User Requirement Surveys

1
Capacity-building Network for Intermediary
Organizations in the Crafts Sector in Asia
Europe

• User Requirement Surveys

2
By ASEAN Handicrafts Promotion and Development
Association(AHPADA), Thailand And Research
Development Institute Silpakorn University,
Thailand

• Supported by
• The SUPPORT Arts and Crafts International Centre
  of Thailand (SACICT)

3
Objectives..

• To ensure the quality of its content and
  self-sustainability of the Crafts-Net Network
• To assess the needs of the Asian intermediary
  business and governmental organizations in the
  crafts sector
• To determine the potential of Asian intermediary
  business and governmental organizations to
  facilitate Euro-Asian trade in the crafts sector
• To examine the profile, behavior and specific
  relationships amongst intermediary business
  organizations in the crafts sector in relation to
  international collaboration

4
Objectives..

• To gather layout detailed user requirements of
  Asian intermediary organizations in the crafts
  sector in relation to the state-of-the-art
  specially designed IT tools to promote
  information links, exchange and collaboration and
  matchmaking of Asian and European intermediary
  organizations and other stakeholders and actors
  in the crafts sector.
• To identify the focus areas for future workshops
  in which crafts representatives from crafts
  organizations/
• associations, craftspeople, SMEs and experts are
  most interested and concerned with as effective
  strategies to enhance and sustain their
  operations.

5
Scope Methodologies

• Crafts Associations related Organizations/Museu
  ms
• Craftspeople crafts makers artisans
• Commercial Outlets and Suppliers
• Educational Institutions tertiary vocational
• Tourism Organizations
• Consumers individuals business corporations
  public/religious
  institutions
• public communal private sectors

6
Data Acquisition

• National Chamber of Handicrafts of Sri Lanka
• National Crafts Council of Bangladesh
• Lao Handicrafts Association
• Crafts Council of Malaysia
• Cambodia Crafts Cooperation
• The Support Arts and Crafts International Centre
  of Thailand
• ASEAN Handicrafts Promotion and Development
  Association

7
Time Frame

• Activities M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8
• 2006 May June July Aug. Sep. Oct.
• Methodology
• Dissemination Q
• Collecting Q
• Creating database
• Analyzing results
• Drafting conclusions
• Presenting the results

8
Questionnaires

• Respondents Profile
• Name
• address
• income
• specialty etc.
• IT-Use and Services
• Facilities
• how often long
• information services
• crafts information etc.

9
Data Received
10
Craftspeople Crafts related Organization
111
11
The Use of Computer

• All government and private sector organizations
  that operated on a national regional level use
  a computer and connect to the internet both at
  home and in the office.
• Majority of respondents working with local
  organizations had never used a computer, mainly
  due to a lack of budget, skilled manpower and an
  underdevelopment of IT structures in their area.
• The total proportion of respondents who connected
  to the Internet was less than 25. They mainly
  communicate through the telephone or intermediary
  government organizations at a state or provincial
  level.

12
Internet Facilities

• Internet Connections
• 80 through company network
• except Sri Lanka dial-up modem is the most
  popular form.
• 90 unable to note the speed of the connection.
• Internet services
• 95 use for e-mail and website access.
• For communication, information / news.
• Spend 1-3 minutes waiting to download information
• except in Bangladesh Sri Lanka wait more than 3
  minutes.
• Spend 1 -2 hours per day
• except in Malaysia where this increases to 3 5
  hours per day.

13
Internet Facilities

• E-Commerce
• 75-85 never involved in e-commerce activity.
• In Sri Lanka 100 no organization had taken part
  in this system.
• The websites that are considered useful are those
  relating to fair / exhibition / activities and
  governmental website promoting crafts.
• 75 of all the respondents are not ready to pay
  for such services.

14
Commercial Outlets and Supplier
123
15
The Use of Computer

• 75 use a computer both at home and in the
  office.
• Except Sri Lanka, only 40 use a computer.
• Most of these were from local outlets so did not
  see computer usage as necessary for their core
  business function.

16
Internet Facilities

• Internet connection
• Company network was the most common way .
• In Thailand and Sri Lanka, more respondents are
  connected using a dial-up modem at home.
• 90 unable to identify the speed of their
  connection.
• Internet service
• Mainly for communication and information/ news.
• Most useful websites are information on
  fairs/exhibitions/events and direct sales to
  customers.
• 75 were not ready to pay for these services.

17
Internet Facilities

• E-Commerce
• 85 of the suppliers and outlets surveyed had
  never conducted e-commerce activities on the web
  and had never been part of any crafts website.

18
Craftspeople
310
Profiles

• In Bangladesh, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka
  the respondents were employers and work full
  time.
• In Thailand, Cambodia, and Lao PDR , the
  craftspeople were identified as employees and
  work full time.
• The average age was between 2535 years old.
• Except in Thailand and Malaysia, where the
  average age was 45-65 years old.

19
Profiles

• Most craftspeople surveyed were mostly male.
• Except Thailand and Lao PDR were mostly female.
• Those that were identified as employees graduated
  from primary school.
• Employers graduated from high school and some had
  a Bachelors degree.
• In Bangladesh, the level of education for some
  craftspeople was low.

20
Profiles

• Most popular handicraft types are textile
  basketry interior furniture.
• A small series of object and are unique piece.
• The selling price is no more than US 100.
• While the main occupation in each country is
  agriculture, the earnings from handicraft
  production on average amount to 75-100 of total
  income.

21
The Use of Computer

• 80 of artisans in Thailand, Lao PDR, Sri Lanka,
  and Bangladesh do not use a computer.
• 98 of artisans in Bangladesh do not use a
  computer.
• The figures are lower in Vietnam and Malaysia at
  70 as computers are used both at home and in the
  office.
• In Cambodia, the split is even, with 50-50 using
  and not using computers

22
Internet Facilities

• More craftspeople that are computer users are
  connected to the Internet via a dial-up modem
  rather than a company network.
• 85 were not able to identify the speed of the
  connection.
• They spend no more than 2 hours per day on the
  internet and wait 13 minutes for information to
  download.
• In Sri Lanka, they spend more than 3 minutes
  waiting for information to download.

23
Internet Facilities

• The most common reason for using the Internet is
  to check e-mail and access website services as
  well as communication and receiving information.
• 80-90 of craftspeople surveyed had never
  conducted e-commerce via the web.
• They noted that the useful websites are those
  which offer expertise and direct sales
  opportunities to consumers.
• 80 not ready to pay for these services.

24
Profile of Consumers
179

• 80 were female.
• Aged between 25 44 years old.
• Most identified themselves as a business owner
  and had a Bachelors degree education.
• All consumers responded that they worked in full
  time jobs and many were employees or government
  officials.

25
The Use of Computer

• 75-80 of consumers in Thailand, Lao PDR,
  Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
• Most respondents using it both at home and in the
  office.
• Malaysia was the exception where the consumer was
  generally an employer and preferred to use a
  computer at home.

26
Internet Facilities

• 70 of respondents in Thailand, Bangladesh,
  Vietnam, and Lao PDR, are connected to the
  Internet via a company network.
• 75 in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia home
  dial-up is more common.
• Most consumers 80 - 90 were unable to identify
  the speed of their connection, except in Malaysia
  where most consumers noted that there speed was
  more than 54,000 bps.

27
Internet Facilities

• All consumers surveyed had an e-mail address and
  Internet access which they use every day for
  information and occupation purposes.
• Most wait 13 minutes on average to download
  information.
• 70 not searched for craft information via the
  Internet.
• They think the most interesting crafts are
  traditional crafts, in particular textiles,
  clothing, wood, jewellery, and interior
  furniture.
• 80 spend no more than US 500 on average on
  craft per year.

28
Internet Facilities

• Most consumers responded that information on the
  internet relating to fairs/exhibitions/events is
  the most useful.
• Consumers from Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and
  Sri Lanka would be pleased to pay for these
  services on a transactional basis.
• Consumers in Thailand, Bangladesh, and Lao PDR
  were not ready to pay for these services.

29
Profile of Tourism Organizations
47

• Most tourism organizations in the ASEAN countries
  operate as travel agencies focusing on
  nature/cultural traveling.
• Craft tours are only a part of promotional
  programs for tourists who are interested in
  buying local souvenirs.
• A total of 47 tourism organizations were
  surveyed.
• 14 national or international organizations
• 24 travel agencies
• 8 as tour operators.

30
The Use of Computer

• All tourism organizations identified use a
  computer for the internet and communication
  purposes.
• In Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao, and Malaysia, 80
  of those surveyed were in contact with crafts
  organizations.
• In Thailand and Vietnam 65 of those surveyed
  responded that they had never had any contact
  with craft associations.

31
The Use of Computer

• The tourism organizations in the Survey receive
  crafts information about particular areas mainly
  through the Internet and magazines/newspapers.
• 70 felt that it was quite hard to find
  craft-related information on particular areas,
  giving this task a difficulty rating of 4-5.
• It is difficult to locate information about
  seminars or courses for visitors and authenticity
  certification information.
• It is easy to find information relating to
  shopping locations.

32
The Use of Computer

• 80-90 of tourism organizations offer some form
  of service or information to customers.
• Except in Malaysia where such an offering was
  difficult to locate.
• 65 except in Lao PDR and Malaysia, would like
  to have information on craft products with
  standard certification or information.
• A majority interested in craft tours offered by
  travel agencies.

33
Internet Facilities

• 90 via a company network and unable to identify
  the speed of the connection.
• E-mail and web services are the most common
  purposes and use everyday for communication and
  information / news purposes.
• Most respondents wait less than 1 minute for
  information to download, except in Sri Lanka
  where they often wait more than 3 minutes.
• 85 of the respondents have no previous
  experience in craft business transactions
  on-line.

34
Educational Institutions
76

• 78 of the educational institutions surveyed are
  at the university level, followed by vocational
  institutes or polytechnic colleges.
• Most students were between 18-24 years old.
• The most popular subjects were textiles,
  clothing, and ceramics.

35
The Use of Computer

• Every educational institution uses a computer for
  educational and management purposes.
• They do not have enough computers for all
  disciplines.
• Most of them provide free computer services for
  students during lessons and breaks.

36
Internet Facilities

• Internet connection
• Institution connect to the Internet on a
  permanent basis.
• Except in Vietnam where they use home dial-up.
• Use every day for e-mail and website access for
  education and information, and they wait 1-3
  minutes on average for information download.
• Exceptions for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have to
  wait for more than 3 minutes for information to
  download.
• Most recipients spend 1 hour per day on the
  Internet yet none of them could identify the
  speed of the connection.

37
Internet Facilities

• Internet connection
• 65 search for crafts information i.e. design,
  fashion.
• Most institutions would like to offer courses on
  the Internet, but have never done so.
• Students are interested in the services, but have
  no experience.
• E-learning courses should be graded.
• Except in Thailand concern that the students do
  not have enough adequate computer knowledge and
  the IT facilities are still poor.
• There was also a concern that the computer would
  put a distance between the student and the
  teacher.

38
Internet Facilities

• They consider that the most useful web-based
  information relating to arts and crafts are the
  information on fair / exhibition / events, and
  student and teacher exchanges.
• Most are ready to pay for these services, but
  feel they should be free of charge for
  educational institutions, considering their role
  in educational development.

39
Needs to be Met
40
Craftspeople Associations Organizations

• Innovative methods to meet needs of members.
• Efficient methods in administration.
• Ability to provide information to members on
• (a) legal and regulatory framework for crafts,
• (b) supply sources and commercial intermediaries
• (c) international market trends
• (d) sources of funding
• (e) crafts news on trade fairs and exhibitions
• (f) educational possibilities

41
Craftspeople Associations Organizations

• Issue certificates for crafts products that meet
  certain standards or criteria.
• Training in the use of the computer and the
  Internet.
• Experiments in the application of e-commerce.
• Ability to offer several kinds of services to
  members through the use of inexpensive and
  appropriate information technologies.
• Lobbying on behalf of its members for the
  improvement in the Internet infrastructure in
  some countries.

42
Commercial Outlets /Suppliers

• Ability to locate and commercially interact with
  individual craftspeople regardless of location
  with minimum cost.
• Active on-line presence.
• E-commerce solutions.
• Information on international markets for
  traditional crafts.
• Training in up-to-date marketing methods.

43
Craftspeople/ Artisans

• Education and training in the use of IT and
  computer literacy.
• Design workshops in textile, basketry, and
  interior furniture.
• Financially viable marketing and promotion
  mechanisms.
• E-commerce solutions.
• Opportunities for further education.

44
Consumers

• Specific information pertaining to craft products
  regarding authenticity quality and other norms.
• Provision of print information on crafts news,
  events, and products, especially in certain
  localities.
• Craft information via the Internet especially on
  traditional crafts, in particular textiles,
  clothing, wood, jewellery, and interior
  furniture.

45
Tourism Organizations

• Sources of crafts-related information especially
  on local crafts, certified craft products and
  craft tours.
• Ability to meet growing demand for
  "crafts-related" tours.

46
Educational Institutions

• Interaction with craftspeople and associations,
  especially in the areas of textiles and ceramics.
  
• Provision of e-learning courses on crafts.
• Provision of low-cost education to craftspeople
  and artisans in designs, marketing and the use of
  IT technologies.
• Training in marketing for crafts business people.