Depok, July 9, 2025 — Dr. Herliana Dewi, a doctoral graduate from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI), has successfully completed her dissertation and doctoral promotion with the title, “Routing the Competitive Strategy of Indonesian Testing, Inspection, & Certification (TIC) Companies: Between Porter’s Five Forces Perspective and Dynamic Capabilities.” Her research offers strategic guidance for Indonesian TIC companies to enhance their competitiveness in an increasingly dynamic global landscape.

The Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) services sector is a strategic industry that ensures the quality, safety, and compliance of products and services. While the global TIC market is projected to reach USD 282.76 billion by 2030, Indonesia’s contribution remains relatively small, accounting for only about 0.23% of the global market share in 2022. This competitiveness gap became the central focus of Dr. Dewi’s research.

Her dissertation aimed to map the competitiveness of Indonesian TIC companies using the perspectives of Porter’s Five Forces and Dynamic Capabilities, design competitive “routing” strategies based on these two approaches, and determine strategic priorities using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).

Using a mixed-methods approach involving descriptive analysis, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), and AHP, Dr. Dewi developed a competitiveness map.

“This map highlights that external pressures, such as the intensity of competition and the threat of substitution, dominate the industry structure according to Porter’s Five Forces. On the other hand, from the internal perspective of Dynamic Capabilities, innovation, digitalization, collaboration, customer solutions, and engagement are key to achieving dynamic advantages,” explained Dr. Dewi.

She further elaborated that through AHP analysis, focus strategy emerged as the top priority from Porter’s approach, while innovation capability ranked highest from the Dynamic Capabilities perspective.

Dr. Dewi also noted that although focus strategy is contextually relevant, it has limitations in the long run as it is vulnerable to market changes. The competitive routing based on Porter emphasizes efficiency, technical reputation, and strategic partnerships. In contrast, routing based on Dynamic Capabilities emphasizes sensing (detecting changes), seizing (responding to opportunities), and reconfiguring (reconfiguring capabilities) driven by reputation and core competencies.

“Another key finding is that Porter’s Five Forces serves more as a diagnostic tool, while the Resource-Based View (RBV), which focuses on dynamic capabilities, is more relevant in explaining sustainable competitive advantage for Indonesian TIC companies, particularly those that leverage core competencies and strategic alliances,” Dr. Dewi stated.

Dr. Herliana Dewi’s research makes an important contribution to the formulation of strategies for Indonesian TIC companies to compete effectively in the increasingly competitive global market, driving innovation and achieving sustainable competitive advantage.

The doctoral promotion examination committee was chaired by Prof. Dr. Milla Sepliana Setyowati, M.Ak., with Prof. Dr. Martani Huseini, MBA. as the main supervisor, and Dr. Andreo Wahyudi Atmoko, M.Si. as the co-supervisor. Committee members included Prof. Dr. Ir. Mohammad Hamsal, MSE, MQM, MBA., Dr. Sri Bramantoro Abdinagoro, MM, CBV, CMP., Dr. Heri Fathurahman, M.Si., and Dr. Achmad Fauzi, M.E.