Digitalisation is the game-changer

Dr. Pham Thai Lai, president and CEO of Siemens ASEAN and Vietnam

Digitalisation is transforming all areas of our lives. Can you name some of its most significant impacts on the economy and society?

Briefly and simply, digital technologies can make manufacturing more productive and less resource-intensive, and supply chains more resilient. These changes can also enable the widespread integration of renewable energy, make cities more liveable, render transport more efficient, and vastly improve healthcare delivery.

Which industries do you think will be most beneficial from the digitalisation process?

The top three industries that come to my mind include manufacturing, healthcare, and supply chain management.

The industrial world is facing urgent and rapidly changing challenges. The pandemic has changed the demand for goods and the conditions for their production virtually overnight. In situations like this, industries must quickly adapt to new conditions and maintain operations, even when employees are working from home. This requires the ability to rapidly ramp up systems without overloading them and procure materials and parts in time and be able to package larger quantities far more quickly.

Other global challenges are just as pressing. The global population is growing and with it the demand for food, water, energy, and other necessities. At the same time, consumers are becoming more aware and want personalised products, of high quality, safe, affordable – and eco-friendly as well. All this in the face of our planet’s dwindling resources.

Digitalisation and automation are the game-changers for mastering these challenges. Industrial companies can only master these complex and ever-changing tasks with the support of integrated digitalisation and automation – and by intelligently linking and analysing data.

Healthy economies depend on healthy populations. We must not lose sight of the fact that before the pandemic struck, healthcare systems around the world were already under pressure due to rising costs and insufficient resources. Thanks to digital technology, the diagnosis and treatment of diseases can be greatly improved and the burdens on healthcare systems can be alleviated. Digital assistants powered by AI, for example, can assist radiologists in diagnosing medical images. A digital twin of the vaccine development process has enabled GlaxoSmithKline to reduce the time for vaccine development by around 25 per cent, as well as reduce waste by 10 per cent.

The pandemic has caused severe supply chain disruptions in many countries over the world. The situation could be much worse without digital technologies that are already available today. Digitalisation has helped to make the supply chain more efficient and agile. It allows businesses to better cope with challenges and stay competitive even in such turbulent times. It also helps to build the resilience of supply chains against potential risks.

In the context of Industry 4.0, most enterprise processes must become more digitalised. I agree with the statement from PwC’s study that one of the critical elements will be the evolution of traditional supply chains towards a connected, smart, and highly efficient ecosystem. And digitalisation is the key enabler of this evolution.

How is Siemens helping its customers in Vietnam to unlock the full potential of digitalisation?

To enable companies to fully make use of the digitalisation potential, Siemens is offering the Digital Enterprise – a holistic portfolio of software and automation solutions. The portfolio enables industrial companies of all sizes to implement current and future technologies for automation and digitalisation. Thus, they can tap into the full potential of Industry 4.0 and get ready for the next level of their digital transformation journey.

In Vietnam, we’re very pleased to work with several enterprises that are pioneers in digital transformation, such as VinFast and Truong Hai Auto Corporation (THACO).

As Vietnam’s first volume car manufacturer, VinFast has successfully produced its first cars ahead of schedule using Siemens’ portfolio of integrated software and hardware. The entire value chain has been integrated and digitalised with Siemens’ Digital Enterprise portfolio.

THACO – a well-established auto manufacturing, assembly, and distribution enterprise in Vietnam – has been a valued Siemens customer for many years. THACO has deployed the Siemens PLM Teamcenter, integrated computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering analysis solutions, and other products by Siemens to build up the corporation’s research and development centre.

Lastly, the partnership between Cosmos and Vietbay, a Siemens Digital Industries Software partner, led to the implementation of NX™ software solutions. With NX, Cosmos digitalised their part manufacturing process – from CAD models to finished parts. The integrated CAD/CAM solution helped improve production efficiency by 50 per cent while increasing quality and reducing costs.