment of solutions backed by the ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 standards compliance.

Read all about FREENETs efforts in securing these certifications and how it has helped the company in its push for the global market.

By the way, have you thought about securing certifica-tions lately? The time is now.

Ir Dr Karl Ng, Head of Capability

Development Department

MessageWelcome Note

programme offered by MSC Malaysia CDP and the strong team work demonstrated by FREENETs top management, its respective process owners and overall staff.

In the inception stage, countless meetings and awareness training sessions were conducted with the various parties involved. Brainstorming sessions were also included to fine tune all pro-cesses and address any possible loopholes. All process owners attended the ITIL v3 Foundation course and were required to sit for the exam. The focus to implement and practice according to the standards specified by ISO 20000 was emphasised and made known to all staff.

Your opinion on FREENETs successful reappraisal of ISO 27001?Processes are implemented according to ISO 27001 since 2007 when the certification was awarded to FREENET. Our successful reappraisal is an evidence of our successful implementation of the ISO 27001 standards that are put in place, reviewed and verified from time to time.

How will these certifications help in FREENET overall business?ISO 20000 is a highly respected international IT Service Management standard that promotes an integrated process approach to effectively deliver services to meet business and customer requirements. The standard is aligned with the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the global de facto standard for IT Service Management.

For FREENET, the certification provides us the competitive advantage to expand our client base by continuously improving our service quality. The certification affirms FREENETs proven ability to meet strict requirements in

delivering the highest level of client services that meet their business needs particularly with our Data Centre Services, Managed Services, Service Desk Services and Network Services which are certified in ISO 20000 and ISO 27001.

By adopting the best practices, the company as a whole can improve the overall cost ef-ficiency, ensure stability of service, develop consistent quality, churn out predictable results and outcomes. More importantly, the ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications offer global recognition to FREENET.

How has MSC Malaysia CDP assisted in achieving these certifications?The division assists MSC Malaysia Status companies such as FREENET by offering train-ings, coaching, course financial incentives and guidance throughout the journey of obtaining the certifications.

CDP not only assists companies and individu-als in achieving the ISO certifications more cost-effectively but also, enables additional benefits from monthly dialogues, seminars, clinics and workshops developed to gear the MSC Malaysia status companies to achieve certifications that would ensure business continuity.

What are FreeNets plan for market expan-sion this year?FREENET is expanding and its target focus has been widened to MNCs and the local corporations, namely the Top 100 companies in Malaysia. The ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications have brought about added value and competitive advantages to our core services. It is our vision to penetrate the markets region-ally and internationally.

The certifications provides us the competitive advantage to expand our client base by continuously improving our service quality.

MSC Malaysia | National ICT Initiative |

In The Spotlight

Many sMall and medium enterprises (SMEs) ne-glect branding efforts in the face of other urgent business matters, espe-

cially funding and product development. This could indeed prove to be a costly business misstep as a companys proper branding is undeniably a pivotal element for success.

Firstly, what makes your product stands out than the rest?

We at MSC Malaysia Capabil-ity Development Programmes (CDP) believe that each organisa-tion must have its own personality, identity and set of characteristics to flourish in a competitive marketplace. It is imperative that the differentiation must be seen in the products and services. Also, each product brand must clearly convey the organisations focus, credibility and uniqueness.

To improve and develop MSC Malaysia status companies competitive advantage, CDP has selected 21 firms to take part in its CDP Marketing: Product Brand Develop-ment programme. Among the companies participating is MSC Technology Centre, a consulting firm specialising in IT, AEXIO Sofware Sdn Bhd, cellular software and Solutions Company, iTAC MSC Outsourc-ing Sdn Bhd, a software outsourcing services to banking industry.

Prior to joining the programme, companies had to apply and were later screened to ensure that they have the right commitment. This is key as these selected companies

Enhancing your brand through intensive CDP programme

monthly assessments, mentoring service, scenario consulting service, sharing of best practices and detailed reporting on the progress and performance of participating companies. It will help participants to:

Execute effective branding ideas & marketing strategies to develop a dif-ferentiated brand to compete globally;

Understand the essentials to build a competitive and sustainable brand by developing a sustainable Unique Value Proposition;

Understand the 10 branding strategies to develop and build a sustainable and

differentiated brand;Gain knowledge on current

world-class Product Brand-ing benchmark practices and case studies;

Develop a clear un-derstanding of who is in

charge of marketing strategies and how to achieve the desired branding results.

The event will be conducted by CDP to-

gether with its programme partner Hewlett-Packard Malaysia.

have to go through an intensive five-month programme that will equip them with specific product branding ideas and practical marketing strategies that can be easily and immediately applied to enhance

their products brand.

DetailsThe programme uses conceptual, hands-on and con-

sultative training methodology. It includes

21 companies have been selected to take part in CDP Marketing: Product Brand Development programme.

| MSC Malaysia | National ICT Initiative

Leading Thoughts

By Dr George Leow Chee Seng

Market reSearCh iS an essential part of any business that wants to offer products or services that are focussed and well targeted. It is viewing the entire business from the customers viewpoint, which takes into account every aspect of the marketing mix from product to price, distribution channels and marketing communications. All these factors affect the customers response to a product or service. Business decisions that are based on good intelligence and good market research can minimise risk and pay dividends by making market research part and parcel of the business process. In general, businesses that invest time in market research increase their chances of succeeding in international markets.

Why do I need to invest in market research? I am just running a small en-terprise! This statement is extremely common when a consultant is trying to approach SMIs or SMEs to conduct a market research to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness when running the busi-ness. Unfortunately, the awareness on the importance of market research is limited among Malaysians.

Hence, effort and resources are wasted on trials and errors stage when running busi-ness. (Hair et. al., 2003). Your company may begin exporting without any market research if it re-

ceives unsolicited orders from abroad. However, you will find even more promis-ing markets by conducting a systematic research.

Market research helps better com-municate and understanding of success in business. I have conducted a research to compare customer satisfaction among patients from private and public hospitals. From the research, we have identified ele-ments that could boost up their customer satisfaction to gear up key performance index (KPI) of the organisation.

Consequently, current customers expe-riences are valuable source of information, not only will they allow you to gauge how well you currently meet their expectations, they can also tell you where you are getting things right and more importantly where you are getting things wrong. By asking the customer, you are not only showing them that you care but you also take the guess work out of customer services. Indirectly, the organisation has implemented branding strategy to increase the market share.

Consumer behaviour plays a vital role if you are planning to operate a new service. We need to know the preconceived attitudes that people have and then market research

can help, not only in evaluating the potential for a new idea, but also

by identifying the areas where a marketing research needs to be honed. Market research helps you identify opportunities. By understanding the consumer behaviour, we could deliver

convincing sales presenta-tions, shorten sales cycle,

create effective marketing strategies, boost your rev-enue and profits, radically improve your ability to influence others and close

more deals. Hence, under-standing consumer through

market research stimulates organisation to create a wow

marketing plan.Nevertheless, market research creates

benchmarks and helps an organisation measures their progress and analyse the corporate effectiveness through corporate research. Several researches are proposed in the organisation which includes as-sessing the image of the company (brand audit research). In advertising research, readership feedbacks and advertising recall are common to assess the effectiveness of advertisements. Early research may

highlight glaring holes in your service or short falls in your

product, regular market research will show if improvements are being made and, if positive, will help motivate a team.

Organisation can conduct sales analysis to determine sales trend and suitable strate-gies are applied and planned to ensure the optimum growth of the organisation through assessing market potential, estima-tion of demand for a product, market share estimation, study seasonal variation for a product, market segmentation studies, esti-mate size of the market and need analysis to find out where the product fits in. Through effective marketing research, time, effort and resources can be utilized at optimum state to benefit the organisation.

In summary, market research consists of a plan that charts how relevant data is to be collected and analyzed so that the results are useful and relevant for making market-ing decisions. Once the research and the related analysis are completed, the results are communicated to management.

This provides management with in-depth information regarding crucial factors that have an impact on the targeted market and existing marketing mix. Market research allows management to make the changes necessary for better results through adopting a proactive approach. Since marketing research is crucial, SMIs and SMEs should include market research in their business plans.

* The above article is published with permis-sion from the author Dr. Leow, British Institute of Homeopathy. The article was published in the OH! Magazine Issue Jan/Feb 2010.

The Need for Market Research in Malaysia

About the AuthorDr. Leow is involved in research, consulting, lecturing for several organisations around the globe. Dr. Leow holds a Certificate in Quantitative Research Method (University of Georgia, USA), MBA from UPM, Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) from United Business Institute (UBI), Belgium. Dr. Leow is the recipient of the Young Investigator Award at the 32th Paediatric Conference. Dr. Leow is also involved in several researches under Intensive Priority Research Area (IPRA) and he is currently a member and trainer of IMM.

MSC Malaysia | National ICT Initiative |

by Dr George Leow Chee Seng

iS it poSSibLe to understand a persons personality through handwriting? It seems impossible but it really is possible to do so. Personality inventory can be cat-egorised into projective and non-projective (Kathleen, 1978). Projective personality inventory uses pictures or diagrams to capture responses from the respondent. Hence, this method is a subjective form of personality inventory.

GraphologyGraphology or handwriting analysis is the science of interpreting a persons character from his/her personal handwriting. It is categorised as a projective personality test. The term graphology comes from two Greek words that mean to learn something about writing and the inferring of character or aptitude from it.

Think of handwriting as a type of EEG (brain wave recording) of personality. In fact, some handwriting analysts describe brainwriting could be a more descriptive term than handwriting analysis. Distortions of the result due to the subjects knowledge that he is being analysed is common in most person-ality analysis tools.

Graphology can anal-yse a persons personality without the person even knowing that he is being analysed. Through this method, we can reduce the possibility of inaccuracies due to conscious or unconscious efforts by the subject to affect the result.

It is interesting to learn what your handwriting is able to tell you. Gra-phology is used widely in varied applications. The common ap-plication of graphology is in vocational guidance. Teachers often find they can use it to bring out better behaviour in problem students.

While graphology cannot point to a specific career on the basis of a handwriting sample, it can certain-ly point someone in the right direction or away from the wrong direction, based on person-ality, abilities and inclinations.

Besides voca-tional guidance, a handwriting analysis of both partners can confirm compatibili-ties, point out potential trouble spots and help the couple to understand and accept each others weaker points.

People who investigate genealogy have used the ser-vice of graphologists to help

You are what you writethem better understand their ancestors through an analysis of their handwriting. Graphologists can track clients progress in therapy, and some law enforcement agen-cies use handwriting analysis to determine

how dangerous a suspect is, as well as truthfulness of victim and witness

statements.Graphology is now being

used increasingly by employers or assessment centres to help in personnel selection. It is especially used at the short listing stages. Small compa-

nies, in particular, need to avoid friction and personality clashes

between staff as well as get-ting the right person for

the right job.Some candidates

are better at interviews than at their actual

jobs; while others blow their chances through nervous-

ness. A handwriting analysis can give a more complete picture.

Practical graphologyIn practice, its bet-ter to use graphol-ogy to analyse the

handwriting of a pure untainted subject, rather

than to put the subject under unnatural stress of filling out a long questionnaire. Furthermore, a single personality question-naire may reveal a single dimension of personality.

However, two handwriting samples of the same person on different occa-sions may reveal different behavioural characteristics.

In fact, handwriting analysis is an art. Each graphologist has different analytical styles. I have designed my own worksheet to help me to complete my handwriting analysis. In fact, there are a lot of computer programmes that offer the same service.

However, I strongly believe, handwrit-ing analysis is an art that needs human interpretation and the following are among the key factors I would be looking at:1. Margin of page;2. Lines;3. Height of writing;4. Slope or slant of writing;5. Word endings;6. Round and angular writing;7. Plain and fancy writing;8. Regular and irregular writing;9. Wide and narrow writing; and10. Thin and thick writing.

This is then followed by a 30-point worksheet analysis:1. Regularity2. Rhythm3. Size4. Zones5. Connection, degree of connection,

form of6. Horizontal tension

| MSC Malaysia | National ICT Initiative

Leading Thoughts

Share with us the story and experience of your organisation or your participation in any of our Capability Development Programme.

If you have experienced the improvements and fulfilled your achievements through adopting any of global best practices or business improvement workshops through our capability events, we would love to hear your success story in no more than 1000 words. Stand a chance to win an Apple MacBook Pro and a free Project Management training course if your story is the most inspiring. The closing deadline is Oct 30, 2010.

For more information, please log on to: cdp.mscmalaysia.my/contest/index.html

ISO 9001:2008 Lead Assessor Course Date: 4-6 & 11-12 October 2010Time : 9am - 5pmVenue : MSC Malaysia Innovation Centre

Professional Certification for Business Continuity Management & Disaster Recovery Preview SessionDate : 14 October 2010Time : 9.30am - 11.45amVenue : MSC Malaysia Innovation Centre

Global Trend of ITSMitSMF Malaysia 3rd Annual ConferenceDate : 18 October 2010Time : 9am - 5.30pmVenue : Cititel Mid Valley

CDP RoadshowDate : 9 November 2010Time : 9am - 6pmVenue : Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel

For more information on these and other events please visit: www.mscmalaysia.my/cdp

Announcement

Upcoming Events

Maximising Your PotentialMSC Malaysia Capability Development Programme (CDP) is an MDeC initiative designed to help ICT organisations and individuals to maximise their potentials by adopting global good practices, process improvements and professional certifications. It aims at enabling them to focus on their core competency and hone their competitive edge. CDP programmes help MSC Malaysia Status companies achieve process improvement, professional development, product assessment and assistance, and business management through knowledge sharing, a structured development programme, competency enhancement and funding.

7. Shading8. Slant9. Pressure10. Margins11. Punctuation12. Spacing between words13. Spacing between lines14. Direction of the lines15. Fullness and leanness16. Width of letters17. Covering strokes18. Leftward and rightward tendencies19. Initial strokes20. Terminal strokes21. Form of letters22. Speed23. Signature and underscore24. I-dots and t bars25. Personal pronoun I26. Form Level27. Reliability factors (if applicable)28. Tension and release (stress factors)29. Degree of attention (deal with any

characteristics that are not covered in the general worksheet. Eg. stimulus words, symbols, envelop if different from general spacing)

30. The analysis

LimitationIt is important to identify the limitation of handwriting analysis to avoid unrealistic expectations during analysis.

From the handwriting analysis, we would not be able to determine the age or gender of the writer. What it actually does is to indicate masculine and femi-nine influence, which is present in both sexes. It reveals maturity rather than actual chronological age.

Nor can graphology predict happenings and future events. From graphology, we can point to a persons potential that needs to be brought out once

they are made aware of it.

* The above article is published with permis-sion from the author Dr. Leow, British Institute of Homeopathy. The article was published in the OH! Magazine Issue Jan/Feb 2010.

MSC Malaysia Capability Development Programme

About the AuthorDr. Leow is involved in research, consulting, lecturing for several organisations around the globe. Dr. Leow holds a Certificate in Quantitative Research Method (University of Georgia, USA), MBA from UPM, Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) from United Business Institute (UBI), Belgium. Dr. Leow is the recipient of the Young Investigator Award at the 32th Paediatric Conference. Dr. Leow is also involved in several researches under Intensive Priority Research Area (IPRA) and he is currently a member and trainer of IMM.