<b>Informações fundamentais ao gerenciamento das atividades da cadeia de valor - O caso das pequenas empresas industriais de produtos alimentares</b>

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the information judged to be the most important in the administration of the activities of the Value Chain in small food-products industries – specifically the ones of the betterment, milling, torrefaction, and the make up of vegetal food products, in Rio Grande do Sul, in the perspective of a group of entrepreneurs and experts. The paper emphasizes the subject of the participation of the small businesses in the Brazilian economy is very relevant, what ratifies the importance and attention given to them. Just like the big companies, the small companies can and ought to use the available resources for the best usage and management of them. The information is one of these resources, that when well administered and effectively used helps directly in the decisionmaking process that supports the business, even by the fact of reducing the error chances among the decisions. The formal management of the information is not still a real fact in the great part of the small businesses. However, it may be the basis for definition and consecution of the strategies that aim the competitive advantage.

Keywords: information, value chain, management of the activities.