Last week, Ruma, Grameen Foundation and Qualcomm launched mobile survey tools and apps which released to help SMEs in Indonesia. The mobile survey app which takes form in Marketing Intelligence tools and app can help SMEs in Indonesia to gain additional income and helps businessman to understand the need of lower class group.
This cooperation is a part of Application Laboratory (AppLab) project which announced in 2010. Formerly, Ruma had worked with Grameen Foundation and Qualcomm to launch a couple of apps such as Jual Pulsa and Kerja Lokal. Ruma (Your SME Partner – Rekan Usaha Mikro Anda) is a social company from Indonesia which helps people with low income using mobile technology. One of them is by helping them to ‘sell’ phone credit, electricity credit and other value adding service. Ruma gains funding from Omidyar Network and Unitus Impact.
In a press release related to cooperation with Ruma, Grameen Foundation and Qualcomm, it is mentioned that this mobile survey tool can be used by many parties. Respondent SMEs can get additional income and data source acquired from the survey can be used as consideration factor to test a product or marketing startegy. While for business people, company and businessman, this mobile survey tool/app can be a mean for them to understand the need and interest of low-income customer.
Ruma has a network of more than 15.000 SMEs with 1.5 million unique customers as data source. Currently, Ruma offeres three things from the Marketing Intelligence device, namely Remote Analysis, Field Research and Retail Marketing Experiment as well as field survey facility using mobile app for Android platform. Remote Analysis can be used by business people to gain high-level market insights in two weeks, Field Research gives a chance to collect in-depth information of certain population target and Retail Marketing Experiment gives the facility for business people to test a product and marketing strategy.
I has to chance to meet wit h Ruma in Boost Conference eventm, and it’s interesting to see the movement and development of its programs and business. Aria Rajasa had also mentioned Ruma as an example in his article. SMEs, people with low income is one thing that needs attention in Indonesia, not only because the number is big but also the chance for development of their work as entrepreneur, just like what Grameen bank did in its country.
It’s interesting to watch this cooperation, just like what the CEO and co-founder of Ruma, Aldi Haryopratomo said: in addition as being a data source, these tool and app will be useful for companies in understanding their prospective customers especially those who come from lower class group, other than helping SMEs to gain income. Today, the one who needs this tool the most consumer goods company or those which targeted mass customers, but not close to internet business people who are interested in this survey.
Information on this cooperation can be found here.
