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Supporting Philippine MSMEs with Digital Solutions

The vast majority of businesses in the Philippines are classified as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). While many people are still trying to find their place in the large market, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have made things more difficult for them. Brick-and-mortar stores are particularly hard hit, as they must now take their operations online to stay afloat.

Going digital and the complexities that come with it are one more problem that many MSMEs do not need. Particularly when they have other aspects of the business to focus on to gain market access and grow, such as funding, production, supply sourcing, and skill training. The Philippine telecommunications provider understands MSMEs’ needs and encourages them to invest in ICT solutions capable of meeting the digital demands of the next normal.

Businesses that fail to stay current risk falling behind and being overshadowed by more aggressive competitors who pay attention to their target market and capitalise on emerging trends, primarily using digital platforms. The telecommunication provider says these include:

  • Live selling or vending of products using the live feature of social media apps
  • Story ads or video marketing usually creates a relevant storyboard to capture the audience, and
  • Influencer marketing

Studies show that video marketing is one of the most important marketing trends today and is expected to remain so for the next 5 to 10 years. Survey results from the research also show that among Filipino respondents, 93% said they highly consider convenience alongside price when deciding what to purchase online; 87% said they are willing to spend more for ease of access to products or services, and 90% said mobile payments should be widely available.

The telecommunications provider is prepared to provide MSMEs in retail, manufacturing, and logistics with cutting-edge ICT by enlisting the assistance of several of its most valuable business partners: a logistics firm that specialises in parcel collection and door-to-door delivery, one of the country’s leading e-commerce platforms, and another firm that assists businesses in exporting to new and exciting markets followed by a one-stop online shop for everything fashionable.

OpenGov Asia reported that COVID- 19 shutdowns have greased the digital runway, and as some new virtual habits take hold, the shift to a more digital world for those who can afford its tools and experiences will become more pronounced. This evolution will further divide customers into those with digital resources or aptitude and those who do not. MSMEs’ innovation and digital transformation are critical to their growth and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

Furthermore, the telecommunications provider is also prepared to assist MSMEs in gaining the necessary skills, knowledge, and perspective to help their businesses grow. As part of this campaign, the company launched a three-part web event series to provide MSMEs with more business insights and knowledge.

The guests who were featured in the web event series shared real-world challenges and how ICT and digital solutions will be invaluable tools in facilitating business operations. One of them highlighted how digital solutions play an important role in advancing one’s business and said, “the best time to be online was yesterday, the second-best time is today.” She acknowledges that businesses, as a community, can contribute to the economy’s growth. More than any other sector, she believes that entrepreneurs and MSMEs will propel the country forward.

Although the new normal brings new challenges, she also believes that these defining moments can also bring new opportunities. She explains that the first barrier to overcome is for MSMEs to recognise that technology adoption is more of a long-term investment with long-term benefits. The telecommunications company, as their staunchest ally, is ready and able to provide MSMEs with digital information, connectivity, and made-for-business solutions that enable market penetration, base expansion, and rapid growth, allowing these entrepreneurs to own their future success today.

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

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