PLDT Inc and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications are promoting a culture of learning and innovation by upskilling employees and using internal platforms to streamline workflows. At the “Transform the World of Work at ACHIEVE: Manila” forum hosted by ServiceNow, PLDT and Smart Executives Joseph Sermonia and Kristine Hung discussed their adoption of low-code and no-code platforms, which have reduced costs, improved productivity, and increased employee engagement.
“Our strategy is simple: Modernize, transform and innovate. We want to modernize our legacy applications and align it with our org-wide cloud strategy. We want to transform our company culture into one that is more service-oriented. We also have to innovate–we have to continuously improve and transform great ideas into reality,” said Sermonia, a Platform Architect at PLDT.
Hung, Project Manager for PLDT and Smart’s Citizen Development Program, aims to empower non-technical employees to become change makers and build automations using no-code or low-code IT-governed platforms. This will free up IT personnel to handle complex deliverables and innovations. The program aims to bridge the gap between the growing demand for digital solutions and innovation with improved speed and agility, empowering anyone within the organization to deliver innovative ideas.
Launched in 2022, PLDT and Smart’s Citizen Developer program was overseen by the Group’s IT team and has produced more than 200 Citizen Developers, with over 100 automation ideas submitted.
Hung cited as an example the impact of the first applications built by Properties and Facilities Management (PFM) Citizen Developers. “With the first applications built 100% by PFM Citizen Developers, the team became more agile and able to process renewals and reports in a shorter amount of time, ahead of time and 100% compliant,” she said.
“This also enabled them to focus on the upkeep of PLDT and Smart’s site equipment and facilities, with their ad hoc activity of monitoring due dates and report consolidation already automated. Centralization of data repository has also provided management with a more cohesive and comprehensive nationwide view of real-time information, allowing them to forecast trends and future expenses,” she added.
Sermonia reported that the implementation of a unified IT service management platform by the Group has reduced email requests by 88%, doubled case resolution rates, and reduced ticket backlog by a third. These initiatives align with PLDT’s 2025 vision and strategy, which aims to strengthen its position as a premier workplace, provide exceptional customer experience, and establish operational excellence across the group, aligning with the company’s purpose to inspire innovation and meaningful connections.
