UBSI Tasikmalaya Lecturers Boost MSME Competitiveness Through Digitalisation

TASIKMALAYA – The Community Partnership Programme (PKM) team from Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika (UBSI) Tasikmalaya campus has completed a series of Community Service Grant activities under the Community Partnership Scheme for the 2026 fiscal year, funded by BIMA under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek).

The programme, running from May to August 2026, focused on strengthening the competitiveness of the MSME Rima Craft through business digitalisation and product innovation.

Rima Craft is a Tasikmalaya-based MSME that produces a range of handicrafts made from sea pandan and pandan jaksi, from woven bags to household items.

Mentoring was provided to strengthen business governance and digital marketing, and to increase product added value so the enterprise can compete amid rapid technological development.

The programme was led by Herlan Sutisna as head of implementation, alongside fellow lecturers Taufik Wibisono and Ratningsih.

The activity also involved students Reyhan Andrea Firdaus and Zamzam Permana Maulana Sidik as part of implementing the Three Pillars of Higher Education through community service.

Herlan said all activities were designed around the needs expressed by the partner, so the solutions provided could be applied directly to business operations.

“We do not merely provide training; we accompany the partner so they can implement every innovation delivered,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (5/8/2026).

The full series of activities was structured to strengthen business governance, improve the quality of digital promotion, refine product presentation, and harness information technology as a strategy for boosting MSME competitiveness.

He explained the programme began with a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and socialisation session, serving as a forum to identify the problems facing Rima Craft and to draw up a mentoring plan.

This stage formed the basis for determining training materials suited to the entrepreneur’s needs. The PKM team then handed over various production support assets, including a sewing machine, compressor, woven-printing tool (sunglon), and other production equipment.

“That assistance was followed by training in financial management, digital marketing, and the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support business promotion,” he explained.

Through the training, the MSME gained an understanding of more orderly bookkeeping, social media marketing strategies, and the use of AI to generate promotional ideas, create marketing content, and prepare promotional materials more efficiently.

“We also strengthened Rima Craft’s digital identity through training on the SIMKURING application (Rima Craft Hebring MSME Information System). The web-based system was developed as a digital information hub containing the business profile, product catalogue, services, and online transaction facilities,” he continued.

In addition, participants received product photography training using smartphones with the Open Camera app, aimed at improving photo quality so products appear more attractive when published on the website and social media.

A further innovation was delivered through smart packaging training, adding QR code labels to each woven product.

The QR code links to a digital page containing the business profile, social media accounts, marketplace, business location, product catalogue, and access to transactions via the official website. Products were also given tile pouch packaging to enhance aesthetic value and strengthen brand image.

Rima Craft owner Rizki Mauludi said the mentoring provided by UBSI Tasikmalaya lecturers had brought tangible benefits to his business development. The programme, he said, had delivered many advantages.

They gained not only additional production equipment but also knowledge of business management, digital marketing, the use of AI, and innovations in packaging and information systems that made the business better prepared to face competition.

“We hope all the results of this mentoring can continue to be developed to improve service quality and expand our market,” said Rizki.

As the final stage, the PKM team carried out monitoring and evaluation to measure programme outcomes and ensure all the innovations provided were being applied in day-to-day business activities.

The evaluation was conducted through field observation, discussions with the partner, and assessment of the implementation of training outcomes.

Through this programme, funded by BIMA Kemdiktisaintek for the 2026 fiscal year, UBSI Tasikmalaya campus — as a Creative Digital Campus — is expected to strengthen business capacity through digitalisation, product innovation, and more adaptive marketing strategies, so local MSMEs have greater opportunities to expand their markets and enhance their competitiveness at national and global levels.