A WEB APPLICATION TO SUPPORT DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS FOR PALM SUGAR-BASED PRODUCTS BY COMMUNITY ENTREPRENEURS IN PHETCHABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

The objective of this research were to (1) investigate the problems and needs of community entrepreneurs engaged in the production and sale of processed products from Sugar-based in Phetchaburi Province; (2) develop a web application platform to enhance distribution channels for local entrepreneurs; and (3) evaluate the quality and efficiency of the developed web application. A mixed methods research design was employed. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with five community-based producers of Sugar-based products. After the system development was completed, Quantitative data were collected via an online questionnaire, validated for content accuracy by a panel of experts from two groups: ten digital technology experts selected using purposive sampling, and 195 general users selected through convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, were used to analyze the data. The web application was developed using Next.js for web development, MySQL for database design and management, The JavaScript, CSS, and SQL for system development. Evaluation results after system completion revealed that experts rated the application’s overall quality and efficiency at a high level ( = 3.95) while general users also rated it highly ( = 4.04). These findings indicate that the developed platform effectively meets user needs in terms of core functionality, ease of use, and quality of information, making it well-suited for the digital transformation context of community enterprises.