Businesspeople urged to improve networking skills

Businesspeople urged to improve networking skills

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian businesses are too focused on the
development of products and technology when they should be
improving their networking and organization skills.

"Our businessmen have not yet seen business as an integrated
process. They very often forget the other factors of improving
competitiveness, such as the development of their organizations
and networking," said Prabowo, an economics researcher for the
United Nations.

Speaking at a seminar yesterday on the Indonesian economy
prior to the 21st century, Prabowo reminded businesspeople that
making good products is not enough to get a competitive edge.

The seminar was organized by the Jakarta chapter of the
Indonesian Association of Economists in cooperation with the
state-owned pawn firm Perum Pegadaian,

"Very often good networking is the key factor to winning
competition," he said, adding that networking, including the
development of trading houses, will help businesses gain access
to the world market.

He compared the business process to a soccer game. Having good
players is useless if they are not well organized and do not play
according to a well-designed strategy.

He underlined that competitiveness is also determined by a
business organization's ability to adapt quickly to new threats
and opportunities.

"A learning and adaptive organization is very important and
crucial," he said, adding that market intelligence should be
pursued while products are being developed.

He said that market development requires the continuous and
coordinated efforts of all businesses and government officials.
"This is something that has not been seriously addressed here.
Look at other countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
They are very serious in market development," he said.

Thailand, he said, conducts a competitiveness audit every year
to find out its strengths and weaknesses in marketing its
products on local and international markets.

In Singapore, companies can rely on help from the Development
Board of Singapore -- a one-stop export and import service agency
-- to sell their products. "Using the board's service, business
transactions can be made in five minutes without many complicated
documents," he said.

Indonesia, he said, should have a comprehensive strategy in
improving its competitiveness, which many now see as
deteriorating.

Suharsono Sagir, an economist at the Bandung-based University
of Pajajaran, said at a seminar in Bandung Wednesday that
Indonesia's competitiveness this year has already deteriorated.

According to a study done by the World Economic Forum, which
surveyed 48 countries, Indonesia's competitiveness dropped this
year to last place, down from 33rd last year.

At the "Developing Countries in the Global Economy,
Perspective for Indonesia" seminar, he said that the country was
becoming less competitive due to the poor quality of its human
resources and management.

"We can only win global competition if we develop a
competitive society," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Yesterday's seminar, which was officially opened by Director
General of Taxes Fuad Bawazier, was also addressed by Mangara
Tambunan, the managing director of the Center for Economic and
Social Studies; Anwar Nasution, a noted economist of the
University of Indonesia; and Felia Salim, a director of the
Jakarta Stock Exchange. (13)