MANY micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippines prefer more straightforward or do-it-yourself (DIY) technology solutions that enable them to address pain points in their digital transformation journeys quickly, Globe Business said.
When it comes to digital solutions, MSMEs want to see an immediate impact on their business, KD D. Dizon, head of MSME Group at Globe Business, told BusinessWorld in a recent interview.
“We want to make sure that these are really DIY solutions. It’s not that they need a complex IT department to be able to execute them,” she added.
Data from the Department of Trade and Industry show MSMEs comprise 99.5% of all businesses in the country, generating 62.66% of the country’s employment in 2020.
“The main thing that they want to able to do is actually get new customers, retain their customers, and win back the customers they’ve lost due to the pandemic,” Ms. Dizon said.
“So, we really try to help them improve their sales and interact with their customers because we need to help them bounce back,” she added.
She said many MSMEs continue to struggle financially due to the public health crisis.
A bill recently filed at the Senate seeks to provide additional support for MSMEs, including interest-free loans from state-owned banks and an emergency fund for disaster recovery.
Senator Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, author of Senate Bill 138 or the MSME Stimulus Act, said the proposed law is intended to boost and popularize local products in domestic and international markets.
The measure will create the MSME Growth Stimulus Program to extend assistance, strengthen, and facilitate the growth and development of MSMEs to create and sustain jobs across the regions.
INFRASTRUCTUREMSMEs need communications infrastructure to “embrace digital transformation, which is crucial for MSMEs to grow,” Ms. Dizon said.
“That’s something we want to be able to support them with so that it’s not going to be an overwhelming experience for them.”
Among Globe Business’ digital offerings are business-grade connectivity plans from GPlan Biz and GFiber Biz.
GPlan Biz is one of Globe’s connectivity plans intended for MSMEs.
“Aside from its basic mobile connectivity features, [GPlan Biz] allows users to use GCash for business to purchase digital solutions or pay suppliers conveniently, among others,” Globe Business said in a statement.
“Subscribers can enjoy unlimited 5G network for six months as well as unlimited text and call to all mobile networks and landlines nationwide,” it added.
Meanwhile, GFiber Biz Plus is a business-grade broadband plan that promises seamless online activity for MSMEs.
“It also comes with two pieces of Wi-Fi mesh that help strengthen internet coverage in different parts of an establishment, and unlimited calls to all mobile networks and landlines nationwide, allowing entrepreneurs to be worry-free of top-up call charges,” Globe Business said.
Vehicle Tracker is another digital solution that allows MSMEs to manage their fleet and ensure safe delivery with a real-time monitoring feature.
Globe Business has also introduced Cloud Payroll, which automates employee records and fast-tracks payroll processing, as well as ChatGenie, which lets MSMEs manage their transactions across different channels on one platform. — Arjay L. Balinbin
