Indonesian SME Digital Revolution

Jakarta, 27 October 2023- In a proactive effort to advance the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector in Indonesia, Foundry and Olsera have collaborated through the event 'Foundry Mixer: Indonesian SME Digital Revolution.' This aims to strengthen the ecosystem and foster relationships among SME stakeholders, while educating them about the latest technology or innovations believed to accelerate the digitalization of SMEs. Foundry represents an ecosystem platform that connects innovation leaders in Indonesia, while Olsera is a tech-enabler startup that provides an All-in-One business management system for businesses in Indonesia. This Foundry Mixer has received full support from Ronald Walla, Chairman of the SME Sector at the Indonesian Employers' Association (APINDO), who attended as the Keynote Speaker. Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Indonesia's economy, contributing to 60% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employing more than 97% of the workforce. Out of the 65 million MSMEs, only about 27 million have undergone digitalization. Therefore, APINDO, through its various MSME programs (APINDO UMKM Merdeka, APINDO MSME Academy, and the other programs), believes that collaboration among stakeholders in the SME sector, particularly involving Olsera and Foundry, can accelerate the digitization process for these MSMEs. By joining forces, APINDO welcomes the collaboration between Foundry and Olsera to further contribute to the MSME sector.

Ronald Walla, Chairman, SME Sector at the Indonesian Employers' Association (APINDO) said, “At APINDO, particularly within the APINDO UMKM Merdeka program, our task is to weave the pentahelix for stakeholders of SMEs, including academics, government, private sector, media, and the business community. In addition to this, the APINDO MSME Academy continues to run, collaborating where the university students intern in SMEs, guided by practitioners and lecturers, thus forming the pentahelix. SMEs gain access to technology and knowledge, while lecturers and practitioners themselves gain real access to the SME sector to understand current trends. Supported by programs like Foundry, our programs can become more structured. The willingness of SMEs to progress and contribute to providing added value to Indonesian society needs collective encouragement.”

Novendy Chen, Co-founder and CEO of Olsera added, "The Foundry Mixer event is one of the collaborative programs aimed at educating stakeholders of SMEs. With the Foundry ecosystem and forthcoming Olsera programs, we have the firm belief that Olsera will significantly enhance user productivity, streamline business operations, and broaden market reach. Through this event, we invite the entire community, especially SME business practitioners and related stakeholders who share the same mission of supporting the growth and development of SMEs in Indonesia to collaborate.”

Beyond the POS system, Olsera has evolved into an end-to-end business management system that simplifies MSMEs' ability to sell both at physical outlets and online, manage operations, record profit and loss statements, business balance sheets, access business funding, procure raw materials, and receive business consultancy. The main features offered by Olsera are Inventory & Supply Chain Management, Sales & Marketing, Employee Management, Online Store, Multi-Online Monitoring Dashboard and Loyalty Program. These features are presented by Olsera to maximize the efficiency of accelerating the growth of Indonesian MSMEs. Until now, Olsera has reached 500++ cities in Indonesia, serving more than 20.000++ paid merchants and 11,400++ brands from various lines of business.

“Foundry realizes how important digitalization is for the growth of SMEs in Indonesia. The collaboration with Olsera is not only a business partnership, but a commitment to drive the country's economy through technological development. Through this event, we provide a platform for businesses to understand the potential of digitalization and gain the insight they need to thrive in a competitive digital environment. We believe that innovation and collaboration are the keys to opening new doors of opportunity for SMEs.” Richie Wirjan, Co-founder and Director, Foundry concluded.

Opened by Ronald Walla (Chairman, APINDO MSME), the Foundry Mixer presented the "Innovation Showcase: Empowering Indonesian SMEs with Tech" featuring Heinrich Vincent (Co-Founder & CEO, Bizhare), Joseph Eko (CCO, Olsera), and Jayant Kumar (Founder & CEO, Selleri). This segment delved into the industrial landscape and case studies from related companies involved in the development of SMEs within the industry.

The panel discussion session with the theme "Collaborative Efforts to Accelerate SME Success" featured Natalia Veronica (Division Head of Value Chain Assets & Product Development, BRI), Nilamsari Sahadewa (Founder, PT Sari Kreasi Boga TBK (RAFI), Novendy Chen (Co-Founder & CEO, Olsera), Donny Pramono (Head of Investment Division, HIPMI Culinary), and Billy Boen (Founder & CEO, Young On Top). They discussed the efforts of their respective companies in enhancing the success of SMEs in the country, particularly in the fields of technology and innovation. Yukka Harlanda (Founder & CEO, Brodo) and Robertus Theodore (Co-Founder & CEO, Agrari.id) participated in the Entrepreneur's Story session, sharing their experiences diving into the entrepreneurial world and explaining the challenges and successes they encountered in developing their businesses.