Singapore is aiming to alleviate the staffing crunch in its hotel industry by developing a new “manpower-lean” business model.
Under a new strategy unveiled today by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the country is planning to help its hotels adapt to the current manpower shortage by adopting new technologies and improving staff training.
“The Hotel ITM (Industry Transformation Map) is key to ensuring that Singapore’s hotel industry stays abreast of consumers’ changing needs and sustainably thrives amid our manpower-constrained landscape,” said Lionel Yeo, chief executive of the STB.
“It is also an example of how the government, industry and its stakeholders can achieve more when we work together. We strongly encourage the industry to participate in the initiatives under the ITM.”
One of strategy’s stated objectives is to adopt “manpower-lean business models and innovate to develop new solutions”.
To achieve this, the STB will offer hotels grants to redesign their properties with time-saving solutions and operations. One example of this at the Shangri-La Singapore, where a project has been adopted to centralise its kitchen and lounge operations and increase self-service options, leading to staff-hour savings of up to 45%.
A ‘Lean Hotel Initiative’, developed by STB, WSG and McKinsey & Company, will also be provided to hotels, offering advice on how to streamline their operations, and new time-saving technical solutions will be developed by “the government, industry and solution providers”. One example is the use of RFID technology in hotels to manage uniform and linen, which STB says has led to staff-hour savings of up to 60%.
The plan also features several initiatives to develop new talent, including leadership programmes and a campaign to raise awareness of hotel jobs and careers.
“Today, the hotel industry employs about 33,000 workers. The transformation of Singapore’s hotel industry is critical to ensuring that it will continue to grow and offer quality career opportunities for all,” Yeo added.
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