The Center for Management and Business Studies (LMFEB) FEB Universitas Padjadjaran through the Kedaireka Matching Fund program developed the digitization of MSMEs in collaboration with industrial partners, namely PT Solusi Work Virtual which developed Room 1010. The Matching Fund itself is a tangible form of support from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemdikbudristek) of the Republic of Indonesia for the creation of collaboration and strategic synergy between Higher Education Personnel (college institutions) and the Industry.
On the sidelines of the Kedaireka MSME digitalization training activities throughout West Java in Bandung City, Yudi Ahmad Faisal, chairman of LMFEB Unpad said that the platform developed provides a virtual workspace for MSMEs. This platform includes profile rooms, product galleries, meeting rooms, filing systems, and social media that can help MSMEs to rise after the COVID-19 pandemic, and is equipped with financial reporting applications, and will add tax report features and certification arrangements to help SMEs. promoted to next grade. Through qualified financial administration, it is hoped that MSMEs using this platform can administer their finances more orderly and their tax obligations more effectively and efficiently.
The collaboration between LMFEB UNPAD and Ruang 1010 includes 3 activities, namely: (i) model development; (ii) training on the use of the platform; and (iii) technical assistance and assistance. This activity involved 19 lecturers, 45 students from various study programs within FEB Unpad, DUDI partners, and 50 MSME participants from various regions in West Java. The implementation of the model will be developed for MSMEs from various districts and cities in West Java through capacity building in the form of training on the use of digital platforms and learning experience or mentoring.
The involvement of students in the Kedaireka program is a form of practical experience to explore real cases faced by the community, especially MSMEs. These students explored practical issues around financial management and digitizing MSMEs for several weeks in a hybrid way, namely offline in the field and online. After that, they helped the process of transforming the financial digitalization of MSMEs through the migration of MSME transactions into the financial report features that had been developed.
Sofwandi Noor, Director of PT Solusi Work Virtual, said that collaboration with Unpad is a form of symbiotic mutualism where Unpad’s expertise in developing financial systems and MSME management can help enrich the features of the digital workspace platform that has been developed by Ruang1010. Noor added that the digitization of MSMEs requires a process related to MSME transformation capabilities in understanding the digital mindset so that the natural awareness of digitization becomes an accelerator factor for the digitization process.
Ahmad Taufik, the idea creator team of PT Solusi Work Virtual, added that digital transformation will bring a new culture to MSMEs. MSMEs as economic protectors Most Indonesians are starting to move from the conventional way of moving to digital platforms. The development of digitalization is increasingly accelerating since the pandemic that has limited social mobility has made technology a shining light to be able to maintain the economic cycle of MSMEs.
Dian Masyita, as the head of the research team from Unpad, emphasized that the collaboration between the campus world and the industrial world is expected to help several indicators of university performance achievement including: (i) Students gain off-campus experience; (ii) Lecturers have activities outside the campus; (iii) Practitioners teach on campus; (iv) Lecturers’ work is useful for the community and is internationally recognized; (v) Campus study programs in collaboration with world-class partners; and (vi) Classes are collaborative and participatory.