Interview with CEO of viAct

SelectedFirms in an Exclusive Interview with Gary Ng, CEO of viAct

 

1.  Tell us a little bit about your company and how viAct got started on this journey.

 

viAct is Asia’s top Sustainability-focused AI company that provides “Scenario-based Vision Intelligence” solutions for risk-prone workplaces including construction, oil & gas, manufacturing, facility management, and mining industries to build smart cities & nations. This vision of making a substantially safer and secure work environment especially in industries which pose a high-risk environment has motivated viAct to consistently develop & deploy a total of 100+ pre-built AI modules. Since its inception 2016, these modules are successfully implemented across the in Government, Public & Private Sectors leading to the transformation of its vision into real life actions. The highlight of this application is the reduction in accidents which correlates with the optimization of compensation costs and environmental compliance.

 

It all began in 2016 when myself, Gary Ng (CEO) and my co-founder – Hugo Cheuk (COO) while working as building engineers ourselves in the construction industry realized the need to make it more secure and sustainable. As it is one of the oldest industries in the world and shelter being one of the main essentialities of humankind, changes in safety measures can only take the industry further. However, it is noteworthy that in the last 25 years, the increase in productivity in this sector has been marked as low as 0%. On the contrary, project delays have risen as high as 98% due to various fatal accidents occurring as a result of non-compliance and negligence towards workforce safety. The reported rise of injury costs associated with a construction workforce of up to 1 million USD per fatal injury justifies the hazardous nature of this business. These facts moved both of us and led us into beginning with our R&D on AI to prevent the root cause of these issues. Later when we saw similar issues in other industries, the simultaneous extension of our AI solution to other sectors began.

 

2. How do you lead viAct as CEO, and what do you expect from your team?

 

Being the CEO of viAct, I believe in going ahead with innovative tools that can increase collaboration and our AI solutions constantly work towards achieving it across the industries like for construction, oil & gas, manufacturing, facility management, and mining industries. I expect my team to be motivated towards this vision while being dedicated, creative, and customer-centric when developing and delivering the solutions. The main motto will always be enhancing safety, productivity, and efficiency across all sectors we serve.

 

3. What is the greatest achievement of viAct so far?

 

We are proud of all our recognition but here are some of the major accolades of viAct till date

 

• Technology Pioneer 2023 by World Economic Forum
• Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2022
• Impact Measurement Certificate awarded by Google Startups for Sustainability Development (2023)
• Leading PropTech 50 (China Region) by KPMG
• Winner of Impact Award at CapitaLand’s Sustainability X Challenge, Singapore
• Deloitte Technology Fast Company 2023 (Hong Kong)
• Winner of Startup Wheel 2023 - International Track, Vietnam
• Merit of APICTA Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance Awards - Industrial Engineering & Construction/Transportation
• Audience Award of MakiChalle 2023 by Makinohara-City, Japan
• Selected by IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator 2023
• Selected by Dubai Future Accelerators 2023 by Dubai Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DCAI)
• Selected by Innovation Accelerator Program, Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund, Dubai
• Selected by The Garage incubator, Saudi Arabia
• Top AI Application in Construction by Autodesk

 

4. What approach does viAct follow to keep up with ever changing software development trends?

 

At viAct, we realise the dynamic world of software development and stay along with the trends through our innovative practices. The culture of learning prevails in our organisation where investing in research and development using the latest of technologies is prime. We have integrated the latest technologies like Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI to make our scenario-based AI solutions capable of predictive capabilities, automating complex tasks, and improving decision-making processes. Also, there are continuous collaboration with experts from the industries we are serving like construction, oil & gas, manufacturing, facility management, and mining industries, attending key conferences, and engaging in strategic partnerships keep us informed of emerging trends. The feedback mechanism is very strong in viAct where we try to seek the clients point of view and inculcate it in the future.

 

5. What gives  viAct  an edge over its rest of the competitors in the industry?

 

viAct is better than the competitors due to the following USPs:

 

• Leading AI company using AI & IoT with highest number of data sets
•  95% + of accuracy in AI 
•  World’s first scenario-based AI algorithms
• 100+ AI Modules Marketplace, Repeatable & Plug & Play
• 10x faster than peers in deployment with the auto-AI pipeline
• Unique algorithm-based edge computing hub

 

6. What are the key factors that viAct considers for a successful construction management software development strategy that aligns well with the client's objective?

 

At viAct, we focus on the key factors for developing a successful construction management software such as fulfilling the objectives of the client, constantly integrating the latest technologies applicable like AI and machine learning and all this while having a user-friendly design. We are committed to deliver our clients with innovative solution and seek continuous feedback to be able to adhere to the industry standards. We attempt to follow a client-centric approach that ensures our software enhances being able to meet their efficiency, safety, and productivity requirements.

 

7. How do you see future technologies driving growth and innovation in the field of e-commerce in the coming years?

 

The future technologies will be highly based on AI, machine learning, blockchain, and quantum computing. It is due to the potential they hold in driving growth and innovation in the software industry by enhancing automation, improving data security, and enabling real-time analytics. These advancements will help in generating smarter, more efficient solutions that will be a part of the revolution across various sectors.

 

8. Given the recent buzz surrounding the term “ChatGPT" what are your thoughts?

 

The growth of ChatGPT among the masses accurately highlights the transformative potential that AI in natural language processing holds. It showed a leap in human-computer interaction that made the role of technology more intuitive. As it continues to evolve, I belive ChatGPT will drive innovation across industries. It will highly help in enhancing customer service, automating complex tasks, and providing personalized user experiences. The technical generative AI behind ChatGPT will evolve real-time monitoring by enabling more accurate, context-aware responses and predictive insights. This advancement will make the process real-time decision-making based on complex analysis easier and more accurate.

 

9. According to you, what are the most important factors in ensuring maximum client satisfaction?

 

Client satisfaction factors in this technological era in the construction technology market as well is based on the factors of providing high-quality, reliable solutions with excellent customer support. The advanced technology aspect brings the additional requirements of the solution being transparent in communication throughout the project, and ensuring data privacy. In addition to that, understanding and meeting the specific client needs, offering innovative solutions, and ensuring timely delivery are also crucial for client satisfaction.

 

10. You’ve been in this sphere for a long time, what is the final piece of advice you would like to give all entrepreneurs out there?

 

My final piece of advice for entrepreneurs is to stay adaptable and resilient in the face of challenges. It is important to embrace change and involve in continuous innovations. But the priority must always lie in customer satisfaction. Build a strong team, communicate effectively with all stakeholders, and never stop learning. Success often comes from perseverance and the ability to evolve with the ever-changing business surroundings.