Digital transformation roadmap outlined for enterprises

The digital transformation roadmap was announced on December 1 in Vinh Phuc province

Xuan Hoa JSC (furniture manufacturer) and TOMECO Mechanic Electrical JSC (industrial fan manufacturer) are two of the first enterprises participating in the programme.

According to the plan, the programme will select 100 enterprises in 10 manufacturing industries to serve as a model for 100,000 other enterprises. The selected firms must fulfil the highest standards to be the exemplar for businesses in the operating industry in the implementation of digital transformation.

Unlike previous digital transformation programmes, the MPI has decided to develop this programme in a sustainable way. A team of experts and programme coordinators from the MPI will coordinate with supervision and support from USAID to design a digital transformation manual for businesses based on their operating characteristics. Already one year into its implementation, the programme has built trust among enterprises with well-defined vision, goals, and implementation.

“We need to build a long-term vision and then implement it in phases. For successful digital transformation, people willing to apply digital transformation is a prerequisite and also the most difficult factor. Next is a security solution when the entire process and operation digitised and in the cloud. The third is the issue of copyright,” said chairman and general director of TOMECO Mechanic Electrical JSC Le Quy Kha.

Le Duy Anh, general director of Xuan Hoa JSC said that digital transformation assists the company in quickly adopting new business models while fostering work efficiency and maintaining competitiveness in times of hardship. “To survive the pandemic, enterprises need to simplify and streamline production. For Vietnam to become the world's high-tech manufacturing hub, we have to compete with enterprises from China, Europe, Africa, and the US,” said Duy Anh.

He added that 97 per cent of Vietnamese enterprises are small- and medium-sized. Thus, it is crucial for domestic firms to scale up their business and enhance their competitiveness. As a result, the consultant team's involvement in assisting organisations in visualising the roadmap and developing their digital transformation processes is critical.

“We will gradually digitise our process towards building a smart factory with a wide range of products, a high degree of customisation, and a complex list of materials. This is the only way for us to efficiently conserve our resources while growing our business,” he shared.

Le Manh Hung, director of the Agency of Enterprise Development, said, “Currently, SMEs in the manufacturing sector are facing numerous difficulties in digital transformation with selecting and deploying the appropriate solutions. They need a team of experts, however, with limited resources, SMEs confront various challenges in building a digital transformation roadmap. The programme of the MPI has supported them in overcoming this problem. The selected expert team has accompanied businesses to design their digital transformation roadmap in line with the current situation, industries, goals, and resources of each individual business. As a result, enterprises can have an overall picture, a long-term strategy, and detailed information on which activities to accomplish and which technological solutions to deploy in order to achieve comprehensive digital transformation.”

Do Hoang Hai, leading expert of the Supporting Enterprises’ Digital Transformation programme, said: "The package to build a digital transformation roadmap for businesses aims to assist them in defining their digital transformation objectives and orientations, determining what needs to be done, and evaluating which resources are appropriate for the business. Based on the survey, assessment, and working with the company's staff, the expert group will provide businesses with their overall picture and develop specific strategies to achieve their transformation goals."

The Supporting Enterprises’ Digital Transformation programme targets to make 100 per cent of enterprises aware of digital transformation and support at least 100,000 enterprises to use a digital transformation readiness evaluation tool and other digital solutions, and at least 100 manufacturing and processing enterprises to adopt digital transformation.