u003cpu003eIn this changing world, Mauritius must be vigilant, resilient, flexible and be able to adapt to the business world of today but more so in tuning with the emerging world of tomorrow. It is imperative that we position Mauritius rightly in the global world. As such, we need to revisit the concept of u0026ldquo;Made in Mauritiusu0026rdquo; or the u0026ldquo;Mauritius Brandu0026rdquo;. It is an instance of positioning the Mauritius package as a holistic undertaking beyond the product or service on offer.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eIn the business world, we use the adage u0026ldquo;Think Local and Act Globalu0026rdquo;, but I think that we should now use the slogan u0026ldquo;Think and Actu0026nbsp;Globalu0026rdquo;. Therefore, it is more in line to u0026ldquo;think laterally, holistically and act in an integrated manneru0026rdquo;. We are truly part of one global world. Our success should occur irrespective of the size of the country or its physical location.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eWhat is true and workable today may be out of tune tomorrow. Indeed, today we foster the way that we will live out tomorrow: we belong to the future. One example is Intel who employs u0026ldquo;Futuristu0026rdquo; who looks at the world in the next 15 years at least. This is to focus on what to come rather than meet and drive customer expectations. The way ahead is to take the calculated risk. There are failures and successes in the process, but then we adjust continuously.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eWe must also learn from the world, such as Japan, China, India, Korea, etc. Culture and traditions are an important element. The Japanese used to say: u0026ldquo;We take the best of the world and make it our ownu0026rdquo;.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eIn defining the imperatives, below is a summary of the essentials as relevant to a paradigm shift.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003e1.u003c/strongu003eWe are in a global world, we must be part of it, find the best/optimal mix and our rightful place.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003e2.u003c/strongu003eThe concept of supply chain management (SCM) is where we streamline, minimise wastages, improve efficiencies along the chain both inside and outside. Now it is more an integrated/holistic approach that encompasses the concept of value chain. Given the reality of the global world, we enter the phase of u0026ldquo;Global value chainu0026rdquo;. Certainly the concept of Made in Mauritius is the past. It is the universal Mauritius Brand that should take the lead.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003e3.u003c/strongu003eTechnology and communication with social media have reshaped the world big time, the disparity of the big business and small business is meaningless. A small florist in Mauritius may link with a counterpart in another country, and deliver flowers locally from that foreign base. This puts us in good position and where size does not really matter anymore.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003e4.u003c/strongu003eIt may well be about ideas as the key and how we foster our thinking into action. This is how the like of Facebook, Google have revolutionised the world, and we can now transact business using the Facebook platform for instance. In this instance, education, training,u003cbr /u003e and critical thinking, creative problems solving, relationship, technology verse, etc. should prompt to rethink on our undertaking/approach to our education/training scheme in creating a learning environment that empo-wers people rather than the traditional directive teaching scheme.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003e5.u003c/strongu003eThe next phase of Mauritius is the service sector and a revised manufacturing structure more in alignment with the imperatives of the global world, i.e. beyond the manufacturing era. And this is where we can excel in the global given our diversity and ability to speak more than one language. To align with point 1 and 4 above, we may like to encourage our children to learn other languages such as Mandarin so that we can transact with China, for instance.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003e6.u003c/strongu003eThe imperative of the global enterprise supersedes the national phase by far, and seemingly it is about the transnational, and also to recognise the importance and opportunities that lie in the renationalisation of our activities within the global world. We can seek multiple opportunities on the African continent, and maybe the concept of Mauritius as a u0026ldquo;Service Hubu0026rdquo; of the region to tap into the global world/business in which change is the major constant.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu003cstrongu003e7. u003c/strongu003eTherefore, we need the flexibility to think, to adapt and to put things together in an integrated and holistic manner with value chain/lean sigma concept (the logistics). It is for us to recognise that u0026ldquo;Good people make good businessu0026rdquo;. The people dimension is the key success factor and also the most important anchor is leadership as the leverage of the whole.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eThis is a challenging time and an exciting world to live in. I wish that Mauritius is a valuable part of this world in a meaningful manner inu003cbr /u003e finding the right and best fit.u003c/pu003e
Mauritius and its future: revitalising its position in the global world
