Strategically located in the heart of Arab Street, The Landmark, has been patronized by many tourists and locals alike since its inception in 2013. The restaurant is situated in Village Hotel Bugis, which was opened in 1988. The Landmark is often touted for its unparalleled views of the Malay cultural precinct, Kampong Glam. It is loved by both hotel guests and diners who are looking for an eclectic array of palettes from across the region. With its centralised location, it is also a popular dining spot for social events and corporate functions.
Ali Abbas, Group CEO of The Landmark approached SME Centre @SMCCI with a desire to enhance their branding and push for a higher global recognition in the service industry. Ali was referred to our Business Advisor, Qamarul Daud, in March, who then introduced the Business Excellence (BE) initiative.
“When Ali first shared his business aspirations of wanting to push for the restaurant’s industry recognition and expand their clientele to appeal to more corporate and government agencies, I proposed for them to apply for the BE Certification with Service Niche. It is vital for The Landmark to be BE certified to enhance credibility with its clients and partners and also be on par with other major hotel restaurants,” shared Qamarul.
Industry Recognition and Service Capability Enhancement
Through seven categories in the BE framework – Leadership, Customers, Strategy, People, Processes, Knowledge and Results – The Landmark was able to align its strategies and goals with their overall business objectives. The assessment also allowed them to validate their business performance, identify their strengths and work on areas of improvements, contributing to better performance indicators. Additionally, the BE certification also serves as a trust mark for its clients and suppliers.
“We want to benchmark our restaurant with key industry competitors and the BE certification will definitely open new opportunities for us. Connecting with Qamarul proved to be highly beneficial as he was able to guide us through the Capability Development Grant (CDG) and BE certification process,” revealed Ali.
With the CDC grant, Ali was able to defray up to 70% of the total project cost in areas of manpower, consultancy fee and assessment fee.
“With BE certification, it places us on a similar level playing field as our competitors and improves our credibility and branding with external stakeholders. We are also able to deepen our service capabilities, leading to significant business growth,” explained Ali.