HSBC introduces 'Payment Gateway'

Internet usage has become a fast developing venture in this country, making it hard to believe that just a short time ago there were no organizations that facilitated on-line payments via the Internet.

Generating sizeable waves in the Internet sector, HSBC has for the first time, facilitated a "Payment Gateway" for Sri Lankan customers to be used for payment of goods and services offered through the Internet. DIMO, Browns Group, Ez-Portals, Crescat Development. Celltel and Eureka On Line are 6 companies that are currently using the Bank's Payment Gateway.

The CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka, Mr. Nik Cherrill said our solution enables establishments to accept Visa and Master Card credit cards for the payment of goods and services sold over the Internet. Visa and Master Card International have mandated specific requirements for their members to qualify to acquire Internet transactions. "We are a Global Bank and our strengths the world over qualify us to be a part of this growing market," Mr. Cherrill said. He further added that the criteria required for meeting the Bank's Internet guidelines are strict and demanding. The security standard, which is used to support this operation, is known as Security Socket Layer (SSL) with 128-bit encryption. The Bank has to ensure that the site in question has particularly stable technology and security owing to the nature of the transaction. The yardstick of measurement is the same for a site in any other country.

"Our solution is unique", said Mr.Cherrill, "Card details submitted are stored on HSBC's servers and not on the establishment's servers, while system functionality includes 128 bit encryption (Visa and Master Card security standard requirement). Our solution features multi currency capability with 6 types...... currency permits), split shipment transactions, and automatic/manual settlement. Establishments can store all transaction details for 18 months, while processing speed is capable of handling five transactions simultaneously per second.

Credit Card Customers using HSBC's merchants do not have to be worried, as all credit card details are obtained and stored by HSBC's secure servers and not the establishment servers. On the other hand establishment too are benefited, as they need not have encryption and fire walls in their servers to protest credit card data.

CIM accredits Tuition Centres

The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Sri Lanka Branch, conferred upon five tuition centres the 2nd year's certification of Accreditation for the period 1999-2002, at a ceremony held at Hotel Taj Samudra recently.

The Academy of Business Studies, Aquinas College of Higher Studies, Oxonia Institute, Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing and Synergy School of Marketing are the only tuition centres in Sri Lanka accredited by The Chartered Institute of Marketing UK.

Ceylon Biscuits into IT Industry

Ceylon Biscuits Limited, the manufacturers of the popular munchee biscuits has recently formed an IT Company, Qsoft (Pvt) Limited. "Qsoft (Pvt) Limited has been incorporated to produce high quality/high tech software solutions and to provide advanced technical training in IT," Chairman, Qsoft, Ramya Wickramasingha stated. Mr. Wickramasingha is also the Deputy Chairman of Ceylon Biscuits Ltd.

Currently the main focus is in the area of software development for the corporate sector requirements and development of software products. In product development the concentration is on the manufacturing, E-commerce and M-commerce software products.

Ceylon Biscuits own experience in the manufacturing sector will be a great advantage in producing software for this sector. M-commerce market is expected to grow very rapidly since mobility and time are highly valued factors in the global economy today.

A huge number of mobile phones are in use around the globe today and the emergence of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) will make these products a reality.

"Qsoft will soon enter into the international software development market through joint development programmes with international software developers. In addition, software developed by the Company will be aggressively marketed in the international market," Managing Director, Qsoft Jayantha Rajapakse said.

Sri Lanka invest to impress

Munchee Tifin Original, the newest biscuit in the Munchee range recently launched by Ceylon Biscuits can be distinguished from other biscuits by its extra light texture and subtle sweet, yet salty taste. This type of biscuit is popular in Europe and Japan and has been introduced into Sri Lanka.

This biscuit is the outcome of extensive research and comes as a part of an ambitious expansion programme in which the company has invested over 500 million rupees. Munchee Tifin comes in a pack of 120g and is retailed at US$0.50 - per pack. The biscuits have a universal appeal and can be enjoyed by any age group. In fact, initial trial testing has shown a tendency for most people who tried the product to keep on eating more. This can be attributed to both its texture and salty flavour which acts as an appetiser.

Combined technologies from Europe and America, along with the in-house expertise of Ceylon Biscuits contributed to the creation of the product and many months of extensive research were spent perfecting the formulation and process parameters. Even the product wrapper is of a special material supplied by the Mobile Corporation of America. This material is especially required for use on the high speed wrapping machines used to wrap the product. The material has superior barrier properties to ensure freshness and maintain the shelf-life of the product.

Ceylon Biscuits is currently the largest exporter of biscuits in Sri Lanka and has plans to make Munchee a regional brand in SAARC countries.

The company intends introducing several more innovative products in the range for the Sri Lankan consumer in the coming months.

Courtesy Biscuit world

Seminar on environment management systems

The Sri Lanka Association for Quality (SLAQ) is planning a series of programmes to promote the application of ISO 14000 Environment Management Systems (EMS). This international standard assists organisations to demonstrate their commitment to environmentally friendly activities and certification based on the standards required for exporting, especially to western markets, a SLAQ statement said.

As a step in this direction the SLAQ is holding a seminar on documentation of ISO 14000 - based EMS and the participants will be guided to develop documents required to implement these standards. It will be held on 14th July at JAIC Hilton Colombo.

Mr. Brian G. Elias is the presenter at this seminar. He is a Registered Principal Auditor - Environmental Auditors' Registration Association (EARA), a United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) Approved EMAS Environmental Verifier and an International Register for Certified Auditors (IRCA) Registered Lead Assessor. He was, until January 1999, Environmental Certification Manager with SGS-ICS, Singapore, responsible for EMS certification and training.

Dr. Srilal de Silva, the President of SLAQ said that this will be the first of a series of seminars and will be followed by regular training activities using both local as well as international experts. SLAQ plans to establish an advisory unit to guide the industry in the selection of consultants and certification bodies as well as technical matters. SLAQ will also offer consultancy services and also conduct EMS audits to ensure these systems are implemented effectively.

HR conference drew over 200 participants

The National Conference on Human Resource Management 2001 organised by the Institute of Personnel Management Sri Lanka (IPM) was held late last month in Colombo.

The theme for this year's conference was 'Learning organisations and challengers of knowledge management'. This topic, according to experts, is woven around the concept that only learning and experience with a shared vision, helped by an active and pleasant work environment will ensure positive business results.

IPM said that as the world becomes more interconnected and business becomes more complex and dynamic, it is not sufficient for a single person to learn on behalf of an entire organisation and have everyone else follow orders from the top. It is in this context that a leaning organisation becomes necessary.

Some of the key issues focused at the conference included changing paradigms in performance management practices, HR development in the new economy, the use of e-commerce in HR and managing careers. The conference, which is organised by the IPM annually, attracted over 200 participants consisting of HR professionals and managers from various quarters of both the private and public sectors this year.

Bartleet appointed EFT solutions provider

With the growing potential of IT for electronic banking and electronic fund transfer technologies in the region, Consolidated Systems of Florida Inc. USA, a world leader in electronic fund switching technologies, has appointed Bartleet Electronics as its solutions partner in a number of major regional countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh. The appointment strengthens the Sri Lankan IT industry presence in the region and the acceptance of the skill and knowledge available in the country. Bartleet Electronics has successfully implemented several electronic fund switching solutions in Sri Lanka.

Trade unions should co-operate to protect jobs - Singapore expert

David Ang Chee, Executive Director of the Singapore Human Resources Institute, was in Sri Lanka last week to address the annual conference of the Institute of Personal Management. He spoke about the new trends and challenges in managing the most valuable corporate asset - people, to The Sunday Times Business Desk. Here are excerpts from the interview:

Q: Currently in Sri Lanka, corporates are facing difficulties in introducing new methods and practices due to stiff opposition from trade unions. What are your views on this situation?

A: Globalisation has a strong effect on our day-to-day work. The people who are responsible for workers' lives (trade unions) must seriously consider this vital point when making their decisions. Workers and trade unions should realise the need for change. Or else their jobs will on the line. Companies have to be commercially viable in order to survive. Trade unions should realise this fact and extend their co-operation for changes in order to safeguard jobs.There should be regular sharing of information between the management and the unions. Both external economic information and internal performance information should be readily available to the trade unions.

Q: Some companies are reluctant to aggressively invest in human capital, fearing a competitor might poach the highly trained employee, resulting in a loss for the company. Any comments?

A: Globally the top companies invest between 3% - 5% of their turnover in training their workforce. Once you train an employee to a higher level, there should be challenging opportunities within the company for them to practice their newly earned knowledge. If not, the trained employees will leave the company for more challenging opportunities. In Singapore we see this situation in a different light. A company may lose when a trained employee leaves, but the industry or the country will ultimately gain from the enhanced knowledge.

Q: What is important for an employee to gain more responsibilities and work towards continuous improvement?

A: The key to a learning organisation is personal mastery. Before you assume larger responsibilities you must master your current work. This requires investment in time by the employee. But for lower grade workers this will not be possible. Because they work overtime to earn an additional income, there is no time left for training and development.

But the company can provide training opportunities for them in-house during low demand periods. Computer-based training is also an effective method to save time and provide training in-house.

Q: According to your personal experience, what really motivates the worker?

A: It is respect. Respect for one's self for doing a good job. Also good work being recognised by peers and superiors. These are the main motivators in the modern work environment.

Q: In Sri Lanka, many medium-size companies do not have the resources to invest aggressively in training and development. What is the possibility of companies in the same industry consolidating their training activities?

A: The industry should first identify the training requirements of the workers. Once identified, the companies can get together and invest in a common training centre. But if the investment is beyond the means of the industry, each company's specific training competencies should be identified. Each training task should be delegated to the company that is identified as the best in that particular segment.

Poaching can be of great concern in this environment. The only way to prevent this is to have a strong code of ethics within the organisation. You should realise that if you poach your competitors' employees you are liable to lose your own employees when they go to your competitor for training.

Herbal drugs provide safer options

By Diana Mathews

"Back to naturals?" queried Professor Tuley de Silva at the recent 30th annual sessions of the Institute of Chemistry held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.

He said there is a ten percent annual increase in the use of herbal products throughout the world

Herbal products have come into existence after many years of research and are of guaranteed good quality. These products are safe and efficacious, Prof de Silva, who is the president of the institute, said.

Reduction in the use of fossil fuels, ozone-depleting substances, toxic waste, synthetic fertilisers in agriculture, synthetic preservatives and chemicals in industries are some ways suggested for the maintenance of good health, the president added.

Out of 250,000 plant species worldwide only ten percent have been researched until now according to Professor Suba Rao, CEO of the Vittal Mattya Scientific Research Foundation of India who was chief guest at the sessions. He also said the global sales of synthetic products are US$ 32.4 billion at present.

The poor in the developing world have less access to modern medical facilities than others in industrialised countries compelling them to depend on inexpensive herbal remedies, he said.

Forum on critical issues launched

The Law and Society Trust (LST) and the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) have launched a National Reference Group (NRG) that would create an informal forum on critical policy issues and challenges in the country, promote advocacy and disseminate information.

A LST statement said an NRG meeting on competition policy was held last month in which a number of critical issues such as the nature of Sri Lanka's competition culture, a lacuna in strong consumer organisations, shortcomings of the proposed Consumer Protection Bill among other issues were discussed.

The formation of the group comprising various stakeholders ranging from consumer organisations, economists, lawyers, chambers of commerce and the media to competition authorities, regulatory authorities and politicians, is part of a larger project on competition policy implemented by the Centre for International Trade, Economics and Environment (CUTS), Jaipur and carried out by the LST and the IPS in Sri Lanka.

The project aims to study the regimes of seven developing countries, at a similar level of development and with a similar jurisprudence, the statement said.

CIMA applicants grow by 20%

Many Sri Lankans are opting for careers in management accountancy, as shown by the steady growth of registrations for the examinations of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Institute reports.

The number of local registrants for CIMA examinations has increased by more than 20 percent to 1065 for the May 2001 exam from 865 in May 2000, CIMA Sri Lanka Divisional Manager Aruna Alwis said.

Registration for the November 2001 examination closes on July 31, 2001 and this growth trend is expected to continue, he said. Students will have the convenience of handing over their registration documents to the local division till July 16.

"Surveys have shown that the world's most prestigious employers put CIMA at the top of their list of preferred business qualifications as its scope extends far beyond pure accountancy and even many management courses. It is a complete education for business in the twenty-first century which demands financial management which is fast and flexible," Mr. Alwis said, commenting on the advantage of having a CIMA qualification.

To become a member of CIMA, registered students should complete exams at foundation, intermediate and final level and have three years' relevant practical experience. All levels have extremely comprehensive syllabi covering areas such as financial accounting, management accounting, finance, financial reporting, business taxation, systems and project management, information strategy and a case study at the final level.

CIMA recently revised its syllabus to make information technology (IT) a major discipline for management accountants. In an increasingly Internet-driven economy, where information is a key asset, the new syllabus will test the ability of a student to evaluate an organisation's information system and propose appropriate solutions and demonstrate how IT can be leveraged to benefit businesses.

CIMA, which has a global membership of 55,127, provides a high standard of financial training in 156 countries, the institute said.

ILO training materials for small-scale entrepreneurs

The Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) project of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) will officially launch the Sri Lanka edition of "The Start and Improve your Business" training materials for small-scale entrepreneurs in Colombo on July 10.

The SIYB Sri Lanka project, which presently covers the Matara and Hambantota districts, is implemented by the ILO with financial support from the Swedish International Development Agency. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of local organisations to effectively and independently implement SIYB training and related activities for small entrepreneurs.

A SYIB press release said as a result of this training, these entrepreneurs would be in a better position to start and expand their own business and create quality employment for others.

Currently, the ILO-SIYB project works with nine local organisations, among them two private sector companies, (the Sri Lanka Business Development Centre and Business Consultancy Services), a government agency, (the Small Enterprise Development Division in the Ministry of Youth), and six Non-Governmental Organisations. These NGO's are AGROMART, FORUT, Sarvodaya-Seeds, the Sinharaja Village Trust, INDECOS and the Cathy Rich Memorial Food Processing Foundation.

On July 10, the SIYB project will present the Sinhalese and the English version of the SIYB training manual, among them a business ideas manual, a business start-up manual and business plan booklet and a set of six business improvement manuals. Tamil versions of these training materials are currently under preparation and will be introduced before the end of the year.

The business ideas manual discusses practical ways to carry out different business idea generation techniques and assists the readers to identity the business idea most suitable for them. Step-by-step explanations are given in an easy-to-understand language and illustrations are used to explain concepts. Relevant examples and exercises are important features in the manual, enabling the reader to immediately practice various idea generation and selection techniques.

The business start-up manual guides the potential entrepreneur in a step-by-step approach on how to prepare and complete a business plan. Practical examples of business start-ups, exercises and activities accompany each step. The SYB Business Plan booklet provides potential entrepreneurs with necessary forms to complete a bankable business plan.

The ILO-SIYB project has trained its partner organisations to conduct cost-effective and impact-oriented business start-up and management training programmes using these training materials.

Inside the aromatic environment of a milk processing factory

"Appey ammi hari hondai apeta aderai" - the words from a popular TV commercial advertising milk - comes to my mind as we approach the New Zealand Dairy factory at Biyagama, attracted also by the pleasant spell of milk.

The factory is situated in beautiful surroundings and peaceful ambience with little or no sounds despite the factory being in full operation. After a brief chat with Aidan Coleman, managing director and Rohan Perera, marketing manager, we set off for a view of the interior of Anchor's packing factory.

According to Mr. Coleman, the New Zealand Dairy Board, the company's main supplier, sets high standards of hygiene and cleanliness and these standards are being strictly followed in Sri Lanka. A clean operation is a priority to an extent that even dust particles in the premises are tested frequently for impurities.

The majority of Sri Lanka's milk factories are processing plants except for the Nespray factory in the north-western province. Likewise in this case the milk powder is shipped in from New Zealand, unloaded at the factory and testing starts immediately to ascertain the quality of the product, one of the key factors for the success of the Anchor brand. Even the packaging material is subjected to stringent tests in order to ensure that the customer gets a quality product, Mr Coleman said.

Workers are required to don white overcoats and white caps in areas where strict hygiene is observed, and humidity and temperatures are controlled.

Large machines take full control of the packing process. In less than 15 minutes, the raw material (milk powder) is transformed into a packeted milk product. They have the capacity to complete packing an average of 300,000 (400-gramme) Anchor milk powder packets per day. The packets are then transferred to the warehouse and cleared within the next five days to the selling and distribution points.

Newdale yoghurt production takes place at night but we were attracted by the aroma of strawberries and flavoured liquid milk.

Here too the machines were busy with cups being filled and sealed within seconds and ready for drinking. Around 5,000 cups could be produced within an hour with ultra heat treatment (UHT) used to purify the milk. The milk is heated to a temperature of 133 degrees and immediately reduced, destroying any bacteria in the milk in the process.

As we moved away from the factory and drove along the Biyagama Road, the aroma of milk and strawberries still lingered and aroused our taste buds.

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