PT Bukit Asam Tbk : The Future Is Now

19-Aug-2021 The Future Is Now

Bukit Asam held the Bukit Asam Virtual Town Hall event. Carrying the title 'The Future is Now', held on July 19, 2021, was a special event. 'This is the first town hall meeting. The title kicks in straight away, bukan kaleng-kaleng,' said Dwi Fatan Lilyana, Director of Human Resources at Bukit Asam, who is familiar with her nickname, Lily. Bukan kaleng-kaleng is an Indonesian slank to say that the event is entirely significant.

The event is indeed the first town hall meeting for Bukit Asam. It is a forum for direct interaction between the Board of Directors and all employees to build a more robust culture of communication and transparency. The hope, with open and direct contact regularly, all employees will be able to better understand the company's purpose and policy direction and determine the role of what they can do to support the company's plans.

Considering the Covid-19 pandemic circumstance, this event was be held virtually. Yet, the plan is that the 'open up' event involving all Bukit Asam employees will be held regularly. At least, every quarter.

As the title suggests, The Future is Now; there is an important announcement. Bukit Asam transforms. The company, which previously only focused on coal mining, has become an energy and chemical company. Management has designated 2026 as the first stop. 'This means that the company's revenue will be 50% from the mining business and 50% from the energy business,' said Suryo Eko Hadianto, President Director of Bukit Asam.

Of course, the change in business orientation did not happen immediately. Environmental issues worldwide are urging activities that cause carbon emissions to be reduced, not to say it will last. In this condition, the use of fossil energy is no longer a healthy choice in business. Nevertheless, the show must go on. Bukit Asam must live continuously, must be sustained in any condition and position. 'To move forward, we always need the first step,' Suryo Eko said.

In a conversation with the editor of BeyondCoal Magazine, Lily told that all companies have a lifespan. 'Let's look at a study conducted by McKinsey & Company, an American business consulting firm that was founded in 1926,' she said. 'McKinsey found that the average age of companies listed on the Standard & Poor's 500 was 61 years on average in 1958. Nowadays, companies live only about 18 years,' she added. 'McKinsey even believes that by 2027, 75% of the companies listed on the Standard & Poor's 500 will disappear. Those companies will be acquired, merged, or bankrupt like Kodak, General Motors, Compaq.'

Just for information, the McKinsey consulting company was appointed by the Indonesian government to prepare a master plan for moving the country's capital to East Kalimantan.

Furthermore, Lily said, if we calculate the start of Bukit Asam from its establishment on March 2, 1981, Bukit Asam's age is now 41 years old. It is far from the average age that McKinsey mentioned earlier, which is only 18 years. 'But we can't be careless. We have to study. The Mckinsey study can be one of our references,' she said.

Indeed, business transformation usually led to some ambiguity for employees, primarily if associated with competency requirements. It is very likely the new industry requires employees with new capabilities. 'Don't be afraid to change. Transformation is a common thing. The world today is changing very fast. Of course, we have to be able to keep up with those changes to exist,' Lily explained.

In this regard, 'The future is now. We can't wait or be nonchalant,' said Lily. 'That's the first important point from me,' she said. 'Now is the time to transform.'

As a second point, Lily said that the use of digital technology is a must. 'When Information Technology and Human Resources meet, companies will be able to make better, faster, and more accurate decisions,' she explained.

The third point is human capability. 'Bukit Asam's homework is currently extensive; no longer just fulfilling individual needs, but also directing and developing company capabilities under the demands of the times,' she said. 'For this reason, fulfilling the capabilities of all employees is very important, which is in line with the current and future needs of the company.'

On the fourth point, Lily argues that the Work Unit of the Human Resources Department (HRD) must direct initiatives that can accelerate the pace of business growth. 'Work Unit of HRD must transform. Work Unit of HRD is not enough to merely restructure the organization, but it must first transform itself and has the right and competent people,' she said.

As the fifth point, Lily said all employees must prepare themselves. 'Keep learning, reading books, watching quality documentaries,' she said. 'Improve personal capabilities as an effort to be the best. Make a difference. Dare to be different,' she said.

Lily believes that Bukit Asam employees are capable of this transformation. 'Look at, for example, in the first quarter. We only reached about 80% of the production target due to various natural obstacles such as rain. It means that many shortcomings must carry out to meet the Semester I target. Nevertheless, alhamdulillah, thanks to our hard work and enthusiasm. We managed to achieve the Semester I target of 101%,' she said.

'This is an extraordinary achievement. It shows that Bukit Asam employees have done what is called agile, going extra mile and accountable,' Lily praised the achievements of Bukit Asam employees.