Improve online service

I wish to quote this real life example for government agencies to improve their online service. Although this case involves the CPF board, the same type of situation occurs with other big organisations.

I wanted to top up the special account for my wife. I had to go through the spider-web of the CPF board. I finally managed to submit an online application.

I did not receive any news for 1 week. I did not know if anyone is responding to my application and how I would be informed. I sent a follow up enquiry. I managed to get an approval a few days later. I send the top up amount by cheque to CPF board.

I received a communication that my cheque was received after the expiry of the approval. They gave me only 5 days to respond. I had to submit a new application.

Surely the CPF board knows that it would take a few days for a person to prepare and mail the cheque and for their big organisation to open the letter? Five days is far too short. Even if the approval has expired, there has been no change to the application, and there is no need to ask the member to submit a new application - which is a lot of hassle to go through their spider web.

Perhaps the CPF board is not aware that their members have many other things to attend to, and that the cannot spend a lot of time to meet their bureaucratic and unreasonable process.

I find the CPF board to be quite helpful and responsive on many matters, so this is an exception. Furthermore, this type of inconsiderate approach is quite applicable in many large organisations (and is not confined only to CPF). We need a process in Singapore for the people who designs websites and online applications to be more responsive to feedback and to make things simple for the public.

Tan Kin Lian