Wilmar’s Information Technology (IT) division seeks to support the Group’s expanding footprint by creating digital value and synergies across business units. In the past year, we have made good headway in strengthening our digital capabilities to improve business efficiencies.

In closer alignment with the Group’s operations, the division has put in place a new team organised by business functions, namely sales & marketing, logistics, supply chain, production, finance, plantation, trading and human resources. This enables digital initiatives to be implemented systemically across the entire value chain. The digital transformation process is well under way with the aim of harnessing the fullest potential of technology in our businesses. Projects with a strong business case are prioritised and commissioned around the world.

In a fast-changing digital world, the successful businesses will be those that demonstrate adaptability and embrace innovation. We foster a culture of innovation by exploring new technologies in small Proof-of-Concepts for pilot projects and feasibility studies in suitable facilities. We also look at how we can leverage Blockchain technology, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things to improve our operational efficiency. These form part of a pipeline of digital transformation projects to support the business needs of the Group and remain ahead of competition.

We will continue to implement our Cloud First strategy as well as increase the number of operations running on mobile devices. Data analytics will also continue to be deployed across the Group’s operations to process raw data with the purpose of finding patterns and drawing conclusions by applying an algorithmic or a mechanical process to derive insights and support predictive and prescriptive decisions. E-commerce is growing faster than ever and we will continue to strengthen our online retail presence. Other digital accelerator programmes include connected planning tools on the cloud to facilitate collaboration among planners in different geographical locations, rapid development platforms to increase time to value, robotic process automation to take over repetitive manual tasks and radio frequency technologies to automate weighbridges in manufacturing plants and machine spare parts tracking.

We have an established Information Security Management Framework that aligns with industry standards such as ISO27002:2013, Center for Internet Security (‘CIS’) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (‘NIST’).

IT policies and controls are sent to all Wilmar employees with regular updates. Governance processes such as internal and external audits are also carried out to ensure continuous compliance with these controls.

Wilmar adopts a holistic approach (People, Process and Technology) to manage cybersecurity risks. We constantly review and improve our layered defences to protect Wilmar against the ever-changing threat of a cyber attack.

The world is getting more connected every day. IT is transforming the way businesses are conducted and how people are connected. In a global organisation like Wilmar, connectivity within and outside of the Group is crucial. We will continue to leverage IT solutions to strengthen our connections with customers, suppliers, stakeholders and between business units within the Group.