Topic 1: The Digital Economy and the Future of Business (relevance: overview of the digital economy and how it is changing the business landscape – to foster urgency to learn. Also coverage of widely applicable national or sectoral platforms in use)

Topic 2: Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) (relevance: relate  these ubiquitous but still difficult to understand terms to their everyday life e.g. social media, search engine results, customer relations, etc.)

Topic 3: IDT & A – Chat Bots and Messenger Bots (relevance: in-demand tools to automate and enhance customer interactions pre- and post-sales – use case in the Built Environment e.g. Facilities Management’s helpdesk support for building tenants)

Topic 4: IDT & A – Ecommerce Solutions (relevance: Built Environment firms handling interior design, renovations, carpentry, maintenance, and plumbing have traditionally relied on distributed fliers and phone numbers pasted in common areas to attract customers – since COVID-19, they have increasingly moved online in offering their services. This topic will cover ecommerce platforms for the “”sales”” of services)

Topic 5: IDT – Building Information Modelling (BIM) Software (relevance: there are an increasing number of BIM software capable of 3D modelling for specific purposes e.g. Revit Architecture, Revit Civil & Structural, and Bentley series of software. 3D drawings are a requirement for various approval by authorities for any works, and many Built Environment organisations outsource their technical drawing needs instead of cultivating their own talents in that. This is changing in the industry, and more and more skilled PMEs in the sector now need to know how to use BIM software in their work.)

Topic 6: IDT & A – Remote Facilities Monitoring Systems (relevance: this covers technologies available to help firms monitor and manage facilities and infrastructure through remote means connected to their mobile devices. This helps in increasing work flexibility for facilities managers and also helps to improve response times to crises/incidents.)

Topic 7: IDT & A – All You Need to Know about Cloud (relevance: broad overview of how cloud technology works and how it supports the use of all the tech and tools covered so far and to be covered further in the course – also cover concepts of hybrid cloud to enhance cybersecurity)

Topic 8: CR – What about Security? The “”Big 5″” Threats in Cybersecurity (relevance: after getting some insights into the tech and tools used in the digital economy today, participants will be able to better relate to this topic about cybersecurity, which will cover the “”big five”” threats – Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), Ransomware, Supply Chain Attacks, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and Pivot in easy to understand language with examples. This will also cover Personal Data Protection Act and how to manage the risk of data leaks with increased digitalisation.)

Topic 9: DA – Social Media Analytics Tools (relevance: after learning about web analytics, learners need to learn about social media analytics tools, which will help them assess their marketing, customer outreach and even sales performance on various social media platforms. Tools covered will include a platform-specific tool like Facebook Analytics and an all-in-one social media management platform like Sprout Social.)

Topic 10: DA – General Enterprise Analytics Tools (relevance: these are solutions for businesses to organise and analyse data collected in all parts of their business, which is essential given how much data is generated every day in the modern digital economy. Learners will be introduced to free-to-start tools like ThoughtSpot and Tableau.)

Topic 11: A – CRM Software (relevance: learners may feel overwhelmed at this point about the myriad of tools available for all purposes in the market, hence an essential topic to cover is all-in-one customer relationship management software that also helps with social media marketing management like HubSpot. Such tools normally come with great User Interfaces and require little to no technical knowledge to use – hence will inspire the learners’ confidence to actually use them.)

Topic 12: A – Robotic Process Automation (relevance: after knowing how different tools work and the unavoidable data collection, crunching, analysis and feedback work needed behind it, learners are then introduced to RPA, which helps organisations to automate rote and repetitive processes – thus making work more efficient.)

Topic 13: A – Use of Drones and Robots in Surveillance and Inspection (relevance: There is an increasing amount of usage of drones and robots – even autonomous ones – in the built environment to perform surveillance and inspection tasks in hazardous and/or hard-to-reach areas so as to increase workplace safety and reduce manpower needs. This topic will cover the types of drones and robots used, and how people manage and analyse the feed from these physical pieces of automation remotely)

Topic 14: Action Plan Setting (relevance: the trainer will guide the learners in determining their immediate areas of interest and/or required tech skillsets in their current/desired job roles among the technologies and tools covered, and how they can pursue their learning in these areas after the SFDW)