UOB Thailand and OSMEP Collaboration to ramp up SMEs’ digital transformation journey

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Bangkok, 9 August 2021 — UOB Thailand has collaborated with the Office of SMEs Promotion (OSMEP) and digital solution providers to assist SMEs in implementing digital solutions in response to the urge of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) to digitalise their businesses. Through an unboxing tech session held alongside Smart Business Transformation Programme (SBTP), SMEs will be able to discover new market opportunities with free trials of digital solutions for up to 4 months.

The unboxing tech session, which is open to all SMEs, seeks to sign up 1,000 people for free trials of digital solutions including Microsoft’s Smart Point of Sale (POS); Kollective, an integrated influencer marketing optimizer; and Zaviago, a website platform service. SMEs will be able to identify the suitable digital solutions to help optimize their company processes, enhance their brand, and grow their customer base by implementing these digital solutions.

Digital transformation has proven to be crucial for SMEs in difficult times. Thailand’s SMEs have expressed an interest in using technology to improve their business processes. According to an OSMEP survey of 2,746 SMEs across 21 business sectors in Thailand, SMEs generally seek to use technology to improve their business processes, with 84.8 per cent planning to do so in the immediate future. However, 61.4 per cent of Thai SMEs still lack online selling channels with 64.1 per cent lacking and online order fulfilment and 20.7 per cent requiring an online transaction system.

Ms Sirinun Jiradilok, Head of Digital Engagement and FinTech Innovation, UOB Thailand, said, “We recognise the importance of digital transformation in keeping SMEs viable while also offering them a plethora of new opportunities. These benefits were attained by SMEs who proactively utilised digital tools despite a challenging economic climate, based on our Smart Business Transformation Programme findings. By collaborating with OSMEP and digital solutions providers such as Microsoft, Zaviago, and Kollective, we want to help Thai SMEs quickly adopt digital solutions to tackle traditional business models and advance their digital transformation journey”.

Mr. Veerapong Malai, Director-General of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), said, “SMEs accounted for 34.2% of Thailand’s GDP. They are critical to Thailand’s economic future especially in the current atmosphere, where the COVID-19 pandemic is compelling SMEs to adapt and digitalise their businesses. There is a strong demand for targeted, actionable, and simply deployable digital adoption by SMEs. At OSMEP, we develop policies that assist small businesses in leveraging technology to expand their operations, increase productivity, and collaborate closely with like-minded partners. We are excited about this collaboration with UOB Thailand to spur SMEs growth in Thailand.”

Mr. Pakdee Aunyakamol, Deputy Managing Director, Small Medium and Corporate, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited, said, “We have extensive experience working with SMEs. Our work has helped many organisations use technology to solve obstacles in the present crisis. We would like to extend our gratitude to UOB Thailand and OSMEP for the opportunity to participate in this collaboration. SMEs have numerous challenges, which we have addressed with our colleagues at Microsoft, resulting in solutions such as Microsoft Smart POS, a cloud-based point of sale program that works in as a cloud service.

Smart POS is significantly more affordable than traditional point-of-sale systems, starting at just 150 baht per month, while still meeting business needs – from sales reporting in Excel format and complete transaction details to e-commerce website development and marketing tools for micro-influencers. This is just one of the numerous solutions Microsoft and our partners have to offer. We hope that as we move forward together, our technology will support businesses in establishing and maintaining sustainable momentum”

Individuals interested in participating in the online unboxing session can register at https://bit.ly/2VmJYqj by August 30, 2021, and in the SBTP at www.thefinlab.com/Thailand to learn more about how to digitally transform their businesses.

Online programme

Start Smart Programme

Designed for business owners to enhance their digital capabilities through practical learning, this programme takes businesses to the next level.

Online programme

Start Smart Programme

Designed for business owners to enhance their digital capabilities through practical learning, this programme takes businesses to the next level.