Over the last few years, Eastern Communications, the country’s pioneering full-service provider of leading-edge telecommunications services, has been empowering the small- to medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) sector with appropriate products to enhance productivity and automate their business processes.

SMEs account for more than 95 percent of registered businesses in the country as well as more than 30 percent of sales revenue. SMEs employ more than 60 percent of the country’s workforce. Over the last few years the vibrant sector has become increasingly sophisticated, with more than 70 percent of its employees already characterized as telecommuters. Its requirements have also grown more complex, with growing needs for video-conferencing, e-commerce, online solutions, and even telemarketing. As SMEs develop they also find it necessary to systematize and automate their business processes for marketing and selling, as well as for managing delivery, inventory, billing, and collection.

Eastern has conceptualized a plan to help SMEs grow their businesses by enhancing their capability in the following areas: financial assistance and better business management, technical training and skills development, access to knowledge and best practices, access to markets and resources, and access to solutions that improve operational productiveness and excellence.

Eastern recognizes that they cannot provide for all these requirements by themselves. This is why Eastern decided to form a coalition with eStorm (on-line CRM and business solutions developer), FINEX (Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines) and ADFIAP (Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific). This group will develop the core programs from which other interested parties can synergistically contribute their knowledge and resources to grow the SME segment.

To support and execute these, the core partners will conduct workshops and provide SMEs with tools. Specifically, Eastern and eStorm will provide an SME-appropriate CRM ( Customer Relationship Management) tool and conduct workshops.

Eastern and EStorm has developed the SuccesSME CRM on-line tool specifically for the SME sector. SuccesSME CRM solutions are hosted on-line and updated regularly. This assures the program is always current, accessibility is redundant, and data is secure. This CRM technology will help SMEs to organize, automate, and synchronize critical business processes.