Solutions to Turn Challenges into Opportunities: A Conversation with Norman Ayob, Head of Sales & Marketing, Canon’s Innovative Solution Centre (ISC)
In recent times, we have experienced fundamental changes in our society. It is clear that businesses must navigate these operational and financial challenges, while simultaneously meeting the needs of their customers, employees and partners, says McKinsey.
2020 was a year of unprecedented challenges for people and society worldwide, and had proven once again that change is indeed the only constant. The economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic has also made innovation more important now than ever before.
In Canon, we are committed to ensuring the sustainability and resilience of your business with the formation of ISC in these challenging times. By leveraging Canon’s expertise and technology in optics and digital networking, this new team aims to empower businesses and partners by providing the best technological solutions and services.
From digitisation, digitalisation and digital transformation to surveillance and analytics systems, the ISC team ensures that every business need can be met.
So, how does the ISC team contribute to turning 2020’s massive challenges into meaningful changes? Let us hear from Mr. Norman Ayob, Assistant Director and Head of Sales & Marketing of the ISC division.
As Head of Sales & Marketing of ISC, what are some of the team’s day-to-day responsibilities?
Norman: Typically, we meet customers to showcase our wide range of solutions and demonstrate how it can help their business. We listen and understand their business’ challenges and requirements, and identify the areas where Canon’s solutions can improve the work processes across the company.
We then work together with Canon’s professional group of engineers and solutions teams to discuss each customer’s requirements before curating a suite of Canon solutions that works best to support their digital transformation needs. The process requires extensive planning, ensuring that the deployment is smooth and hiccup-free.
The ISC is relatively new, having only been set up last year. Can you share more about the team as well as the products and services you provide?
Norman: The ISC division was formed to give business partners peace of mind through the end-to-end solutions we provide in the imaging and analytics field.
On top of meeting the imaging needs of our partners, we offer Surveillance & Analytics Solutions, Automation Solutions, Cybersecurity and other digital solutions with our collaboration partners. These solutions work well with third-party software to ensure seamless integration with the company’s existing infrastructure.
We also offer solutions that tap on AI—an extremely useful tool—especially in light of COVID-19. These solutions consist of Temperature Screening Control and Access Control with Facial Recognition.
COVID-19 has completely changed the business landscape for many businesses. Can you tell us how Canon’s ISC products have helped businesses adapt to the new normal?
Norman: The pandemic has forced many companies to source for front-line solutions that could protect both their employees and customers while complying with the government regulations. Canon’s Facial Access Control Temperature System (FACTS) has been able to address this urgent need. FACTS features contactless temperature screening upon facial recognition and supports check-in with the latest TraceTogether token or app. As an integrated solution device, data is seamlessly link to the National Digital Check-in System, Safe Entry, allowing businesses and facilities of all sizes to comply with safe management measures.
Many of our customers have taken this chance to replace old technologies with ISC. For example, we have helped customers to upgrade their pin code system with our new contactless Door Access with Facial Recognition solution which comes with temperature screening and safe entry compliance. These solutions have helped our partners to keep check-in/check-out records in an efficient, contactless manner.
Besides our new AI tools, we also empower companies with our best-in-class imaging technology for video conferencing and live-streaming, which have become mainstream in the new normal. Canon’s range of digital video camcorders provides high definition visual and great audio clarity.
We have also developed the EOS Webcam Utility for an easy-to-use, webcam-like functionality to our Canon cameras. Many of our partners and social influencers have used this with their Canon cameras to double up as high-quality webcams for their online webinars and livestreams, which really adds a layer of professionalism to their work.
One recurring feature of Canon’s new solutions is Automation. Why is this technology important?
Norman: It is crucial as the business landscape is changing at an exponential rate. With an increasingly digitalised society, companies must keep up with these changes, or risk becoming obsolete. That is why it is so important for today’s companies to adopt digital transformation, and this includes automation solutions like RPA. This technology fosters smooth, seamless work processes that allow companies to break through to the next level of productivity.
With the saturation of tools that are available in the market, we understand that it can get overwhelming for businesses to choose a dependable and cost-effective solution, especially when they are new to the market. This is why we want to be a total solution partner for our customers, providing them with end-to-end support and expertise in their digital journey so that they can focus on their core business operations.
In your opinion, how important is automation and machine learning to businesses?
Norman: Automation and machine learning, the latter a subset of AI, is transforming the nature of work and the workplace itself. It contributes significantly to our economic growth, and one way is through streamlining work processes, which gives rise to high productivity rates.
Machines and human beings will complement each other to enhance the overall strength and intelligence, and ultimately help us to achieve maximum efficiency in our work processes through this collective effort. Are you ready to work alongside increasingly capable machines in the workplace? Society will need to grapple with significant workforce transitions and dislocations, while workers will also need to acquire new skills in tandem and adapt to this new reality. These workers may have to move from declining industries to growing or even new industries.
Companies have to adopt a digital transformation mindset to unlock new values for their business, employees, and customers in a post-COVID world. They can gain marginal benefits through automation, process, or operating model shifts. Automation and AI are strategies that businesses should leverage today to remain resilient in tomorrow’s society.
For SMEs that may not be able to afford expensive products and solutions, how can Canon help make business simpler for them?
Norman: With the Productivity Solutions Grant, companies can now receive up to 80% funding support for selected Canon’s Document Management Solution. Companies also have the option to lease our solutions by paying a fixed monthly rate that includes device maintenance.
Are there any new solutions that the ISC team will be launching soon? What can we look forward to?
Norman: The ISC team is constantly innovating and keeping tabs on our customers’ requirements to support their operations with Canon’s new technologies. One of our upcoming innovations, Smart Workspace Solution (SWS), is a full suite of solutions that streamlines workspace processes, powered by Facial Recognition and Smile Recognition technology.
With our end-users in mind, the SWS’ core system consists of five new modules: Temperature Screening Control, Access Control, Visitor Management System, Facilities Booking System (for meeting rooms and hot desking) and Secure Printing Control.
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