Thesis (Master in Management) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, July 2022

The printing industry is viewed as a highly demanding sector, requiring highly qualified workers and cutting-edge machinery. This is driven by customers? expectations of excellent quality, short lead times, and low prices. By 2020, the local industry was hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating how susceptible its operations and supply chain to economic disruptions. Strategic planning is critical for determining the best methods for dealing with the pandemic's repercussions while also preparing for such risks. In this study of a printing press in Davao City, the comprehensive strategic model of Fred David was applied, along with risk analysis, for strategic planning by formulating strategies based on its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Analyzing the strategic issues revealed that backward integration and related diversification is the most appealing plan for addressing the issues, which are largely supply chain related. The proposal will optimize the firm's supply chain and operations which entails establishing direct importation of paper from China or other countries for printing and retail consumption. The implementation and assessment plans for the proposed strategy were then developed. If executed, this will aid the company's recovery and resilience by lowering expenses while increasing revenue from selling paper in excess of its manufacturing requirements.