Case Study: Commercial Printing Project Management using Google Docs

Below is a case study of the application of Knowledge Management in Small-Medium Enterprise Print Industry. The tool that was presented here is a project collaboration management open source software using Google Docs.  

Issues

Company Print (not real name) is a one-stop commercial offset and digital printing, offering its services in marketing, corporate, and institutional-based clients. The company is already on its 8th year. Throughout its operations, it has grown with a number of regular or steady clients as well as occasional ones locally and abroad. However, based from the result of the Knowledge Management’s Rapid Capacity Assessment and External Customer Survey conducted last December 2011, there are three (3) issues that the company needs to address in order to further improve its services, thus to serve its clients better:

• Failure to meet deadlines and inaccurate compliance with the specifications required in some of its projects.
• Lacks overall project coordination between the marketing and production department resulting in overlapping of projects.
• No formal project status report at the end of the day. Its common practice is through verbal communication from the production coordinator.

Methodology

The issues gathered based from the results of the survey, will be used as a reference, which will be applied for the Knowledge Management for Company Print. Most of the issues that needs to addressed are in the production department that can be facilitated by using project management software. However, through research of project management software specifically viable for Company Print’s work process, Heidelberg has a solution to offer called Prinect S but their software is specifically designed for fully automated machines. It also requires full network digital integration from pre-press to post press, which is an ideal setup for a full printing production house. Admittedly, due to Company Print’s lack of machines’ capability to be fully integrated into the said digital network system as well as its limited resources to acquire the ‘Heidelberg way’ setup, the said project management tool is not practical to be adapted into the company’s workflow process for now.

The next best logical solution is a web-based project management collaboration tool using Google Docs. Since Company Print has an existing network that can be fully utilized aside from email and research purposes, its personnel are also familiar with other Google Docs such as the Calendar. Their sales and administrative departments for their daily tasks and meetings utilize the said calendar extensively. For the production department where most of the issues arise, another Google Docs will be introduced into its work process, which is the spreadsheet. Aside from its zero investment, it is also becoming a tool used confidently by several businesses nowadays.

The first task that will be undertaken is to interview the production coordinator of the company for further verification of the production process. It is also important to know if the said tool would really be helpful for his job and can be easily understood by the other stakeholders. The information gathered will be then placed in the spreadsheet that will be divided into three (3) main categories namely: the Pre-press, Press, and the Post-press. These categories are standard in all printing companies. It would then have its sub-categories assigned to these main categories that represent the workflow of the production process unique to Company Print.

Pre-press

• Color Separation / Filming
• Check Negative
• Check Plate
• Stripping
• Platemaking

Press

• Check Paper
• Cut Paper
• Digital Printing
• Offset Printing (Heidelberg Kord 64)
• Offset Printing (Heidelberg Sormz)
• Other Printing
• Drying

Post Press

• Lamination
• Finishing / Binding
• Die Cut
• Numbering
• Perforation
• Embossing
• Hot Stamping
• Final Trimming
• Quality Assurance
• Delivery

The main categories and identified sub-categories in the production process will be placed under the Task field or column. Aside from the task field, it would also have the Start and End Date as a reference schedule for a specific project task. Another field to place is the Task Lead; essentially to refer to the specific person involved or the one who handled the particular task. This would also minimize pointing of fingers in case that an incident happened in a project that resulted in a delay. Lastly, is the Remarks section, where the production coordinator or any stakeholders in the project may input their comments, material specifications, number of copies, etc., for every step of the production process. This section would also serve as guide for the production personnel as well as for the other stakeholders particularly marketing regarding special specification required for a particular project.

Since Google Docs serves as a collaborative tool for editing in real-time, users of the proposed process will be seeing a spreadsheet in a Gantt chart format where it will moved in real-time every time there will be changes in the production schedule. Editing and viewing of the chart will be limited to the “decision-maker stakeholders” such as the head of marketing and production coordinator. The other departments such as the administration and production personnel are only limited for viewing of the chart but cannot do any editing. The said chart would also have correlation with the current date.

The proposed tool would take into consideration these following challenges:

Usability. Could be easily updated by the stakeholders or decision-makers

Simplicity. Could be understood easily by the production personnel and other departments.

Accessibility. Could be accessed anywhere, i.e. PCs, tablet, mobile, etc. with integration to the other Google Docs.

The most challenging part is the integration of the spreadsheet into the other Google Docs. Since the marketing department uses the Google Calendar more often, the spreadsheet in Gantt chart format should be integrated into the calendar. This would served as an overview regarding the ongoing projects as well as a helpful tool for the marketing personnel, i.e. making decisions faster should they want to take in the project or not, since everything is already embedded into their calendar.

So far, there are a number of free Google spreadsheet templates and scripts as well as online tutorials that are helpful for the users depending on the process needs of the business. The Google Docs Template Gallery has a number of templates provided by the developers from Google and independent contributors.

Once the project is fully implemented into the production process, there would be a series of test and feedbacks through interviews from the main users of the tool. It would also check its helpfulness in the process of the business where issues that needs to be addressed were minimized, else, totally eradicated. The person that will hold accountable for the Google spreadsheet is the project coordinator. He/She should ensure that the spreadsheet is updated at all times which ideally towards the end of the day. In the absence of the production coordinator, any of the decision-makers or stakeholders may update the said spreadsheet provided that the coordinator would then be properly informed regarding the updates.

The spreadsheet would reflect only one (1) project at a time and will be divided into folders, named Company Print Schedule 2012-001, 002, 003, etc. The 2012 stands for the year when the project is made and the 001 stands for the sequence number of the folder. Each folder will contain a maximum of twelve (12) spreadsheets with ready-to-use template exclusive for Company Print. A catalog containing the name of the projects may also be developed that would provide information and link to the specific project folder. This would be a helpful reference for project reorders.

The working template named Company Print Schedule 2012-001 shows how the layout is divided into seven (7) columns, namely: Done, Task, Start Date, End Date, Resource, Remarks, and Days till End Date. The remaining columns are the Gantt Chart where the current dates are also reflected (see screen shot of the Company Print Template).

Screen shot of the Company Print Template

which I made it publicly available (see reference 5 below for the link).

Make sure to sign-in to your google account to make a copy for yourself.

One of the challenges is the integration of the Google calendar. The schedule provided in the spreadsheet should also reflect into the calendar. This would give the marketing team of Company Print an overview of the current projects. This was solved by searching for the right script that may be embedded into the Script editor under the Tools menu of the Google spreadsheet. Below is the sample script:

function calupdate() {

var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();

var startRow = 15;  // First row of data to process

var numRows = 1 var dataRange = sheet;  // Number of rows to process

var dataRange = sheet.getRange(startRow, 1, numRows, 5);

var data = dataRange.getValues();

var cal = CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar();

for (i in data) {

var row = data[i];

var title = row[1];  // First column

var tstart = row[2];

var tstop = row[3];

var loc = row[4];

//cal.createEvent(title,  new Date("March 3, 2010 08:00:00"), new Date("March 3, 2010 09:00:00"),

{location:loc});

cal.createEvent(title, new Date(tsart), new Date(tstop), {location:loc});

}

}

On the other hand, to create the Calendar menu into the spreadsheet, below is the sample script that may also be embedded in the Script Editor. Run the script so that the Calendar would appear on the Spreadsheet menu. The user must click the calupdate under the Calendar menu so that the schedule from the spreadsheet would reflect into the Google Calendar.

function onOpen() {

var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();

var menuEntries = [ {name: "Update", functionName: "calupdate"} ];

ss.addMenu("Calendar", menuEntries);

}

Results

Based from the feedback that I gathered last 06 March 2012. Below are the results from Company Print’s Marketing, Purchasing, and Production departments.

Marketing

• Provides ready information regarding project schedules via Google calendar.

• Efficiently tracks the status of the current projects that would help the marketing team decide if they could still accommodate incoming projects.

• Eliminates overlapping of projects as well as delivers projects on time.

Purchasing

• Accurate compliance on the purchased materials specified on the Production Schedule.

• Efficiently monitors availability of production materials.

• Eliminates over-stocking of production materials such as paper and ink.

Production

• Having a formal written project status report at the end of the day.

• Organized production schedule, i.e. eliminates overlapping.

• Gives continuous online project status report, that would be helpful for the management make sound decisions anytime and anywhere.

Conclusion

Using an open source software such as the Google Docs saves Company Print from purchasing expensive project management software available in the market. Likewise, it also addressed the company’s internal and external issues in the production department. It made the company more organized and productive, thus able to deliver their best services to their clients and other stakeholders.

Google Docs is a viable tool for businesses especially for the Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that are searching for an alternative low-cost project management software, yet robust and secured in its features. It is highly recommended.

References:

1 Heidelberg Philippines, www.heidelberg.com/www/html/en/content/products/prinect/prepress/ prepress_prinect_s,overview

2 Wikipedia, “Google Docs”, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Docs

3 Google Docs Template Gallery, docs.google.com/templates category=2&type=spreadsheets&sort=hottest&view=public&author=Google

4 McKinsey Quarterly, “The Rise of the Networked Enterprise: Web 2.0 Find its Payday” by Jacques Bughin and Michael Chui, December 2010

5 Company Print Schedule 2012-001 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsR1mReWF6M_dFZQZkFKdEc2SVJZeEJrNDgtWkdTSHc

One more thing...

Thank you to Dr. Serafin Talisayon, founder of the Center for Conscious Living Foundation Inc. (CCLFI), for the lessons and assistance, in order for me to understand Knowledge Management (KM) better. 

Case Study: Advanced Science and Technology Institute (Part 3)

INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS

This section presents the insights, analysis, and recommendations of the group based on the data gathered about ASTI focused into a number of key focal points.

ASTI as a Technology Integrator

The Advanced Science and Technology Institute is currently tasked with a mandate to conduct scientific research and development in the advanced fields of information and communications technology and microelectronics. In terms of ICT, ASTI has evolved into a technology integrator that brings together different applications to address particular needs of partner organizations. In this regard, the actual research and development work, if any, is limited to the customization of existing ICT software such as open source platforms and applications to perform specific tasks. This becomes a challenge for the organization because creating new technologies that can be considered true research and development, particularly in the open-source software industry, is a highly competitive environment with its own set of difficulties in creating patentable or proprietary technologies. In other words, by utilizing vast amounts of resources in this field of endeavor, what competitive advantage does ASTI bring that is not already offered by other competing private software companies?

A Shift in Focal Technologies

Currently, majority of ASTI’s efforts focus on information and communications technologies and microelectronics as specified by its current mandate. These focus technologies have been in place for the most part of ASTI’s operations. Both technologies, particularly microelectronics, are technologies that have had sufficient time to mature thus allowing many major players to create highly advanced and specialized technologies. Today, the world’s largest computer chip manufacturers Intel and AMD have accumulated vast amounts of resources and have progressed in their research and development to the point that local technological catch-up by ASTI may not be as feasible, much less competitive unless massive amounts of resources are poured into it without even any guarantees of success and, more importantly, to what end?

At this point, ASTI is already heavily invested in these technologies, but the speed at which the rest of the world is moving forward with these technologies relative to them is rapidly making these investments obsolete. Tough questions may sooner or later begin to surface on whether or not to continue despite little chance for creating new breakthroughs, or starting over with something new.

Given this situation, where moving forward with pushing for further research and development by ASTI in microelectronics as well as for the majority of ICT seems redundant, there may be a need for the organization to reevaluate the current technologies that it is focusing on, even to the point of examining the entire system for focal technology selection and its lifecycle. This calls for an examination of the existing technology management system and infrastructure which can potentially make the organization more flexible going forward. New major investments will have to be made but first, the technology and project selection criteria will have to consider the risks involved in exploring new ventures.

One-Sided International Collaboration

As a developing nation, one-sided international collaboration in terms of technology transfer and acquisition is something to be expected, particularly in the early stages of the research and development of a specific technology. As previously mentioned, ICT and microelectronics are technologies that are generally considered mature technologies in their present state. The private sector is the primary driver for technological growth in these industries, each group developing within its own area of expertise and from their contributing to the general body of knowledge through commercial activities. Along the way, various forms of intellectual property have been created and established in these industries and have strengthened the leadership positions of the innovators.

The challenge here, and this is not a problem unique to ASTI, is that as technological followers, there is not much room for large contributions to the industry in the first place since these have already been established by the leaders. There is room to contribute in narrowed specific niche focal areas of these technologies but since the industry leaders are not only technological leaders but also commercial ones, it is more often than not, their projects and areas of expertise that generate market impact and appeal. Other fields which may still be left unexplored may not be as economically rewarding if one does not have adequate resources for investment not only in research and development, but also in product sales and marketing. In this regard, ASTI faces a massive challenge if it wishes to pursue new frontiers within ICT and microelectronics. The economic and intellectual resources requirements to create breakthroughs in the industry that might be considered worthwhile for two-way international collaboration may not be within its capabilities.

Open Innovation and Intellectual Property Pooling

Open-source software is an area well-positioned for growth for years to come should ASTI decide to pursue incremental innovations either related to or built on top of existing established platforms. Software development is a potentially huge market which is generally not as resource intensive as other R&D areas. Open-source software is currently expanding outside personal computing and moving into the space of mobile computing and communications and even general consumer electronics. These are areas of high interest for many private sector firms and there are relatively little barriers for entry.

As a technology integrator, ASTI has already begun to immerse itself in these open technologies and all that may be needed to push for a more focused approach towards research and development in this field might come in the form of specialized custom projects that take advantage of resources that are already available. This industry however, is a highly commercial one. In order to keep pace with competition from both the private and public sector, locally and internationally, commercialization will potentially play an important role in determining whether or not ASTI will succeed or not should it decide to pursue a focal project in open-source software.

Work and investments in these open-source technologies can also lead to increased international participation and general intellectual property pooling. These steps can pave the way for future local contributions to the general knowledge pool and potentially an increase in locally contributed patents related to them.

Long Term Project Issues

Leadership continues to play a particularly important role in the potential selection long-term projects that ASTI may consider pursuing. Based on past results, a vast majority of completed projects have been short-term ones based on the prevailing technologies during the past eras at which they were conceptualized. Though there is always an external influence from the current administration and the leadership at the Department of Science and Technology towards the types of projects pursued by ASTI the burden of actual research and development and project selection ultimately falls on the organization and whether or not it decides to pursue short-term or long-term projects is subject to many different factors such as social and financial ones.

The challenge for long-term projects is that although they hold a faint promise of developing technological breakthroughs, committing financial and human resources without any immediate potential returns is always a tough sell for any organization. In this case, it is a particularly tougher one for a government organization whose results are broken down into which administration was present during the time of the success.

In terms of the current focal technologies of ICT and microelectronics, the questions related to the maturity of the technology and the overall competitiveness of the industry becomes a critical issue that must be addressed when considering any long term approach to development. Is there a future for long term research projects to still be conducted in ICT or microelectronics given the current state of the industry and ASTI’s own limitations? Should new long term plans be made in consideration of new and emerging technologies?

A Triple-Helix Approach

As a sub-organization within the Department of Science and Technology, ASTI functions as a specialized government unit for research and development currently for information and communications technologies and for microelectronics. It’s proximity to the University of the Philippines as well as its ties with various key figures in the private sector positions it well as an organization that can leverage both private and educational resources to bolster its own efforts.

Past efforts such as the production and sale of an ultra-low cost digital multimeter in partnership with Alexan, a private sector electronics components seller, and the ASTI-PREGINET project, an education based service that allows state universities and colleges, government organizations, and research institutions to collaborate over a dedicated network illustrate, at least in concept, the potential for growth in research and development through various partnerships.

Case Study: Advanced Science and Technology Institute (Part 2)

R&D MANAGEMENT

ASTI’s R&D management is driven by and aligned with the national R&D policies as set by the DOST and the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP Chapter 19). Through the direction of the Secretary of DOST, the ASTI Director aligns ASTI projects per DOST priorities. DOST allocates the budget and specifies the general focal area for R&D.

R&D PROJECT SELECTION, EXECUTION AND EVALUATION

R&D project selection is dependent on the priority projects of DOST Secretary and influenced by the various councils within the Department. The Technical Core Group, headed by the Director, analyses these science and technology (S&T) priorities and proposes projects that support the current national S&T initiatives. ASTI goes through 20 concurrent projects on the average annually.

ASTI projects go through a standard process in terms of R&D execution. ASTI processes are documented and enjoy a quality management certification (ISO9001:2000) from Certification International Philippines. The agency successfully passed its last surveillance audit conducted last February 2010.

ASTI projects are applied technology projects – no new knowledge or technology is discovered or formulated; rather, the agency integrates systems and tools for various applications. This “mash up” development approach lends ASTI a system integrator character.

Project status is reported during regular Technology Core Group meetings. Ongoing projects, e.g., Preginet, Bayanihan, are evaluated and audited at regular intervals for go/no-go decisions. Projects are considered complete once they are ready to be deployed to ASTI customer/stakeholder.

RESOURCE ALLOCATION

The 2011 national budget of the Philippines, also known as the General Appropriations Act of 2011 was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III last 28th of December 2010. The said national budget is 6.8 percent higher than the 2010 budget of PhP1.540 trillion (See Figure 1). It represents 18.2 percent of the projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year. The approved budget assumes revenues of PhP1.41 trillion, or 15.6 percent of GDP in 2011, and disbursements of PhP1.70 trillion, or 18.8 percent of GDP, lower than the 19.5 percent last year3.

This year, the Department of Science and Technology were allocated at PhP2.264 billion (See Figure 2). The budget is a 54 percent decrease from the 2010 budget of PhP4.86 billion during the Arroyo Administration. From the current DOST budget, 2.4 percent of it was allocated to the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) whose main thrust is in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), one of DOST’s priority fields for research aside from biotechnology, agriculture, alternative energy, and health.

Figure 1. National Budget of the Philippines

Figure 2. DOST Budget of the Philippines

According to DOST, its budget has its four major thrusts: diffusion of knowledge and technologies, generation of new knowledge and technologies, development of human resources for the scientific and technological (S&T) sector, and provision of quality S&T services.

The Executive Order 128 mandates the DOST “to provide central direction, leadership and coordination of scientific and technological efforts, and ensure that the results therefrom are geared and utilized in areas of maximum economic and social benefits for the people4.”

At least 76 percent or PhP41 million of ASTI budget of PhP54 million, is allocated for their R&D operations annually. Currently, ASTI has 65 personnel dedicated to Research and Development or 70 percent of the institute’s total manpower.

ASTI’s management group is divided into two: the Planning and the Technical Core Group. Since 2005, the institute is headed by ASTI Director, Engr. Denis Villorente, an Electronics and Communications Engineer Board Exam top-notcher and a UP scholar.

ISSUES AND CONCERNS

Based from the group's interview, ASTI is becoming an internal Information Technology of the DOST instead of working on Research and Development projects that the institution is tasked to do. There is also discontinuity of its programs and projects whenever a new DOST Secretary comes in. This is evident on the new DOST chief Mario Montejo, which its current priority project is in the monorail that definitely would affect ASTI’s current projects.

Currently, ASTI’s only 65 R&D personnel are stretched and needs additional training and workforce support. The said number is an obvious reflection of the Philippines’ current stand on R&D personnel per million Filipinos which is at mere 165 per million Filipinos, a way below the UNESCO recommendation of 380 needed for economic development. These highly trained personnel specifically the researchers and scientists, leave the country due to the continuous decline in the quality of scientific research institutions, company spending in R&D, and the procurement of the government in advance technology products. Since 2009, the rankings out of 139 economies in the latest World Economic Forum Report (See Figure 3) have been reduced to -6, -24, and -10 places respectively5. The consequences are serious as these personnel continue to seek for higher wages and better working conditions abroad.

Figure 3. Technological Readiness and Innovation
summary of the Philippines

Another stumbling block for ASTI, based on the group’s assessment, is the lack of marketing effort for their products and services as well as its weak link to industry. The institution’s lack of market push with their products and services becomes a challenge. Alex Sy of Alexan, producer of electronic products is the sole private entity linked with ASTI for its Digital MultiMeter product. It would definitely be an advantage for both the institution and industry if partnership would be fully utilized due to the private company’s own funding that does not rely on government resources.

The group has also observed that the institution has no actual homegrown research as well as dedicated time for the personal projects of its personnel which ideally duplicating best practices of 3M and Google.

Lastly, the institution also has projects that are already commercially available or has been done by other countries. This is evident in their flood control project. Other projects of ASTI are basically outdated.

References:
3 General Appropriations Act 2011, The 2011 Budget at a Glance, Department of Budget and Management Publication, The President’s Budget Message, Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Philippines, 24 August 2010
4 PSciJourn, The official site of the Philippine Science Journalists Association Inc., pscijourn.wordpress.com
5 Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011, developed for the World Economic Forum (WEF), WEF’s partner institute is the Makati Business Club (MBC) in association with the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP)

Case Study: Advanced Science and Technology Institute (Part 1)

The Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), one of the primary Research and Development centers of the Philippines was presented in this case study1 where its fundamental objective is to analyze the management of ASTI’s R&D component. The report was presented last 12 March 2011 before the TM204 or Management of Research and Development class under Dr. Rolando P. Dayco at the University of the Philippines Technology Management Center (UP-TMC).

ABOUT ASTI

The Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 128 on 30 January 1987, as one of the seven research and development institutes of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) tasked in conducting scientific research and development in the advanced fields of Information and Communications Technology and Microelectronics.

The following is ASTI’s mandate, vision, and mission as published2:

Our Mandate

Conduct scientific research and development in the advanced fields of Information and Communications Technology and Microelectronics.

Our Vision

"The Advanced Science and Technology Institute shall be among the leading Research and Development Centers in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Electronics within the Southeast Asian region."

Our Mission

"The Advanced Science and Technology Institute is committed to the development of the Filipino society and the Philippines as a nation. We shall contribute to the attainment of national development priorities and the growth of Philippine enterprises by providing innovative solutions using ICT and electronics technology."

ASTI is committed towards contributing to the attainment of the following major final outputs:

1. Diffusion of knowledge and technologies

2. Generation of new knowledge and technologies

3. Development of human resources for the science and technology sector

4. Provision of quality science and technology services

In line with the national technology development efforts spearheaded by the national government through the Department of Science and Technology, ASTI is currently undertaking research and development projects under three (3) program thrusts:

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES PROGRAM
This program aims to adopt, adapt, and/or develop strategic and research and development activities in the areas of information and communication technologies.

Components:

• Advanced Networking Research
• Wireless Technologies
• Network Applications and Software

Microelectronics Program

This program seeks to develop a state-of-the-art microelectronics design facility where one can do quality R&D work and cultivate a skilled workforce adept in Integrated Circuit (IC) Design through training and exposure to actual design work.

Components:

• Digital, RF, Analog and Mixed-Signal Microelectronics R&D
• Printed Circuit Board Laboratory
• ASTI-Virtual Center for Technological Innovation in Microelectronics Open Laboratory

Technology Transfer Program

ASTI pursues dynamic assimilation of research results by industry, academe, non-government organizations, and government institutions. It aims to transfer research and development outputs and advanced know-how through:

• Technology diffusion and commercialization
• Collaborative research and development
• Conduct of trainings and seminars
• Industry studies

EXISTING PRODUCTS, SOLUTIONS, AND SERVICES AT ASTI
Below is a basic summary of the major product releases completed by ASTI:

GSM Data Terminal - This product enables computers to send and receive text messages, just like an ordinary cellular phone. It uses any mobile phone SIM card, and there is no need for Internet connection.

Wireless Telemetry and Remote Monitoring Platform - Customizable and flexible platform for data logging applications through wireless network based on Global Systems for Mobile Communication or GSM. Provides a complete data acquisition solution when paired with the GSM data terminal for real-time data monitoring and graphical analysis of measurement readings from different types of sensors (e.g. temperature, pressure, humidity etc.)

PICMe - Microcontroller Starter Kit - A low-cost pocket size microcontroller learning board to jumpstart your project development with MCUs.

Digital Wood Moisture Meter - The Digital Wood Moisture Meter (WMM) is a handy tool used to determine the moisture content of selected local hardwoods. The WMM is indispensable for the local woodworking/furniture industry and is designed to be a fully-functional, low-cost alternative.

Digital MultiMeter - An ultra low cost digital multimeter built with state of the art DMM processor. The first ever produced multimeter product designed by Filipinos to reach the market. This portable test instrument is capable of handling various electrical measurements such as AC/DC voltage, current and resistance measurement and other special features.

Pasteurizer - The Human Breast Milk Pasteurizer is a device that kills harmful bacteria present in milk due to its mishandling and unsafe storage.

Digital Library System - ASTI offers a digital library platform for use by PREGINET partner institutions. The digital content system is capable of handling digitized documents. Documents that can be easily uploaded and stored include conference proceedings, journals, theses, dissertations, and other publications, even audio and video files of trainings, seminars, and workshops.

Digital Content System - A free online library which directs users to exemplary resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research. This integrated library system, or ILS, is an enterprise resource planning system for a library. This library management system is designed to coordinate and automate such library functions as the online catalogue, the circulation system, and the acquisitions system.

Virtual Classroom - ASTI offers classroom-like courses over IP. Courses are offered on-line and modules are uploaded and made accessible to intended internet portals. This learning platform has now been adopted by many as a form of distance learning. This kind of system offers a great advantage in terms of availability of school at all times.

Web Hosting - This allows individuals and organizations to host their own website, and users with online systems for storing information, images, video, or other content accessible via the World Wide Web. ASTI-PREGINET provides this service to State Universities and Colleges, Government organizations, and Research Institutions.

Domain Delegation of .gov.ph - ASTI is in charge of delegating .gov.ph domains to various government units.

References:
1 Case study on “Research and Development Management at the Advanced Science and Technology Institute” by Joselito Barquez, Rafael Concepcion and Ronald Gonzales, last 12 March 2011 at TM204 Management of Research and Development class under Dr. Rolando P. Dayco, University of the Philippines Technology Management Center (UP-TMC)
2 Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), asti.dost.gov.ph