Workshop on Value Chain Approach & BDS Market

We recently participated in a workshop entitled Accessing Markets Through the Value Chain Approach and Creating A Functioning Market for Business Development Services (BDS).

The Value Chain Approach aims to open global markets for SMEs. This necessitates a systematic analysis of the various functions along the value chain of priority subsector. A value-chain is an institutional arrangement linking and coordinating producers, processors, traders and distributors of a particular product. It is an economic model which combines the selection of a product and the appropriate technology with a particular way of organizing the actors in order to access the market.

Business Development Services are non-financial services that improve the performance of enterprises, their access to markets and their ability to compete. Effective and responsive BDS are considered as means to achieve higher productivity and efficiency of SMEs.

In the traditional Philippine model for business development, government implements tasks which can be done by BDS providers in the private sector. This workshop was meant to wean government away from doing the BDS tasks such as trade fair organization and market / product development. Hoepfully, in the end, governemnt will concentrate instead on matching BDS providers with SMEs.

What did I find memorable in that workshop ? the LUNCH BUFFET at Parklane Hotel !!

Kidding aside, the workshop was an eye opener and very useful for the office staff. However, I just love so much the hotel's lunch buffet. Maybe I should go back there during my free time.