UPNVJ Assists MSME in Developing Product Diversification Strategy

Universitas Pembangunan Nasional ‘Veteran’ Jakarta (UPNVJ) has assisted local food MSME Papandra in Limo Village, Depok City, in developing a product diversification strategy as an effort to strengthen business sustainability. The assistance was accompanied by strengthening data-based financial management so that product development is carried out in a more measured manner.

The activity was implemented through a Community Partnership Programme titled ‘Strengthening Data-Based Financial Management and Product Diversification to Enhance the Sustainability of Local Food MSME Papandra’. The programme was led by Sufyati HS together with Tri Siswantini and Tati Handayani.

Papandra is an MSME that produces ‘kue garpu’ or ‘kue siput’ and is managed by Marni Dewi Yanti. Based on initial identification, the business still faced several obstacles, ranging from irregular transaction recording, the absence of simple financial reports, lack of cash flow planning, to the calculation of cost of goods sold and selling price determination still based on estimates. In addition, the business still depended on one main product, so a diversification strategy was needed to expand income sources.

Sufyati stated that data-based business management is the foundation for developing a business strategy, including when MSME players want to introduce new products. ‘Through this programme, we want to help MSME Papandra build the habit of managing a business based on data. When transactions are recorded orderly and costs are calculated accurately, business owners can make decisions with more confidence,’ she said on Tuesday (4/8/2026).

The series of activities began with a survey on 13 May 2026, followed by training and mentoring from June to July 2026. The materials provided included transaction recording, preparation of profit and loss and cash flow statements, cash flow planning, calculation of cost of goods sold, cost-based pricing, and the development of a product diversification strategy based on cost analysis and market potential.

Tri Siswantini explained that the financial management system implemented was designed to be simple so that it can be used sustainably by business actors. ‘The goal is not to create complicated bookkeeping, but to help business owners obtain the information they really need, such as the amount of revenue, costs, profit, and the business’s cash position,’ said Tri.

Meanwhile, Tati Handayani said that product diversification needs to be carried out in a planned manner to provide added value to the business. ‘Diversification is not just about adding product types. Each new product needs to be analysed from the cost side, target consumers, selling price, and profit potential so that its development is more measured,’ she said.

In addition to training and mentoring, the Community Partnership Programme team also implemented appropriate technology to support Papandra’s operational activities. The owner of MSME Papandra, Marni Dewi Yanti, assessed that the assistance helped her understand the business condition while developing a product development plan.

Evaluation results showed that the average knowledge of participants increased from 27.2 per cent to 89.2 per cent. Meanwhile, the average skill level increased from 20.8 per cent to 86.2 per cent, exceeding the minimum improvement target of 60 per cent set in the programme. Through this assistance, UPNVJ hopes that MSME Papandra can implement financial management consistently while developing new products based on cost analysis and market needs.