Directorate of Community Services UGM hosted a focus group discussion on 'The Development and Service System Integration of Online-based Small, Medium, & Micro-sized Enterprises' on Wednesday (9/5) in Meeting Room I.
The discussion involved 40 participants from various government agencies and institutions managing SMMEs, BNI Bank, Mirota Kampus, representatives from Village-Owned Enterprises and villages in Yogyakarta, and entrepreneurs mentored by UGM. Meanwhile, there were also the Directorate of Business Development and Incubation, Directorate of Information Systems and Resources, and several lecturers of UGM.
Prof. Irfan Dwidya Prijambada, Director of Community Service Directorate, explained that UGM held the event as an implementation of Tridharma of Higher Education, that is community service. "The goal is for UGM to participate in creating the independence of SMMEs,” he said.
The Directorate has provided services, counseling, and assistance relating to challenges faced by SMMEs. These included the lack of innovation in developing product quality, lack of funding to support business sustainability, and limited access to traditional and online marketing.
“The Penta Helix collaboration is needed between academia, business, government, finance, and society to achieve the goals of the service,” stated Prof. Irfan.
Therefore, DPKM UGM developed Management Information Systems of Small, Medium, and Micro-sized Enterprises (SIMENUG). This system is a website and Android-based integrated service aimed for people engaged in SMMEs.
“SIMENUG is dedicated to assisting the development of SMMEs that partnered and affiliated with UGM in solving these challenges. It is UGM's commitment to carry out the principle of community service."
Irfan said that by using SIMENUG, entrepreneurs could improve their productivity and welfare because it would promote the establishment of networks and Penta Helix collaboration. Thus, the failure rate of SMMEs would decrease since its development and management roadmap have been prepared to compete with the global market.
In addition, with SIMENUG, entrepreneurs, farmers, and breeders from various regions could exchange information easily using their smartphones. It will increase their insight, knowledge, and skills in managing production process and business trading system.
According to Prof. Irfan, the initial target of developing SIMENUG is the database of all SMMEs under the guidance of UGM. It aims to allow entrepreneurs to transact with one another and promote domestic marketing and export markets.
He noted that SIMENUG was intended to answer the challenges of the Industry 4.0. “Specifically, it can also be one of the tools to realize ‘one stop service in developing SMMEs as dynamic and sustainable enterprises’ by UGM,” he concluded.