Data analytics has been identified as one of the key skills Singapore’s workforce needs to stay relevant and future-ready.

It is already playing a crucial role in Singapore’s defence, and has been doing so for some time – even helping Mindef gain the upper hand over a suspected ISIS supporter. 

Ms Ang Weien Anger, a data scientist in Mindef’s Data Science Department (DSD) recalled one instance of how data helped keep Singapore safe a few years ago. 

“In 2015, my previous unit, the NMSG (National Maritime Sense-Making Group) detected a possible ISIS supporter on board a tanker using artificial intelligence and data analytics collected from multiple sources, and that person was barred from disembarking in Singapore.” 

As a Defence Executive Officer (DXO), Ms Ang and others like her are non-uniformed defence professionals who work closely with their colleagues in the military to contribute to Singapore’s security and stability.

ANALYTICS AMBASSADOR

Working in a field as innovative – and potentially disruptive – as data science means putting in a lot of effort to keep abreast of developments in the field.

Ms Ang and her fellow data scientists organise fortnightly sessions to share new and interesting ideas.

“Attending data science seminars and workshops organised by the Singapore Data Science Consortium and AI Singapore as well as industry conferences also keeps us updated of advancements in technology and new data science techniques.”

As not everyone may be familiar with how data can help them, Ms Ang also acts like an ambassador for data analytics within Mindef.

“To get others onboard with the concept of data science, we provide proof-of-concepts to prove that the idea conceptually works,” she said.

“Users will usually tell us their desired outcomes from the data they have. Upon studying the data, we will analyse the feasibility of their desired outcomes and suggest the things we can provide.”

Ms Ang, 27, graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences (Statistics) in 2014, and became a data analyst at NMSG, which is part of the Singapore Maritime Crisis Centre.  

She then studied for her Master of Science in Business Analytics at the National University of Singapore in 2017 and returned to join Mindef as a data scientist.

DXOs are also able to experience different portfolios by initiating their job rotations. After serving at least two years in their current portfolios, they are able to apply to other positions, within either the same or different job families.

Ms Ang is currently working on building a knowledge database for a defence domain.

She said: “I employ Natural Language Processing techniques to mine crucial information from text documents. This allows the analysts to easily extract relevant information on any topic of interest. It supports policy-making and aims to improve the analysts’ productivity.”

MODELLING OF A DIFFERENT KIND

Think number crunching and defence aren’t related? Ms Saranya Arumugam, an analyst in the Joint Plans and Transformation Department (JPTD), begs to differ.

Helping decision-makers make sense of the dollars and cents behind a defence procurement programme is all in a day’s work for Ms Arumugam.

One of her projects required her to build dashboards to provide an overview of the organisation’s expenditure.  She said: “The project gave me the opportunities to learn the structure of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) quickly and to interact with the various Services to get more information on how expenditure is accounted for.”

According to Ms Arumugam, being aware of the recurrent costs over a platform’s lifespan helps ensure that the SAF gets the most bang for its buck.

The 25-year-old, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Manchester in 2016, was referred to her current role in JPTD as she had the relevant competencies.

As a JPTD analyst, Ms Arumugam provides operational research (OR) analysis, performs project management for detailed OR studies, and offers data analytics solutions.

As data analytics can be unfamiliar to users, she faces the challenge of eliciting the “right type of business question” from them.

“We hold discussions with users before arriving at the final business problem, which often can be very different from the initial business question posed,” she said.

She finds satisfaction in working on long-term projects. “Most masterplans are long-term. My role is challenging and rewarding, as we are shaping the future of the defence landscape.”

Having timely data means that the decisions related to the various masterplans can be made with greater accuracy and confidence. Accurate data also means that these decisions are likely to be more cost-effective and sustainable.

Said Ms Arumugam: “For instance, a human resources masterplan will need the most up-to-date birth rate, citizen conversion rate, death rates and renunciation rates to ensure that the other defence masterplans can be supported with the projected manpower that will be available in the future.”

Discover a different line of defence as a DXO. Visit the DXO website to find out more about the job opportunities available in data analytics and other areas.