Industry 4.0 and Pandemic

Industry 4.0 has been said to be the disruption that governments and businesses will face in this coming years. It was started in Germany and since then have been adopted and adapted by many countries with different brandings such as Society 5.0 in Japan and others.

Malaysia also not wanting to be left behind also began its journey with the launching of The National Policy of IR 4.0 in 2018 ). The IR 4.0 is said to be the disruptor for the redesign of jobs that meets the need of the future focusing on all the digital and new technologies including 3D printing, IOT, remote automatic control, use of Artificial Intelligence and whole arena of quantum computing technologies, 5G; of which many we still do not fully understand its impact, its capabilities, its advantages, its shortcomings and its impact of the human life and the environment. It looks like a bright future ahead, but as to all technologies that we created, manufactured, deployed and used in the past, they do not come without technical defects and human manipulation. A case in point is when technology such as nuclear and smart electronics to destroy mankind such as the atomic bombs, the smart bombs, and drones. The abundant use of environmentally damaging materials such as in plastic based products has been found to destroy the birds and also animals in the oceans and also the social impact on environment effects such as floods, global warming, and many others.

In addition to the anticipated new technologies in IR 4.0 and digitalization of the world shaping our lives in communications, transportation, working life, we are witnessing a phenomenon unprecedented in the history of the 21st century. The world in 2020 had to face a new virus said to be far more dangerous known as the New corona virus (later named by WHO as Covid-19 because it started to spread from Wuhan in late November 2019). It has caused havoc to everything that is going on in this world affecting almost everyone on earth. It has put to almost to a halt the world’s airline industry due to travel bans from almost all countries. Global tourism has been stopped since March 2020 and face uncertainty as to when it can resume depending on availability of vaccine and new travel regulations (some report say it could be until 2024 that pre-Covid travel will return back). This is the same for global business trips and expatriates working in countries all over the world where left to stay in their home country (or stuck in the foreign country) and had resorted to online video meetings platforms such as ZOOM, Skype, Webex, Google Meet and others. Just imagine what the effect of tourism have to all countries. Almost all things relating tourism from provision of accommodation (there are 5 Star hotels, resorts, cruise ships, Airbnb, Booking.com, are now faced with closures, retrenchments, offering discounts, and all sorts of reactive measures just to survive ), and food providers, restaurants, hawker centers, and souvenir shops/malls (in countries such as Japan the Halal restaurants depends on many tourists from Indonesia Malaysia, and others). Companies large and small producing souvenirs, mementos, gifts, and luxury items are also affected by this non traveling situation.

In Malaysia, we saw many businesses affected by non demand during the lcokdowns (MCO), semi-lockdowns (CMCO), enhanced CMO, the shopping malls also saw sharp decline in sales and hotels which have closed down. The economic impact is a nightmare. There are too many reported cases of layoffs by even airlines, hotels, businesses of non essentials and products consumer deemed not needed during this Covid-19 pandemic.

However, in any crisis, there will always be those people and businesses who will profit and gain from it. In the case of Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown of human movement, the direct benefit are the healthcare and medical related products. The PPEs used by the frontliners are in high demand and companies producing them probably are in full production. There will be an increase in all products that is mandatory to be used and strongly advised to be applied in the new norm such as the face mask, the hand sanitizers, the temperature checker (now innovated into automated and with stand), and others computing related tools such as MySejahtera apps, medical analytical software, and probably the health supplements found or suggested to help improve immune system against Covid and other kinds of sickness as a precautionary measure. Another big winner is the businesses that provide home delivery food and products. Lazada, Shoppee have gained tremendously as well as local fast food, local foods, and even community based sales have shown increased sales. The delivery persons, companies from Grab, PosLaju, TNT, and many have benefited from this tough times albeit smaller margins, higher risk (exposed to Covid), and working longer hours despite restricted movements stuck in roadblocks, and adhering to the 3Cs and 3Ws New SOP Norm for Covid-19.

All in all, we are now in times of Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous (VUCA) situation/condition whatever you want to call it. Everyone are and will be in their own mental states (their unique issues and problems) and circumstances. We must learn to adapt and versatile to be fast moving to the uncharted scenes in probably a different role and level in our journey in life . Stay strong and stay safe..

To be continued…… please comment for me to include other things I missed.