NU , iMPROVEMENTS AT NAIA

Blogger Wendy Waters aptly described the importance of an airport. She described them as being "a gateway to a city"… "a first impression – and a last impression."[1] A well designed, fully operational, well managed and highly efficient airport can thus evoke an easy and pleasurable experience for both business travelers and tourists. Speed and quality of service, ease of travel and an unforgettable customer experience, thus, contribute to the likelihood of returning visitors and frequent business travelers.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) serves as the primary gateway to the Philippines. NAIA, comprised of Terminal 1, 2 and 3, hosts all international flights and services around 27.1 million passengers on an annual basis. The current state of the airport especially the 28-year old Terminal 1, has received much criticism from both local and foreign passengers in the past several years.

Much focus and attention is again placed on NAIA following it being voted as the worst airport in Asia and the 5^th worst in the world for 2010, according to the website, "The Guide to Sleeping in Airports". Online voters were asked to rate airports based on safety considerations, availability of comfortable seating, facilities and services to pass the time and the friendliness of the staff among others. Reasons as to why NAIA ranked so poorly in the results were attributed to the numerous and long queues, the bad shape of the airport and the condition of the toilets, lack of facilities for transit passengers and prevalent theft and bribery.[2]

Much has been said about the role of the government in the rehabilitation of NAIA - the political will to improve the physical infrastructure, the urgent need to professionalize and streamline processes to improve efficiency in the services, the need to modernize systems and equipment, the corresponding budget to implement and sustain all these and the fight against corruption.  Admittedly, the government indeed plays an integral role in this regard and the numerous suggestions and unsolicited advice directed to airport officials warrant much consideration. What remains silent in the discussion, however, is how can we, as citizens, improve the quality of services in NAIA and how can we contribute in elevating its conditions.

The following are some ideas on how entrepreneurs, businesses and representatives from various sectors can help improve the state of our primary gateway and hopefully contribute in creating a lasting positive impression to the Philippines' visitors:

1. Passenger self-service systems

Installation and implementation of self-service systems can help reduce long queues and promote efficiency in the process. Traditional check-in counters can be complemented with self check-in counters for passengers without check-in luggage. In this way, lines can be decongested and options can be made available to passengers.

Self-service portals can also be developed to facilitate on-line payments of terminal fees and travel tax to make the airport experience hassle-free for travelers. Self-service systems can also be developed for other services as a travel desk where business travelers and tourists alike can view city tours and local destinations and avail of these packages and the corresponding accommodations, tours and modes of transportation to get there. Other conventional self-service systems that can be made widely available include vending machines for snacks and beverages and mobile phone cards.4

2. Luggage services

Lockers and storage services are especially relevant for passengers who intend to sleep in or transit through the airport. Facilities for the safekeeping of personal belongings as passengers await their connecting flight and/or sleep through the night is a necessity.4

3. Rest and recreation

An area of improvement that was highlighted by The Guide to Sleeping in Airports" website pertains to services for passengers to pass the time. Although Terminal 1 and 2 currently offer lounge services, access to these facilities are not as widely available. An idea is to offer pay-in lounges where passengers can more comfortably sit and dine as they wait for their flight. Passengers with lounger hours to spare can also have amenities to sleep and shower in.

Apart from the current massage services, other wellness establishments that can be offered in NAIA include spas, parlors, nail salons and fitness centers. Apart from the usual duty free shops and restaurants, other retail establishments in the airport can include those that promote local talent and craft as in boutiques of local Filipino designers, craftsmen and furniture makers.  Alteration and courier/logistics services can also be made available to complement these establishments. To promote Filipino art, music and film, a lounge or mini theater can perhaps be used for this purpose.

Other rest and recreation facilities can include day care centers, gaming arcades and casinos.4

4. Transportation services

Public transportation within NAIA is limited to taxis and car rentals. In the absence of a more sophisticated transport and rail way system, one way to decongest traffic in the vicinity of the airport and to make the commute to and from the airport more stress-free for visitors would be to establish a shuttle service to different key cities in the metro, i.e. Makati CBD, Ortigas CBD and Manila. Initially, the idea is to have a shuttle bus with several routes to cater to guests billeted in different hotels in Metro Manila.

Transfer services between Terminal 1, 2 and 3 should also be made available until these 3 terminals are interconnected.  4

As in the other pressing and critical issues that the country is faced with, the government plays a pivotal role in addressing the concern at hand. However, Filipinos must recognize that the citizenry can and must also play a role in the solution. Collaboration, innovation and modern day bayanihan is key towards a progressive future.4

References:

1.        Waters, W. (17 Sep 2007). The Importance of Airports. Retrieved from http://allaboutcities.ca/the-importance-of-airports/

2.       [1] The Guide to Sleeping in Airports. http://www.sleepinginairports.net/worst-airports.htm

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[1] Waters, W. (17 Sep 2007). The Importance of Airports. Retrieved from http://allaboutcities.ca/the-importance-of-airports/

[2] The Guide to Sleeping in Airports. http://www.sleepinginairports.net/worst-airports.htm

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:Nu 6 by JS Use of Social Media by IBM for Internal Communication

Social Media is defined as "media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable communication techniques … the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communications into interactive dialogue. "[1] The more common forms of social media today includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Skype and blogs among others. Social media has grown in tremendous popularity and its usage as widespread and diverse as ever. Social media has not only become a tool to connect with peers and family members but is also a means to promote marketing, public relations and even learning.

Albeit widely used, acceptance on the use of social media in the workplace still raises varying perspectives and opinions. On one hand, there are companies that allow employees to access social media sites while at work. Companies that promote the use of social media see it as valuable particularly in building customer relationships, collaboration and market research. An informal survey conducted by Proskauer, on the other hand, indicates that there are more companies that prohibit the use of social media in the workplace so much so that these sites have already been blocked. Companies who disallow its use see it a real form of distraction that poses a risk to productivity and makes the occurrence of errors more susceptible.

IBM Corporation, the world's second most valuable technology company and a forerunner in pioneering new business practices, brings a new dimension into the use and application of social media in the workplace. IBM Vice-president for Social Business and Collaboration Solutions Sales and Evangelism, Sandy Carter, said at the Management Association of the Philippines CEO conference last September that the company has recognized how social media contributes to the revenue of the company. "It found that employees who had active (online) social relationships would bring in $700 in revenue per contact, and for every executive contact, it would bring in $7,000 in revenue … These social relationships are good for the bottomline" Carter said.[2] This thus prompted IBM to embrace the use of social media, establish guidelines and elevate it to the next level as a social business – one that encompasses the organization and business processes.

As a social business, IBM leverages on the use of collaboration tools and social networking to enable global teams to work effectively. It allows the organization to be three things – "engaged, nimble and transparent."[3] With over 436,000 employees working in 170 countries using about 17,000 blogs, 1 million daily views of internal wikis and 20 million minutes of LotusLive meetings monthly IBM indeed is a Social Business. In the process of allowing employees to engage in social media, the company has also observed that the value of the IBM brand has increased.

Cognizant of the power of social media and its many uses, this encourages this author to think of the many ways by which we can leverage on new technologies and new platforms to create, to cultivate, to harness and to sustain new businesses. As aspiring entrepreneurs, social media can indeed be used to one's advantage to create brand and product/service awareness, build rapport with customers, promote one's product and monitor operations among others.

The following are some ideas of how one can leverage the use of social media as a business strength:

1. As a new marketplace – Tools like facebook and multiply can be used as a platform to sell and advertise one's product and services. More and more entrepreneurs who lack financial capital have maximized the use of social media to penetrate the marketplace, promote their products and build a customer base. Social media has definitely leveled the playing field in that transactions are now borderless and time zone-free. A new entrant can now be in the same marketplace side by side with well established companies from other parts of the globe.

2. As a communication medium – One video that has recently circulated in You Tube and Facebook is the Chris Lao – BPI Auto Loan Commercial. Even without having to air the commercial over national TV, the video has become talk of the town gaining interest from its intended target market. With that, use of social media can be used as a medium to launch a product and create promotional materials. A compelling video in You Tube or an attention grabbing picture in Flickr or similar sites can indeed create a viral effect. Use of Twitter and blogs to complement this can also work to ones advantage to create awareness and build brand recall.

3. As a research and customer feedback tool – One of the strengths of social media is its ability to encourage anyone and everyone to express themselves and voice out their opinions real time. Its ability to promote communication and ultimately collaboration can indeed be highly beneficial to one's business. Use of social media then can be used to gather market insight and customer's receptiveness on a new product or new service that a business will want to launch or venture into. In the same way, it can be used to gather how satisfied or dissatisfied the market is with one's product as it not only allows for positive feedback but customer complaints and suggestions as well. All of these inputs will come in very useful as an entrepreneur seeks to gain micro market insight and mastery of his or her existing and potential customer base.

4. As a business management system – Use of applications like google docs can promote collaboration within the business organization. For businesses operating in various locations, use of social media can be used to track inventories and financial outcomes real time. In the same way, hiring, training and business/team meetings can also be done via Skype and ooVoo as needed. Use of these technologies can supplement face-to-face interactions and can fill in the gaps whenever distance and time become a challenge.

5. As a means to expand ones network – Use of networking sites like LinkedIn can help promote one's business and the personalities behind the business. Moreover, it can also allow one to gain best practices and insights from key resource persons from the industry. In the same manner, sourcing of suppliers, potential customers and business partners can also be facilitated through these established networks.3

NU6 by JS, Serendipity Walk

Driving along Metro Manila, one cannot help but notice how much denser the city's landscape is compared to several years ago. More and more buildings have risen and so much more condominiums (condos) are being constructed within the vast expanse of the metropolis. More interesting and perhaps quite startling to note is the increasing number of condominium projects being worked at even in countryside areas like Tagaytay. This makes me wonder, is the Philippines slowly moving along the path of other Asian neighbors like Hong Kong and Singapore where space is more and more a priced commodity. Is the country really becoming so urbanized that the shift from single detached homes to building communities has become more prevalent.

Focusing on condominiums and its residents in the city, what has become apparent is the presence of nearby convenience stores, laundry services and water refilling stations in the area. Sari-sari stores, newspaper boys on bikes, taho and balot vendors do not form part of the usual scene in these types of neighborhoods. This shift in living preference leads one to become cognizant of the ways in which this will have an impact on the wants and needs of condominium dwellers.

Given the lifestyle of this market and the space constraints of living in a condo, the following are business ideas that one can venture into:

1. Car wash services

Unlike in other types of residential areas where a garage or the street is available to wash one's vehicle, parking areas in condominiums are not as designed for this purpose. A possible option would be for the residents to go to a nearby mall to have their cars washed but that would entail time, effort and parking fees to get the job done. An idea is to establish a car wash service that a customer can book for appointments, something like a dial a car wash type of service. In this way, customers can avail of the service without having to leave their homes. The car wash business can also leverage on a number of locations (condos and even nearby villages) to cater to as opposed to having to station ones resources in a fixed location like the mall and not have them fully utilized.

2. Food delivery and catering

As most people are on the go, they may not have the time to prepare delicious home cooked meals. The others who do with the little time they have left often end up preparing instant meals that they have grown tired off. Others, who don't, end up buying from fast foods. An idea is to establish a food delivery and catering business that can prepare different kinds of dishes that people can call and order from. Customers can select from several week menu plan options and have their meals prepared for them for the entire week and delivered to their door step. Customers can also select from an ala carte menu. This ala carte menu will have different serving size options and can come in ready to heat containers or party serving platters.

3. Pet care and grooming center

One of the challenges of living in a condo is to maintaining and taking care of a pet given the tight space and the noise level that has to be observed. A business idea is to put up a pet care and grooming center, that say dog lovers can leave their pets in when they have to leave for work or attend to other personal errands. The pet care center will see to it that the pets are well taken cared of and looked out for. This includes bathing, feeding and walking the pets as appropriate. In certain cases, where there are restrictions in certain condos from owners having pets, the pet care center can be seen as a second home/kennel for these pets and their owners can visit them there anytime.

4. Housekeeping and maintenance

Cleaning services, handyman requirements, electrical and plumbing needs remain to be necessities in maintaining ones home. The idea is to establish a pool of well-trained housekeeping and cleaning personnel, handymen, electricians and plumbers and deploy these personnel to the homes of its clientele. Customers can contact a hotline to advise of their needs and advise of their preferred schedule for the service.

These are just a few ideas that may be appropriate for condominium occupants. There are definitely several more prospects and options available. What is certain is that as living preferences change so do peoples lifestyle and choices. This then opens opportunities for creativity, innovation and foresight to be able to respond to these changing needs and preferences. 3.0