DIAGNOSTICS AND ACTION PLANS FOR INNOVATION IN SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES OF JUAZEIRO/BA

Abstract

Due to the globalization and economic instability in Brazil, Small Businesses (SBs), despite having financial resources, must also constant changes in firms. To support these companies, SEBRAE has the Local Innovation Agents Program (ALI). The idea is to diagnose the current landscape and to contribute to innovation in processes, products, services, business models, organizational management or marketing methods. In this study, 5 SBs, located in the industrial district of Juazeiro / BA, were selected, which agreed to participate in the Program. This is an applied, quantitative-qualitative study and realized from multiple case studies. Based on predefined variables and criteria, the examination was realized considering 13 dimensions and scoring the Degree of Innovation (DI) in each of them. Considering the GI diagnosis and score of each variable component of the dimensions, Action Plans (AP) were elaborated in conjunction with owners of the SBs, resulting in definition of the actions conditioned by decision of their owner. For two SBs, the financial factor had a great impact, being adopted short-term low-cost solutions in order to financial improvement that would allow more significant subsequent advances. In diagnosis (R0), all the firms were classified as ``little innovative{''}, with a higher DI for a company of Fruit Pulp. For this, it was predicted classification as ``occasional innovator{''} after the AP execution at the end of the first cycle (R1). The results recommend a special attention to the dimensions: aggregation of value, organization, offer and innovative ambience in all firms.