Doel Laptop: An Analysis of a Failed Project in Bangladesh

Introduction:

The Government of Bangladesh initiated the Doel Laptop project with the goal of reducing the digital divide and fostering information technology literacy among its citizens. The "Doel" laptop marked a significant milestone as it became the first laptop to be assembled within Bangladesh. Inaugurated in 2011, the project's primary objective was to produce cost-effective laptops within the country. During that period, there was significant anticipation surrounding these laptops, with the expectation that high-quality laptops would be accessible within the country at affordable prices. However, the Doel Laptop project encountered numerous obstacles and shortcoming, ultimately resulting in its categorization as a technological failure within the country. Consequently, the Doel laptop failed to garner approval among consumers.

Objectives of this study:

To understand the goals and objectives of the Doel Laptop Project.

To analyze the factors contributing to the failure of the project.

To assess the implications of the failure on Bangladesh's technology sector and economy.

To explore potential lessons that can be learned from the project's shortcomings.

 Methodology:

The analysis involved a comprehensive review of available literature, news articles, and official reports related to the Doel Laptop Project. The research will be qualitative in nature, focusing on identifying key challenges and discussing their impact.

 Background of the Doel laptop:

In 2011, state-owned Telephone Shilpa Sangstha Limited launched the first Doel laptops as part of a project under the National Education Programme. The primary aim of Doel was to offer affordable laptops to students. The government aimed to make technology more accessible, encourage digital education, and boost the local technology industry. Name and logo of Doel the computer's name comes from the national bird of Bangladesh, the Doel or oriental magpie robin, a widely used symbol in Bangladesh.

The laptops were assembled by the state-run Telephone Shilpa Sangstha in partnership with 2M Corporation based in Dhaka and Malaysian TFT Technology. Initially, the project introduced four different laptop models, generating significant interest, particularly for the basic laptop priced at Tk 10,000.

The overarching objective was to provide Doel laptops and other computers to each K-12 student in Bangladesh, accompanied by complimentary educational software like Edubuntu or Sugar, as well as open educational resources. Bangladesh had taken the initiative to digitize a comprehensive collection of textbooks in Bengali, making them freely available for distribution.

 Status of the Doel laptop project: Fall of Doel Laptop

Considerable discussion surrounded the affordable Doel laptops even prior to their official release. The Doel Project launched primarily four models of Doel laptop and the most affordable option, the Primary 2102 model, was priced at Tk 10,000. The other models were available at prices of Tk 13,500, Tk 22,000, and Tk 26,000, respectively. The low price prompted people to line up eagerly to purchase the Primary 2102 model for Tk10,000. When the company later announced a further price reduction to Tk5,000 for the Primary 2102 model, demand skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.

As per the 2013 annual report of TSS, the organization successfully sold a total of 26,622 laptops within a span of just two years. Notably, the Ministry of Education purchased approximately two-thirds of this total, which amounted to 16,615 laptops. Surprisingly, only 98 units of their lowest-priced laptop were sold in two years.

According to the 2016-17 annual report of TSS, they assembled a total of 63,245 Doel laptops across 11 different models, with 58,750 of them being sold between 2011 and 2016.[i]

The major challenges for the project came from the two partners, 2M Corp and TFT, who decided to withdraw from the project in less than a year following the launch of the Doel laptop. They owned a majority share of 75 percent in the project venture. According to a report compiled by TSS, TFT demanded an equipment cost of 2,25,000 BDT. This created several challenges for TSS in managing the project, resulting in a considerable portion of the assembled laptops remaining unsold. In accordance with TSS's annual report for 2013, they managed to sell only 28,000 laptops within two years, out of the 37,059 laptops that were assembled.[ii]

Customers, however, quickly grew dissatisfied with the laptop's performance. Sequentially, users began to report issues such as frequent battery drainage, excessive heating, and malfunctions within the operating system. Ultimately, in 2016, TSS made the decision to cease operations of the 'Doel laptop project' entirely.

Factors that played a role in the project's failure.

With this low-priced laptop manufacturing is quite impossible. Low priced laptop is not user- friendly or sustainable so after launching to the market in 2011, the production of 'Doel' stopped within 2 years.

There were many contributing factors to the failure of the Doel laptop project. Lack of fund and withdraw fund by the partners is one of the reasons for the failure of the project. Also due to the poor configuration of the laptop are low demanding of the targeted customers.

Among which, there was the consumer perception about the quality of the laptops. Even though the laptops were meant to be affordable in nature, the TSS was manufacturing laptops with very low specifications to keep the prices of the laptops down. Consequently, the performance of Doel laptops was very poor, and users expressed dissatisfaction with their overall performances.

 Users encountered issues across nearly every aspect of the Doel laptops, with only a few exceptions. 83 per cent of users complained about the batteries, 35 per cent complained about RAM, 7.5 per cent pointed to issues related to audio and input-output connectivity, and about 18 per cent complained about the processors.

Furthermore, a majority of the Doel laptop's components lacked durability, and the absence of after-sales service to solve the problem. These factors collectively eroded people's trust in the Doel laptops and are widely regarded as the primary reasons for the limited demand. In summary, the overall customer satisfaction with the Doel laptop is notably low.[iv]

With the emergence of faster internet connection, everyone was checking up online before buying any product, especially electronics. Consequently, renowned brands such as HP and Dell have established a dominant presence in the market due to their top-notch laptop offerings. Consequently, the competition was stiff right from the outset for Doel laptops. Ultimately, in 2016, TSS made the decision to entirely terminate the 'Doel laptop project.

Implications:

The implications of the failed Doel laptop project were multifaceted. It resulted in financial losses, eroded public trust, and left users dissatisfied due to issues with product quality and performance. Furthermore, the project missed opportunities for educational advancement and hindered the growth of the local manufacturing industry.

Users who purchased Doel laptops faced numerous issues, including poor performance, hardware problems, and inadequate customer support. This led to dissatisfaction and frustration among consumers. The project damaged the credibility and trust in government-backed technology initiatives. It also raised questions about the quality and reliability of locally assembled products. Negative perception of domestically produced technology products, making it more challenging for future initiatives to gain traction.

The failure of the Doel laptop project resulted in a significant waste of financial resources, time, and effort that could have been utilized in more productive initiatives. The project tarnished the reputation of the government's technology initiatives and raised doubts about their ability to execute large-scale projects effectively.

 The project's inability to manufacture quality laptops increased the country's dependency on imported technology products, undermining the initial goal of reducing reliance on foreign goods. The failure of the project meant missed opportunities to enhance digital literacy and technology adoption among citizens, hindering the overall goal of the Digital Bangladesh initiative.

The failure of the Doel laptop project allowed other laptop brands to dominate the market, potentially hindering the growth of a domestic technology industry. Even though the failures, this project raised awareness among consumers about the importance of thorough research and quality assessment when purchasing technology products, even when they are offered at lower prices.

Recommendation:

The experience of the Doel laptop project serves as a valuable lesson for future government-backed technology initiatives, emphasizing the importance of rigorous planning, quality control, and transparency.

Consider running small-scale pilot programs to test the viability and acceptance of a product or service before scaling up to a larger audience. For quality of the product or service need to ensure rigorous testing and quality control measures are in place to address potential issues and defects.

Be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances and feedback from users. Make necessary improvements based on user experiences and evolving technology trends.

Government needs to modernize this organization and needs to invest more for the research and development to make further initiatives like Laptop project. Provide robust customer support, maintenance, and warranty services to address issues that may arise after product distribution.

Engage private sector partners with relevant expertise and resources to reduce the burden on government agencies and enhance project efficiency.

TSS should manufacture own product rather than work as an assembler. As an assembler of laptop, we have to pay 13-15 percent VAT where some manufacturing company have to pay 2-3 percent, for all those reasons our product price become higher.

Incorporating these recommendations can help prevent the pitfalls that led to the failure of the Doel laptop project and contribute to the success of future technology initiatives.

Conclusion:

Despite the failure, there may have been valuable lessons learned about the complexities of launching and sustaining large-scale technology projects. Considering these lessons, it is imperative that the government and stakeholders in Bangladesh approach future technology projects with caution, diligence, and adaptability. By applying these lessons and recommendations, the government can harness technology to benefit its citizens effectively and avoid the pitfalls that plagued the Doel laptop project. Ultimately, the failure of the Doel laptop project should serve as a catalyst for more thoughtful, transparent, and successful technology initiatives in the future.

 References:

[i] Telephone Shilpa Sangstha, Annual Report 2016-17

[ii] Telephone Shilpa Sangstha, Annual Report 2013

[iii] Enactment of a Local Laptop Brand: A Study on DOEL Laptop, July 2014,