To introduce SMEs to the concept of digital productivity and how digital technologies can enhance productivity, the Korea Productivity Center along with the APO Secretariat conducted a training course on Productivity Measurement for Digitalized SMEs, 1–4 August. The online course was attended by 31 participants from 15 member economies, including senior-level managers from the SME sector and professionals from NPOs, development agencies, and productivity measurement consultants. It was conducted by two resource persons, one from Singapore and another from the ROK, who shared insights on various productivity assessment approaches to help SMEs in APO member economies quantify the benefits of digitization and improve their productivity and competitiveness.

SMEs are key drivers of economic growth, and digital technologies enable them to compete in global markets. Productivity measurement is a process of identifying the appropriate metrics and calculating their results to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of resource use. While digitalization offers several benefits such as improved operations, reduced costs, and enhanced customer experience, SMEs must ensure that the productivity measurement methodologies they adopt reflect the changes in the technology domain. The postpandemic digital era has underscored the importance of agility, resilience, and continuous learning for SMEs to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.

The training course examined innovative methods for gauging productivity in digitally transformed SMEs and discussed how to integrate evolving technologies into productivity measurement processes and the challenges involved. It covered aspects of digital transformation, including key factors influencing it, and methodologies, tools, and techniques for measuring productivity in digital and hybrid workplaces. The resource persons shared best practices of productivity measurement in digital workplaces and explained how SMEs can enhance data analysis and management through digitalization.