10/03/2023

Is Singapore a smart or a dumb city?

 Since the 1970s, the manufacturing world has developed a supply chain system called Just In Time delivery. All parts would be delivered just in time and manufacturers did not have to incur cost in warehousing and paying ahead for parts that may not be used when the production volumes changed.

Now in 2023, with big data, with AI, improved communication and transportation, and all the knowledge and experience and things called smart cities, would Just In Time delivery or manufacturing be further improved? Without Just In Time delivery, there would be a lot of wastages due to over or under supply, warehousing and inefficient supply chain. Should this be a thing of the past especially in a tightly knitted city state like Singapore, with less than 6 m population and even lesser at about 3.5m in terms of citizens?

Just heard over the news, when it was proudly announced that citizens buying BTO flats only have a 3 to 4 years waiting time for delivery of their flats. With such a small population, with the monopoly in building HDB flats, with improved building technology, supply chain, automation, AIs, big data and calling Singapore a smart city, why is it so difficult to shorten the waiting time to build and deliver HDB flats to maybe less than a year, less than 6 months? 

China can build a 40 storey building in less than a month using prefab, automation and advanced building technology. I have been watching the construction of simple one storey structure, with simple support beams, something quite similar to a hawker centre, and after more than a month, only a small part of the floor was laid, and a few steel pipe pillars were erected, joined by physically welding the steel frames and beams together. It looks like it would take weeks before it is ready to install the roof. And it would take many more weeks before the structure is finally completed. And there were about 20 foreign workers on site daily. Heard of a few hundred units of residential homes being built in a month in Africa by the Chinese construction brigade?

Oops, I digressed. Is Singapore a dumb city or a smart city? What kind of building and construction technology is being used, what kind of planning and management science, what kind of trained and talented workers? 30 or 40 years ago the waiting time for HDB flats were also 3 to 4 years. Today, it is still 3 or 4 years?

What a great improvement for a smart city with so many smart foreign talents! Is building flats for a small island population so complicated to plan and build that all the AI, technology, big data etc etc are unable to cope with and unable to improve on the delivery time?

What do you think?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

We are a dumb city. Period

Anonymous said...

Rb..Rb.. Good morning..how many ppl think that efficiency n increase in productivity makes sense? This red dot needs X mayor's n Y parliamentarians to run? Temasick has now gone into funding/investing hedge funds. Their own army of researchers and traders not enough? Has the lessonsof Enron been learnt?..same..is hdb a smooth well oiled business looking after Singaporeans n tending to Singaporeans needs? Let's say u finish building in 1 year ..what are you going to do for the rest of the time?..with the amount the government is making on land sales..what nonsense is this talk about productivity. Clearly the government shows scant interest in promoting neither. Let the private sector scramble la..

Anonymous said...

It is all about making more $$$, to slow the supply of hdb..then price can remain high. Productivity is just a word to let people think about it..that all. Look at the numbers of staffs in ministers office & the numbers of org/committees created by gov that do similar/useless things..the amount of $$ each kept as reserve..then you know how useless is miw.

Anonymous said...

Smart in the way they just keep the queue as long as possible in order to have justification to keep increasing prices. Not just in new flats, but also putting pressure on demand for resale flats for those not wanting to wait. What does all this do to housing prices? Of course, to keep blowing up the housing balloon.

Anonymous said...

Housing and cars are going to deplete all the savings of the people, with many be indebted for life. A major crisis would see many ended up a bankrupts, unable to pay the mortgages.

Anonymous said...

Not only a major crisis will cause massive problems. We have been talking about PMETs working as security guards and food deliverers, making much less than previously and undoubtedly will have difficulties paying their mortgages, servicing their debts and putting food on the table.

And not only that, those who are older and who lost their good paying jobs are going to be competing against younger people for another job. Who do you think employers will choose? Not only are younger people more flexible in learning new skills, but who will not demand the same salary as those experienced jobless workers. Figure it out, and do not just think of what is going to happen in a major crisis.

Anonymous said...

In order to help the poor more, they should raise more taxes and higher prices for housing and GST. Also increase their multi million dollar salaries.

Clear eyed said...

With 86% endorsement, BTO waiting time may soon "progress" to 5 years or more and prices to $million and above.

Virgo49 said...

Wow in Today's Parliament Ministerial Speech regarding the Billions Dollars Monies Launderings, have to get Alvin Tan and that Teo to speak on behalf of Chye.

Now they claimed since 2021, they had wind of these but took them nearly two to three years b4 actions?

What's a Joke!

As I said b4, Sinkieland Top Management and also likewise Other Corporate Management's semua sama sama lah.

They are all in Ivory Towers and are on Auto Pilot and will only sebok when things happened lah.

Then they will said we shall set up what's committees what's committees to make sure don't happen again.

Horse Shits!

Old Pioneer Leaders, b4 they implement any policy, they will make sure to ponder all sorts of good and bad scenarios that might happen b4 they do it.

Rumours that if NOT FM of China Wang Yi when in Singapore did not sound them, they be still sleeping.

Three long years to investigate and they gave all sorts of excuses and claimed credits.

Also there's another case of stolen even milk powers and other items from KooTooPuat Hospital for several years into millions and now they just discovered.

There I told you. Top Management mostly collected Pays in millions correct Sirs.

Virgo49 said...

Just to add and that Shame can denied outside info.

What's a Joke!

Virgo49 said...

In Ausgust, they said will give Ministerial Speeches in October!

Why? Because they needed to gather all info and brains stormed to give a credible excuse.

They get this Others to speak so as not to flounder like the lying Americunts.

Since 2021 they already knew?

Horse shits!

They only knew when Wang Yi sounded them of the two wanted PRCs in China.

From there then they woke up.

The Financhcal Institutions and the Banks and MAS aka Mana Ada System not aware of all these billion in?

The Housing Agents and All?

They like all Sinkies just wanted to make monies only and they don't bother what's regulations and rules to report of any suspicious activities.

Why Shame out of the blue said no outside info that lead to their arrests?

When no one questioned him thus?

Sinkieland Top Top so called Elites and Management as I said semua sama sama ones lah.

Had seen too many in my working and business life.

Most square pegs in round holes and just pretended that they know best.

Many in because of connections or balls carrying.

Not really capabilities or true ingredients.

Virgo49 said...

Read JT's comments in ST as thus "This case is a reminder that even the most stringent preventive measures can be circumvented by determined criminals"

Can't help sniggering.

It's because you all are in the dark.

Then she said "We have the resolve and capabilities to track them down and take them to task"

Why as you said already know in 2021 and now then actions ah?

Let them spend their time purchasing all their assets and enjoying their good lifes then you shiok shiok now then had the resolve and capabilities to take them to task?

Without Wang Yi's info to request of these wanted criminals you all be still sleeping and Pays Collected and Corrects.

Horse shits!

Why now the Melon had to retire?

Had to be the Fall Guy lah.

Virgo49 said...

https://linksharing.samsungcloud.com/bYjPVZGvhQ5k

Virgo49 said...

"Detecting money laundering like finding needles in haystacks" by JT.

Because you're Intelligence Services not capable enough and your supposed Institutions of Banks and Governing Authorities sleeping lah.

Don't give flimsy excuses lah.

Now you going after the Housing Agents?

All these are just clear cut happenings that easily caused suspicions with such activities.

I remember a friend told me of a case that in the 70s, aiyo 70s and your ex Senoirs in government are already so alert and on the ball.

He said a colleague of his had an inheritance from his parents of quite a sum.

He brought cash with no financing a car and was been called to be interrogated why he can afford full payment in cash because he was just a grade 3 clerk.

Hello, our time in the 70s cars not 100 or two hundred K and was already on their radar for monies laundering or maybe Revenue Branch Income Tax thought that he absconded taxes.

This case billion and no one suspected anything?

Even one time, I happened to transfer just Sin20K from RM account by regional transfer to Sin account and the Mat Bank called to ask some personal questions.

In International and even Regional Banks transfers they always asked for reasons of said transfers.

Our MAS and Banks of these enormous amounts Don't know meh?