Futureproofing Your China Workforce
China is undergoing a seismic shift from a manufacturing powerhouse to a digitised, innovative economy. Much like the economic miracle of the last few decades, the country’s future will be […]
Optimism for Asia’s Growth Despite Covid Struggles
An optimistic economic forecast might seem out of step with the gloomy news on Asia’s COVID-19 struggle. Yet, the outlook is straightforward given the region’s vaccine efficacy and immunisation rates. […]
Business Model Innovation: Everything as a Service
Firms in China are seeking richer margins by selling services instead of selling products. Today, data-driven technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) are supercharging the move towards ‘servitization’. Consequently, […]
The Most Important Plan in China’s History
The 14th Five Year Plan (FYP) represents the final ramp-up to China reaching economic parity with the US. As such, it is perhaps the most important one yet. Foreign businesses […]
Agile Planning in China Leads to Sales
Covid put into stark relief the importance of staying nimble. During the early days of Covid, supply and demand issues reared their ugly head, and massive price fluctuations followed. At […]
Crisis Support for India Teams
India’s COVID-19 outlook is grim, with explosive growth in new cases not expected to peak for 4-8 weeks. The government’s sudden decision to vaccinate everyone over 18 has led to […]
China’s ‘Always-On’ Digital Disruptors
A new breed of Chinese consumer brands has hit the ground running with a digital-first, consumer-centric approach. They hook consumers with always-on digital conversations, camera-ready packaging, and fast-paced product launches. […]
Leveraging Digital Tools in a China Go-To-Market Strategy
China has proven to be an ideal place to experiment with cutting-edge digital apps. Many Chinese companies are digital-first enterprises that tactically test and tweak digital applications. A China CEO […]
China to Push E-invoicing in 2021
The trend towards e-invoicing is slowly gathering momentum as China’s tax authorities move ahead on their much-anticipated plan to allow digitised invoicing for businesses. Soon, electronic special value-added tax (VAT) […]
Ringfencing China: Can The Digital Cord Be Cut?
China’s unique cybersecurity regulations, its separate digital ecosystem, and its digitally savvy consumers set it apart from the rest of the world. As a consequence, MNCs are looking to ringfence […]
Covid’s Impact Motivates China’s M&A Buyers and Sellers
MNCs partnering in China took only the briefest pause during the worst of Covid-19 and then bounced back in the second quarter. While organic growth is a top priority for […]
The Future of Hong Kong as a Regional Headquarters
International companies have long regarded Hong Kong highly for its skilled workforce, business-friendly legal system, robust regulatory regime, high corporate governance standards and generally free flow of capital, people and […]
Covid Accelerates China’s Digital B2B Transformation
B2B e-commerce and virtual selling were gaining traction well before the lockdown but the experience during the pandemic has accelerated the trend towards digital sales. At a recent IMA China […]
Business Travel’s Future is Uncertain
The dearth of business travel during 2020 has had an immediate and long-term impact on the travel industry ecosystem, businesses at large, and the entire global economy. An executive at […]
China’s Recovery: The CFO View
The pandemic in China has given CFOs a wild ride on a ‘V’ shaped recovery rollercoaster. After a steep drop in revenues and expenses in the first quarter, there has […]
Bringing Big Data to China’s Big Machines
Not long after news of Covid’s spread in China hit papers around the world, so did photos of a remarkable feat: the building of a 1,000-bed hospital in a mere […]
Shifting from Recovery to Retooling in China
Companies in China are moving to the second phase of the Covid-19 crisis. During the first phase they focused on protecting their employees and their assets. The second recovery phase […]
Managing Covid-19 & the Return to Work
As any crisis fades, it’s important to capture what was learned before it’s forgotten. We need to recall surprises, reflect on how they were successfully dealt with, and think about managing […]
The Rise of Bangladesh: Asia’s Next Frontier Market
Despite a promising economic outlook, foreign investors in Bangladesh must remain attentive to political and social developments in the country. With the COVID pandemic ongoing and 70% of the country’s […]
How Prepared is Your China Cybersecurity?
The ubiquity of data brings new risks. At a recent IMA Asia forum, members discussed those risks and how best to cope with the evolving cybersecurity environment in China. Governments […]