Improve productivity to become globally competitive, SMEs told

SMALL and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to improve their productivity in light of economic globalization to become competitive, a trade official said.

“As we enter the era of economic integration and globaliztion, we have no way to go but be productive, innovative, and com- petitive,” Maria Belenda Q. Ambi, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)Davao regional director, said in her message at the regional launch of the Productivity Olympics of the National Wages and Procuctivity Commission at the Grand Men Seng Hotel on Tuesday.

Ambi added SMEs should strive and push to become competitive in the market with the Asean Economic Community (AEC), Asia Pacific Economic Conference (Apec), Asean Free Trade Area

(Afta), and other similar international economic platforms or groupings.

She said for enterprises to be able to compete and sustain their place or improve their positioning in the market, has to continually aspire for enhanced productivity by streamlining business processing, improving labor productivity, adopting new technologies and techniques, and developing new designs and products and other measures.

“Without losing sight of optimizing resources and increasing gains without sacrificing quality and excellence,” Ambi said.

She said in the field of business not everyone will be winners but what will tilt the scales between winning and losing is productivity and innovation.

Meanwhile, she urged SMEs to participate in the upcoming 2015 Productivity Olympics for them to showcase their good practices and encourage other SMEs in the region.

The 2015 Productivity Olympics is a biennial national competition wherein SMEs with the best productivity improvement programs will be recognized.