Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

Farrell Tan Founding Director "The Other Boss", but you better call him Farrell So apparently it’s my turn to share a bit about myself. Around the office, I’m often referred to as “the other boss.” And compared to the rest of the team, I’m definitely the more marcom person;  having cut my teeth in international agencies, mentored by some of the best in the business. Truth be told, I never pictured myself in this line of work. Never in a million years did I imagine co-owning an agency with a Kiwi (not the fruit, though some would argue otherwise!) - working with brands I admire and, in many cases, grew up with. Life’s funny that way. I grew up in a fairly utilitarian household in Melaka. My dad was a teacher, my mum a nurse, and like all good government servants, they preached the importance of education: tuition, extra-curriculars, the works. Luckily for us, there wasn’t much to distract us in small-town Melaka back then, other than tree-climbing, neighbourhood b...

Why do we need change? This exact question is what any company wrestles with. Change can be a difficult and inconvenient process. Especially so when the companies involved are large and have been following the same system for years. Change also does not guarantee success, another reason for the reluctance to embrace it. However, change is inevitable. The world is always moving forward and new innovations and ways of thinking are always taking an affect on the minds of people. Companies have to adapt to these changes by effecting change within themselves. Unfortunately, implementing change is not so easy as changing a policy or installing new technology. Companies have to regulate and explain to their staff how things are moving forward and to ensure everyone is onboard with the change. Without proper management and transparency, sudden changes can result in a drop in efficiency. Kris Hackney of the Canadian Underwriter lays out some interesting ideas about why change...

Business School 101 & Understanding Your Business Landscape For the last six months or so, I’ve been following the progress of this particular business. Earlier in the year, they narrowly averted a small “issue” from turning into a crisis, and I started to watch how they were handling it. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. Opportunity by opportunity was slipping away for them to not only share their values, but to dig themselves out of an issue which was fast becoming more serious than it appeared. Who, if anyone, was doing their PR? I considered approaching them, offering them counsel. I saw an opportunity. I started to connect to their management. But something held me back. Call it gut instinct, or call it intelligence. But it held me back. And in the end, I was right. Or at least, I was glad. I guess now, I understand why! On the surface it looked an amazing concept. A fantastic public utility, at a great price (well, I thought so at least), and an opportunity to g...