Staff know her as the 'hardware with heartware'

THINK speed, focus on reiteration: That was the lesson Ms Janet Ang learnt in her seven-year stint in the tech field in China.

Managers must be prepared to review their strategies frequently and be ready to make improvements to get to their targets.

Ms Ang ran the personal computing business for American giant IBM and then stayed on when the firm was bought over by Chinese company Lenovo.

"Don't focus on excellence - it takes too long to get to a final good product. Instead, release several versions, get feedback, improve, release the product and repeat the process," she said at an interview last week at the IBM Technology Park in Tampines.

"Speed is important when you want to grow your business. Keep reiterating what you have to continually improve the product," said the livewire managing director of IBM Singapore, who is in her 50s but feels she is always 39.

Her observation is that the mainland Chinese always want to succeed fast while Singaporeans prefer to take it step by step to reduce failure.

"The Chinese are prepared to take short cuts, take risks. As a result, there are a lot of failures, but successes are also huge."

This is a lesson Singapore can learn because "we've thrived on high efficiency to squeeze out maximum value".

"We've to think and do faster. Of course, we must not shoot and then think. We should think, then shoot."

Singapore's emphasis on innovation to get ahead is spot-on, she said, but she warned that attitudes on innovation must change if the strategy is to succeed.

"We can't say we want innovation and then outline key milestones to be achieved in six months and high-impact results in 12 months. This sounds like a production environment on how the yield can be maximised."

Innovation is messy. There must be a bit of "give" to loosen the result-oriented culture. Then creative juices may be released and the "a-ha moment will come", she added.

After all, 30 years ago when Singapore embarked on its computerisation programme, a risk was taken with TradeNet, an electronic data interchange network which linked all the government agencies needed for the export and import of goods and services.

"It was an innovation. We took the risk and it paid off handsomely because it made Singapore an efficient place insofar as movement of goods and services was concerned."

She is confident that Singapore can regain this risk-taking attitude. The diversity of people here "will give a nice 'rojak' that will result in new innovative ideas for Singapore".

Ms Ang is a tech veteran. She joined IBM in 1982 as a systems analyst and was with the company for 23 years until 2005, when Lenovo acquired IBM's PC unit.

She then headed Lenovo's global desktop unit in China, grooming local executives to become professional managers and putting in place processes that would turn it into an ongoing reputable, global company.

This is her second stint as head of IBM Singapore; her first was between 2001 and 2003.

She speaks fondly of her time at Lenovo. When she first joined, her Chinese colleagues were not fluent in English. So every meeting was conducted three times, once in Chinese to explain what the meeting was all about, then the actual meeting in English and then in Chinese again to explain what had taken place and to ensure the local managers understood what was discussed.

"I wondered how I was going to survive. But I improved my Chinese and they improved their English. Before I left, my managers could argue with me in English and they gave presentations in English."

She returned to Singapore because her predecessor, Ms Teresa Lim, was planning to take an extended leave of absence.

Ms Ang took on the IBM job in July last year but went back to Beijing every month to be "home with her children", who were completing the school year. The family moved here in July this year.

She has already implemented several projects in her 12 months. One is a collaboration between IBM and the National Environment Agency to use advanced analytics to provide predictive insights and effective response to environmental events such as extreme weather events, dengue outbreaks and food poisoning incidents.

Last month, IBM unveiled a US$50 million (S$61.5 million) new-generation solutions centre, the first of its kind for IBM worldwide, where leading-edge projects can be simulated and industry could discuss with IBM experts anywhere in the world via video conference.

Popular with IBM employees, she is described by her staff as the "hardware with the heartware".

One of them, Ms Selvi R., who worked with Ms Ang between 2001 and 2003 as communications manager, said she was "blown away by Janet's energy" and how she remained calm while attending to business, employees and business contacts.

"As a boss, she took every opportunity to coach us. What is remarkable is she works with the same zeal and tenacity in helping the community, her church, her old school, friends and the industry," said Ms Selvi, who is now in IBM's global communications team.

chngkeg@sph.com.sg