Education, BCDI’s Bridge to SuccessTechnological advancement is an inevitable occurrence in the society. Information and Communication Technology is a significant aspect of economy all over the word, so IT and Engineering courses were constantly developed and innovated to harness young individuals and excel on these fields.
Expertise in ICT was Ateneo De Manila’s goal by launching a research and development team within the university. In the perspective of commerce, research and development normally refers to future-oriented, longer-term activities in science or technology. This means immense demand thus ADMU’s R&D became bigger. It is then when they have to spin it off as its essential to hire more designers to achieve the client’s needs.
Seek and You Shall Find From the research and development team of Ateneo comes Blue Chip Designs Incorporated, one of the fast emerging companies offering services such as digital and controller design, embedded systems and microprocessor based systems.
Dr. Rosula Reyes is the Chief Operating Officer of Blue Chip Design Inc. together with, Bughaw Electronic Solution and Technologies (Best). She is also an Associate Professor of ADMU’s Department of Electronics, Computer and Communications Engineering Program. Dr. Reyes believes that being in the academe and having the right people with bright and young ideas was the company’s capital. It’s their primary resource for hitting it good on the semiconductor industry.
The rise of the Research and Development Team of Ateneo was not meant to be a profitable institution at first. But ADMU’s endeavor of seeking new knowledge to teach to their students made them find themselves in a business venture that needed attention and expansion thus, contributing more pride for Ateneo.
Practice makes perfect Educators of Ateneo practiced their students in such a way that makes them prepared and ready to face the challenges of the task ahead so what started as a school activity designed to research and develop technology at the same time enhance the skills of the students, evolved as a company. “We started as a research and development team within the university but when it became bigger, we have to spin it off because we need to hire more designers,” stated by Dr. Reyes. Because of this Blue Chip emerged as a company that specializes in Software and Firmware driver development and Hardware design that caters other R&D companies.
Unlike other companies who experienced a rough start, Blue Chip Design Inc. immediately started with a customer. With an existing client at hand BCDI was incorporated last 2003.
The company materialized from a series of unexpected events. There was a group of Japanese who was looking for a company that can complete their project, for almost two years no team achieved their specifications so the job was brought to the academe. The R&D team of ADMU labored the task for six months that resulted into a successful partnership with the Japanese.
BCDI, Paving the way of Success Blue Chip Designs visualize itself as the leader in the field of Research and Technology and slowly but surely BCDI is on its way to be a major player on the field of Microelectronics, Computing and Telecommunications.
Another evidence of stability is BCDI’s manpower. It hasn’t been a problem for the company since they are mostly comprised of faculty and alumni from the department of electronics, computer and communications engineering, hiring part time and full time students from Ateneo. “We know our students so we know where to get them. And we have the first choice of students in Ateneo,
kung alam naming magaling, kukuhanin na namin, uunahan na namin dahil galing Ateneo.” (If we know that they can deliver, we’ll hire them for we prioritize those who came from Ateneo.)
Blue Chip’s target patron are also other R&D companies, Dr, Reyes described their operations as, they are being outsourced by other Research and Development teams, “
meron na silang project na ginawa namin para sa kanila ang portion ng controller na kailangan nila tapos ibebenta na rin nila ang product na yun.” (They have a project, which we will complete the portion of the controller that they need, then they will be the one to sell it.)
By taking part of the work of the clients, introduction of Blue Chips products to the market became an easy task. For example, the Japanese outsourced us for the software and firmware of the Macon printer, when the product is already developed the Japanese sold the idea to printer producing companies. “They give their specifications and they present it how they want it to be done, then we give our own model, our own algorithm
na nagulat pa sila dahil we made a faster printer, so we don’t really rely on their terms but we give them better solution.” (They were even surprised that we made a faster printer.)
Competing and Expanding Globally Convenience may flood the existence of BCDI but some worries are always present on a growing company. Difference in culture is one of the basic problems that BCDI is facing since they are catering foreign clients. One problem is the basic custom disparity between BCDI and the Japanese; they have to report at work even during holidays although fortunately flexible during undemanding seasons.
Nevertheless, culture difference is not a barrier for Blue Chip to expand globally. They joined SEMITECH a Center for International Trade, Expositions and Missions, fair for semiconductors held annually in Taiwan. And according to Dr. Reyes, Semitech has been a very good exposure for Blue Chip. “We’ve learned about the cultures of the Taiwanese, it gave us an idea of what they would like to be, what they want to focus on and what will be their needs. So if we want to get some partner with them we have to prepare ourselves.”
Currently, BCDI have three Japanese clients and one American company but is based on the Philippines. Again, it’s a different culture so BCDI studied the proper facts, appropriate companies and then established the credibility needed to be known overseas.
One of the problems we had encountered while trying to make a name on some foreign countries and yet ours was still a small enterprise, was when foreign clients would want to know the number of our employees. They tend to depend the capabilities of the company on the number of its staff. “Like chicken and egg, you can get so many employees without so many work. So right now, we are investing on R&D
para habang wala pang client, maghahanap muna kami ng projects para maparami namin ang staff.” (Since we don’t have clients yet, we look for projects to increase our work force.)
However when asked if Philippines is ready to compete in the global market, Dr. Reyes judge it as the country still needs to prepare and still need to have more graduate engineers. “Lets say in the Semicon industry, we’re used to doing what the foreign companies tell us to do, but we need to revolutionize that by motivating our engineers to do a little bit more of what we used to do.”
Victory over Obstacles Filipino engineers are well advanced and well informed; unfortunately there is not much resources to initiate on. Dr. Reyes sets an example as; “If you want engineers to turn into design engineers then supply them the cut tools with the emulator kits.” For definite improvement comes from the instruments provided.
Small and Medium Enterprises opted to outsource from foreign companies according to Dr. Reyes, because they have taken into consideration some pressing factors that undeniably hinders the creation of their own products. She addressed the following as: 1. Support – the task is very difficult and very expensive they need a co-investor to start with it. 2. Investment - a small company is not yet ready to do something risky, and 3. SME’s need the assurance that a company will eventually avail their project.
Obstacles might come in the way of a rising enterprise but there are some pointers that came in handy for Blue chip to taste the sweetness of victory. Dr. Reyes shared it, as companies should establish credibility with their very first client for it’s their stepping stone to success. A perfect illustration is Blue Chip; they have been maintaining their first client for six years now hence they have a success story to tell. Work hard and deliver, its how you build trust and a name for your target market to see. For great effort deserves triumph.
For more information on Blue Chip Design Inc., products and services log on to www.bcdph.com 
