Market Oriented Value Enhancement (MOVE) is a method to approach income generating activities for the landless, asset-poor, and illiterate with marketing as the central focus.
The development of the MOVE training programme was funded by the UK Department for international Development, as part of a research project to study natural resource management and poverty alleviation in villages near to urban areas. The five villages involved in MOVE were Channapur, Gabbur, Kotur, Mandihal and Mugad, and the urban area was Hubli-Dharwad, Karnataka.
Marketing, for our purpose, is defined as understanding the customer’s needs and wants, and designing and delivering products and services accordingly.
Market Orientation is when instead of being oriented to their perceived abilities or lack of it, participants will undertake a business venture according to customer demand. The key to the process is when participants first ask, ‘What does the customer want?’ and then, ‘How do I deliver it?’
Value Enhancement is the process of continuously evolving new products and services to cater to customer needs and demand. By adding value to products according to the customers’ wants, entrepreneurs can serve specific market niches that larger producers cannot cater to.
A copy of Acknowledgment Letter from
à MOVE/ PMA
Although customer survey (PMA) is a great tool. There are some problems with it. For example achar (pickle), the entrepreneur surveyed all 10% of her villagers. They all told her how much achar they make and the types they eat. However, in the village no one has ever buys achar. Everyone makes it yearly. The survey assumes that each customer surveyed will buy achar from the entrepreneur. In order to minimize the risk, this entrepreneur needs to find other markets where they can sell achar.
Some of the entrepreneurs seemed to have adjusted the numbers to make their future businesses look more profitable. I think this has to do with the fact that they think we are giving them money to create a business. If the business was going to be created by their own money, we would probably get different results.
Some entrepreneurs need to take into consideration that some businesses are seasonal. For example, producing wheat sev (vermilli) is a seasonal thing. Not everyone buys vermilli 12 months out of the year. Even if they do eat it 12 months out of the year, they only get it produced seasonally.
Some of the customers have seemed to given wrong answers. This is something that is very common to Sauhrastran culture. People here like to mislead each other. The extent of jealousy is very strong within caste and clans. They might give the entrepreneur a really outrageous answer or a really low answer, depending on how much they like them.
Why Women’s Livelihoods have have failed?
In a globalized marketplace, it is almost impossible for rural producers to match the prices and economies of scale that huge multi-national producers can offer. Micro-enterprise programmes ask the poor to invest time, capital, learn how to manufacture a specific product and then leave them to struggle to actually sell it. Most of them fail because the emphasis has been on skills training to produce a particular product and they had no understanding of the market. The producers don’t move with the changing customer’s needs and wants. Conventional training does not address these issues leaving the women without the ability to sustain in the changing market. Large scale industries may be able to produce more at a cheaper price, but the small-scale micro-enterprises can provide doorstep delivery, customized products, and meet other specific needs in ways that huge producers simply cannot. Entrepreneurs should examine the scope of the market first and then activities should be decided upon based on demand. There is a need to orient women entrepreneurs to focus on the customer’s wants to be able to cope with the changing markets.
How Can This Situation Be Changed?
As part of the DFID funded project, “Natural Resource Management and Livelihood Enhancement in the Peri-Urban: Hubli-Dharwad,” Dr. M.S. Subhas of Kousali Institute of Management Studies (KIMS) of Karnatak University at Dharwar adapted a set of modules called Market Oriented Value Enhancement (MOVE), designed to teach illiterate, landless, rural women how to understand the markets. MOVE was created for well-established SHGs to orient themselves to the market, research the market themselves, choose activities based on their research, and finally to enter the market as entrepreneurs. It a tool to identify ever-more specific market niches and provides value-added services that the big players simply cannot provide.
Objectives of MOVE
- Changing livelihood training of women from product and skills oriented to markets and customer oriented.
- To help poor women evolve a sustainable niche in the market through value addition
What is MOVE?
The modules go though various processes such as team building exercises and motivational games, market visits and so on. The Participatory Market Appraisal (PMA) is where women create visual surveys to understand the total size of their market, the amount of potential profit, the key factors (product and performance attributes) that influence a customer buying the product, and other relevant data that will point to a product with a high demand and a high profit. By using the process of PMA the participants capacities are built to research the market themselves whenever necessary without relying on the expertise of an outside source. After researching which product has the highest chance of success in their market, the participants begin retailing or small scale production, sample selling, and gradual upscaling. After a few sales cycles they conduct in-depth customer feedback sessions and adjust their products accordingly. As they develop a customer base, they continue to solicit feedback to find out potential avenues for value enhancement. Finally, the participants draw up a business plan that incorporates a vision for future expansion. Thus far, every group has seen an immediate return of profits to their businesses.
Potential of MOVE
Some Feedbacks from Fellows of DCSE, Hubli on the Topic:
Market Oriented Value Enhancement:
Krishna Nayak Mrs. Meera conducted the session on MOVE marketing which I really enjoyed.She gave us an insight of why SHG's and NGO's fail. She said it's because they know how to produce, they have all the skills required, but they have no clue on where he/she can sell this products.The market knowledge is almost nil. She was quoted saying "Business start with analyzing the Market". It is a customer oriented market. A person, who does not analyze the market, does not look at the customer's specification is sure to fail.The learning from today's session is "Understand the market and Move with it".
Anita Hiremath It is an informative session with Mrs Meera and her colleagues in MOVE marketing. The concepts of MOVE marketing are really helpful for the most of the places. The main objective of this concept is to create livelihood activities for those who have lost their jobs because of urbanization. This concept is practiced in the Peri-urban area of Dharwad town. The activities were simple and meaning full. Preparation of Greeting cards, eatery game helped us to understand the basic things which we need to concentrate before entering into the market. Participatory Market Appraisal and analysis through floral diagram were good. Totally Market Oriented Value Enhancement was an enjoyable session.
Anindita Deb Roy I agree with you both. The tools for market survey were really very simple and easy to understand. As I plan to work with women SHGs in future these tools will help me guide them better and understand the market so that we can make more profit.
Shivkanya Bhujbal This module is very useful for me and got the information about marketing. We played one game in class that is preparation of greeting cards and we prepared cards without study the market and then when we went to sale our product in market at that time we realized that consumer and costumer are not satisfy our product. Here I come to known before producing goods we have to study market as well as customer’s feedback.
In move marketing I learned about how to convince the people. Explained about product like it is healthy food, special think is that it not available in market so on…… It is one of the great experiences through” learning by doing”
Sunil Patil This module made me understand the problem and challenges of Sales people And 7 P's which were helpful for us as a budding entrepreneur.
Madhu Sudhan We had MOVE marketing on 03-05-20 and 04-05-10.Mrs.Meera and her colleagues took the sessions. In this two day I learned what the status of market is and how we convince the people, so it was very difficult to sell the products. I enjoyed the eatery game and preparation of Greeting cards, this activities helps to know the market status and needs of the customer. After this game we had analysis through flower diagram. Then I learned PMA (Participatory Market Appraisal).So it was very helpful session for become a entrepreneurs.
Krishna Nayak My perspectives have totally changed now. The eatery game specially made me think what all it takes to be a seller. It’s not an easy job. We were always thinking from the Customer's point of view. In the eatery game we realized how important it is to study the market requirement, and the needs of the customer on then can a business sustain and scale up. Mrs meera quoted "Understand and produce" .Since we were in the shoes of the seller we learn't how important it is to plan, and how team work and co ordination between the team makes a huge impact on the business.
We were the second highest team who got 92% profit in the eatery game. I would congratulate my team mates Dhanalaxmi, Vishwanath, and HR for putting all those extra efforts and making this possible. Nothing is impossible in this world unless you try.
Santosh S Padatare Padatare This module is very easy. Before start this module I thought this is very tough but I was wrong. I did 4 year marketing but yesterday's game was different, it's help to understood me about gross level business.
Laxmi Rasalkar MOVE marketing session is a nice session, Because in that session i leaned about market , When i start my own business i used that strategy because than only i understand when i do a customer survey than only i understand a customer need and what they want, which type of customer, I goat a field knowledge it's very nice really i enjoyed that.
Shalini Shalini Gl This MOVE module we lot of learned faced the problems and what are the faced challenges and how to we convinced the people, so it was very difficult sold the products. These are all learned and very enjoyed the game good experienced.
Satish Madar Mrs Meera has taken MOVE marketing class. MOVE model I gone to very well. This modal i learn and developed the marketing skill also and in this modal first we have doing a one game in ready to greeting and sold the greeting but this not sold Because this greeting we have producing that much customer quality That’s why it has not sold learn this game product as a quality or continuity is main important. After then we are 5 members doing an eatery game. It has good experience for us. This game has marketing game and we did ready to senga holigi and also sold hostel. We had got a 260 income for us and we learnt how to motivate the people and what the seller problems are and how to make the profit. Then after second day I learnt new thing we were searing eating experience Participatory ensures Appraiser and Market Strategy and Business Development Plan. This model if I learn Lat of new things.
Shankar Singh Rajput As all fellows share their ideas on MOVE Module, I am agree with that and this was the very good experience for me as well as all fellows. While I gone to market place to cell chips and tea, I understand the lesson that market needs less price things which could be affordable for each people. As first I approach more than 8 people after that only I sold 1 chips pocket.
Overall this module provide chance to learn about basic marketing skills which is helpful for budding entrepreneurs
follow the KIMS blog...visit http://kimskud.blogspot.com
ReplyDelete