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Documentation of Product Development Processes in Selected MFIs: United Sugarcane Planters of Davao Savings and Credit Cooperative - A Case Study


This case study describes the product development process in the United Sugarcane Planters of Davao Savings and Credit Cooperative (USPD-SCC). The paper describes successful products and services of UPSD-SCC. These include savings services, loan services, microfinance services using the “Savings and Credit with Education (SCWE)” methodology, insurance products and mortuary benefits. It then describes the following phases in the product development process: * Research to identify needs and opportunities, * Design and pilot testing, * Monitoring and evaluation of the pilot test, * Revision and scaling-up of implementation. The paper identifies the following success factors in product development: * An efficient team, * Buy-in, * Market segmentation, * Market research, * Institutional preparedness, * Operational and financial performance. It concludes that: * The “Credit Union Empowerment and Strengthening Project (CUES)” of the Philippines has played a major role in the development of UPSD-SCC, * Products and services that are non-traditional to cooperatives have become important sources of income for UPSD-SCC, * The management and staff are highly committed to delivering quality products and services, * In the future, UPSD-SCC will have to explore new markets and areas to be sustainable.

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