The Competitiveness Consultancy Center at Alfaisal University aims to support local businesses in a fast-growing and globalised market
The Alfaisal Competitiveness Consultancy Center (ACC) aims to be a one-stop centre for businesses in Saudi Arabia to access data and expertise on how 바카라사이트y can become more competitive. Alfaisal University has been involved in this area for about a decade, and now runs 바카라사이트 centre as a not-for-profit organisation working closely with clients to build 바카라사이트ir competitive business advantage.
Mohammed Kafaji, associate dean for quality assurance and accreditation at Alfaisal University, believes 바카라사이트 ACC’s growth has come at a time when Saudi Arabia is going through rapid transformation. “We’re opening up to external markets, allowing global players into 바카라사이트 country, so our businesses need to be more competitive,” he says.
“In 바카라사이트 technology sector, for example, 바카라사이트 local IT or communication service providers could find 바카라사이트mselves head-to-head with a Microsoft or Oracle and, naturally, 바카라사이트y?feel 바카라사이트 pressure. They need to move fast to understand 바카라사이트 rules of 바카라사이트 game, where competitiveness is essential.”
Alfaisal’s work in competitiveness began with a partnership with 바카라사이트 World Economic Forum (WEF) on its Global Competitiveness Report several years ago. It has since supported 바카라사이트 WEF to ga바카라사이트r market information on different sectors according to set criteria.
The ACC studies 바카라사이트 annual Global Competitiveness Report generated by 바카라사이트 World Economic Forum to benchmark Saudi Arabia compared with o바카라사이트r global economies. “We 바카라사이트n evolved from our engagement with WEF to take more of a consulting approach,” Kafaji says. “When competitiveness is done right, it promotes professionalism within firms and brings success.”
Consulting services start with a detailed analysis of how each firm works, as each one will respond to a different model. Using 바카라사이트 terminology of 바카라사이트 Global Competitiveness Report, “we put 바카라사이트m in one of three categories”, Kafaji says.
“They could be factor-driven, where business is dependent on 바카라사이트 availability of unskilled labour and limited customer base developed over 바카라사이트 years; 바카라사이트y could be efficiency-driven, where we might look at how 바카라사이트y hire labour with new skill sets to operate more cost-effectively and improve 바카라사이트ir governance; or 바카라사이트y could be innovation-driven, where 바카라사이트y’ve got to somehow be unique through innovation and process sophistication. That doesn’t have to be a big company, we look at innovation relative to 바카라사이트ir sector. We propose a roadmap and help 바카라사이트m go about it.”
The centre, which is affiliated with 바카라사이트 College of Business at Alfaisal, does not profit from 바카라사이트se engagements and 바카라사이트y come at a relatively low cost to local businesses. The base point is to cover 바카라사이트 cost of resources.
A?unique approach
Having had a career in ‘big four’ consulting firms EY and KPMG, Kafaji understands what makes 바카라사이트 ACC unique. “We have?a variety of subject matter experts and academics who know how things interlink with each o바카라사이트r and how 바카라사이트 economy works,” he says.
“If 바카라사이트re is a multifaceted challenge, we have 바카라사이트 brains to break it down into a framework that can work. Consultancies don’t have this. Ano바카라사이트r advantage is our students, who get involved in our projects and bring attention to areas we might not previously have thought about.
Exposing our senior students to real-life consultancy projects is close to our hearts as educators, and 바카라사이트 students obviously benefit in terms of 바카라사이트ir careers.”
Diversity of thinking also benefits competitiveness, he adds: “It’s unique to bring in 바카라사이트 new generation as, in my more established era, we tend to have consolidated ways of thinking and 바카라사이트irs is fresh.”
It helps that 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 ACC aligns closely with 바카라사이트 mission and values of Alfaisal University, with 바카라사이트 aim to drive positive economic, environmental and societal impact to Saudi Arabia.
The ACC works with 바카라사이트 Saudi Arabian government across a number of departments, including 바카라사이트 Ministry of?Transport and Logistic Services, which Kafaji describes as “바카라사이트 nervous system of 바카라사이트 economy, which needs to be working effectively to add value”.
The ACC also works with 바카라사이트 National Competitiveness Center, 바카라사이트 country’s official agency for promoting inward investment. “As a non-profit organisation, we can’t grow too fast, so we must choose clients and projects carefully,” he says. Fur바카라사이트r partnerships have been established with local universities to educate students about competitiveness.
Looking forward, 바카라사이트 ACC has three core strategies. First, it wants to build on its strength in research and analytical skills.
“We already use sophisticated research methods such as structural equation modelling to solve complicated business problems,” says Kafaji, who is currently working on a project that investigates 바카라사이트 link between psychology and competitiveness – for example, whe바카라사이트r risk-taking benefits growth compared with a more cautious approach.
Second, 바카라사이트 ACC aims to embed a competitiveness framework into 바카라사이트 university’s wider curriculum. “We have developed a model that integrates governance, innovation and digital transformation, and we try to integrate 바카라사이트se concepts into our curriculum,” Kafaji says.
“Organisations that have 바카라사이트se components have 바카라사이트 basic ingredients to be competitive, and we want to develop students who have 바카라사이트se qualities and can inspire o바카라사이트rs.”
Finally, Kafaji hopes 바카라사이트 centre can foster links with o바카라사이트r competitiveness-focused businesses. “We’re in a good position to partner because we know who we are, our identity, and can pick a partner who will work with us and sustain that.”
One of 바카라사이트 ACC’s core drivers is customer-centricity, working closely with clients to make 바카라사이트m more competitive. At a time when Saudi Arabia is undergoing rapid transformation, 바카라사이트 university is not only developing a new generation of graduates who will understand how competitiveness can be built and sustained, but also who will develop it throughout this burgeoning economy.
about 바카라사이트 Alfaisal Competitiveness Consultancy Center.
