PLDT and Smart First Vice President and Head of Network Build, Operations and Management Debbie Hu underscored the role of the network team during crises. “Whether it be a crisis like typhoons or other problems, we are at the forefront of making things happen for the Filipino people. We are in the right place, right position to make relevant contributions to improve the lives of our Filipinos.”

Being a woman in a male-dominated profession, Hu was not exempted from struggling in her field because of her gender. 

“During the earlier part of my career, there was a time when I felt that people had some bias against me, maybe because I was a woman or for any other reason. I went through rigorous training and scrutiny, but I understood that it was all part of the game,” she shared. “But my bosses did not give up on me, they believed in my capability to lead.”

With decades of experience in the telco industry, she also shared the importance of showing malasakit to the team, “even if the odds seem to be against you.”

“There was a time when I was the only senior leader left, with the responsibility to manage junior colleagues. It dawned on me that it’s my responsibility to rally the team, amid the uncertainties, and bring the team towards our goal,” she shared.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic became a litmus test for PLDT and Smart Vice President and Head for Consumer Credit and Account Management Di Blanco as an employee and team leader. She shared that they had to proactively make the decision that the company will not cut services at a time the internet became a necessity for Filipinos during the crisis, even before the government made its call.

“I take pride that our group thought of our customers first. That was a strong manifestation of our customer centricity,” Blanco shared.

Despite the difficulty in collections during the pandemic, her group was also able to implement critical changes such as digital billing, deploy quasi-digital payment options for customers in stores through Paybox, and improve customer loyalty.

“That was when I realized that true malasakit is painful. But when you invest in educating our customers, they will adapt to it and support your endeavors,” said Blanco.

Asked what leadership meant to them, the two women leaders shared the same point: it’s all about servant-leadership.

“You serve the people you are working with. Every day, I still see challenges that test my leadership, but being surrounded by the excellent people in my team, I know we’ll be able to achieve our goals,” said Hu.

“Leadership is not about the title nor position. It is about taking care of your people- inspiring and helping them achieve the best version of themselves” said Blanco.

“Leaders on the Go” is a monthly activity to bring leaders closer to employees to share stories and engage in conversations that internalize the PLDT and Smart’s culture and core values and how these help the organization get through challenges and achieve milestones to keep the company sustainably competitive.

By Alithea De Jesus

Proving its technological prowess, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has clinched the 2020 Asia Communication Awards (ACA) for network automation, with the deployment of an advanced data-driven site analytics solution at Smart Communications – the wireless unit of the Philippines’ largest integrated telco and digital services provider, PLDT. In times of COVID-19, this Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution provides advanced insights to network teams, increasing operational efficiency, and enhancing network user experience, whilst reducing the number of monthly site visits.

Deployed in 10 countries globally, this is an online web-based and mobile app diagnostic tool that collects real-time data, allowing field technicians to work remotely and independently, as well as to make better and faster decisions. Armed with quick access to additional network information, network operations teams are empowered to be more proactive, and to prevent imminent network issues with advanced troubleshooting capabilities.

Debbie Hu, Head of Network Operations, Smart Communications says, “Ericsson’s site analytics solution is easily accessible, convenient and easy to use. It is also very practical, especially in the current pandemic, as it allows our teams to perform contactless and effective network diagnostics offsite. We are already seeing promising results with a 20% decrease in the number of site visits made monthly.”

With data-driven analytics, network operations teams are also better prepared before reaching onsite. Equipped with a prior understanding of the potential issues as well as the right tools, the teams are able to localize faults with more precision, saving considerable time and effort while also increasing productivity and safety levels. 

Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei and Philippines continues, “We are honored to receive this regional recognition at the ACA for our AI-powered site analytics solution. Networks have become more complex and dynamic with data traffic increasing exponentially. As most of our activities move online, the current pandemic has also highlighted the importance of strong network performance to ensure seamless connectivity”.

Today, the ultimate goal of network operations is to ensure secure and always-on networks, as optimal user experiences has become the key differentiator for telco operators globally.

“We now need to transition from reactive to preemptive operations, to ‘predict and prevent’ instead of spending time to ‘find and fix’. With over 30 years of presence in the Philippines, our objective is to combine global and local expertise to enable network operations teams at the frontlines to be at the forefront of technology,” continues Martin,

According to Ericsson’s research, almost 50 percent of consumer network perception is based on personal experiences of the network, indicating the huge importance of network quality as the key to customer satisfaction.