Making AI work for Singapore enterprises

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From solving everyday pain points to transforming operations, IMDA is helping enterprises use AI in practical ways that drive growth and empower employees.

From solving everyday pain points to transforming operations, IMDA is helping enterprises use AI in practical ways that drive growth and empower employees.

When traditional Chinese medicine provider Yong Kang TCM Clinic faced growing pressure on its customer service team, artificial intelligence (AI) offered a practical way forward.

Part of Refresh Group, Yong Kang TCM Clinic and its sister brands operate 19 outlets across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. As the business grew, its centralised call centre became a bottleneck, especially during peak periods when customers needed help with appointments, treatments or outlet information.

“Some after-hours enquiries went unanswered until the next working day, which meant that we were likely losing customers who wanted an immediate answer and went elsewhere instead,” said Dr Elson Lee, who holds a PhD and is the managing director and founder of Refresh Group.

A digital solution could help, but adopting one was not a simple plug-and-play decision. Yong Kang TCM Clinic had to weigh cost, staff readiness and the need for accurate responses.

Its experience reflects a broader challenge for the growing number of small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) trying to make sense of AI as they digitalise.

According to the 2026 Singapore Digital Economy Report by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), digital adoption among enterprises rose from 95.1 per cent in 2024 to 96.4 per cent in 2025, driven largely by SMEs.

AI adoption among SMEs also grew, climbing from 14.5 per cent to 23.4 per cent over the same period. Among enterprises that had adopted AI, the proportion of workers able to use the technology in some capacity rose from 66.4 per cent to 71.9 per cent.

Yet some SMEs remained unconvinced of the need for AI. The report found that 54.7 per cent of enterprises that had not adopted AI cited their small business size as a reason.

مطلع المقال، مقتطف من CNA. لقراءة المقال كاملًا، افتحه على موقع الناشر.