Pilot project will survey the microeconomic data on sixteen companies   Last Wednesday, July 4th, the Furniture Industry Association of Bento Gonçalves (Sindmóveis) signed an agreement with the University of Caxias do Sul to carry out a microeconomic survey on sixteen manufacturers of modular and ready-made furniture. The pilot project aims to supply the industry with indicators that can assess their performance in areas that include the commercial, retail, investment, industrial, human resources, environment and financial / administrative departments. The software for tabulating the information will be completed by the end of July and in August the research team should start visiting the companies in order to encourage their participation in the project. The information provided is confidential and the participants will only have access to data on their own performance, in addition to comparative information with no identification of the other companies. The coordinator of the research, Professor Mônica Mattia, explains that the data will be evaluated every six months and will provide a more detailed overview of factors influencing the competitiveness of enterprises and it can also be used as support for claims to the state and federal governments. "These indicators represent more or less cash," she says. Cátia Scarton, president of Sindmóveis, highlights the importance of taking part in the initiative. According to her, the furniture sector needs more specific indicators, especially those that take into consideration the characteristics of the industry located in Bento Gonçalves. “Bento Gonçalves is a unique case, after all it is the largest and most important furniture center in Brazil,” she says.