Learning about digital solutions for businesses
Changing is not easy
COVID-19 has created an unprecedented push on the digital transformation needs of all organizations and businesses. More and more Vietnamese people are turning to e-commerce platforms and digital financial services; as a result, many Vietnamese businesses and services are also taking measures such as accelerating digital transformation projects and offering new services to meet this need.
According to Ms. Bui Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of the Enterprise Development Department - Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), when conducting digital transformation, there are many barriers that organizations and businesses have to face, such as corporate culture, or transparency; or being forced to change the old and traditional business model to create a new one. This is because technology would change the entire way that the businesses operate. However, the most significant difficulty is transforming people or changing mindsets.
Having done "gaining a head start by taking a shortcut" in digital transformation for businesses six years ago, Mr. Tran Minh Duc, Director of Hong Duc Joint Stock Company, shared: "If businesses want to succeed in digital transformation, the first step is that leaders must change their mindsets, determine, and take drastic measures. After that, there must be the consensus of the entire staff, then,digital transformation could be effective. Normally, people are afraid of new concepts since they do not like changes. Therefore, when a new system is applied, it will put a lot of pressure on the enterprise's personnel."
Technology and cost are also the challenges that businesses have to face when taking digital transformation. Enterprises will need time and investment in finance and human resources to change their internal structure and form a new ecosystem.
Large enterprises have the advantage of having an ecosystem. In contrast, small and micro-enterprises do not have a lot of data, and they have little funding to invest in the platform, from the server system to solutions or applications, etc.
Getting into the market not long ago with the tea pellets product, which is highly appreciated by consumers and enabling it to be exported, Mr. Le Hong Thuy, Director of Tra Dinh Vien Company, shared that small and micro enterprises like Tra Dinh Vien need capital for digital transformation. This is because having new capital enables improving product quality as well as transforming digital technology and production technology.
"We hope that in the near future, the province will create favorable conditions for us to borrow loans in order to convert to more advanced technology, improve production, and bring products to domestic and international markets," expressed Mr. Le Hong Thuy.
Specifying supports
During the recent Hue Digital Transformation Week - 2021 (April 27th-30th), Mr. Nguyen Huy Dung, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, stated that digital transformation is a journey, not a destination. On that journey, there will be countless difficulties and challenges.
Ms. Bui Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Enterprise Development, affirmed that if enterprises do not carry out the digital transformation, the consequences will be tremendous. "Now it's not about whether businesses want to do this or not, but it's a must," Ms. Thuy said.
Currently, the Government has issued the National Digital Transformation Program, and the Ministry of Information and Communications has a support program by sectors, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment has "a program to support businesses in Digital Transformation for the period 2021-2025". These all aim to promote digital transformation in enterprises through integrating and applying digital technology to improve capacity and efficiency of business production and to increase competitive advantage as well as create new values for enterprises.
The program's goal is to help raise awareness about digital transformation for more than 800,000 businesses across the country, including Thua Thien Hue enterprises, and to give technical support for 100,000 enterprises and pilot support for 100 typical enterprises in digital transformation.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment cooperated with other ministries and branches to form a network of consultants, develop a digital transformation manual with methods and solutions to support businesses in digital transformation and organize online digital transformation training courses for the business community on the ministry's business support portal. "In the near future, we will coordinate with Thua Thien Hue province in implementing training on digital transformation for local businesses," said Ms. Bui Thu Thuy.
According to Mr. Phan Quoc Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment, the province currently has five critical projects under investment research, including the analyzing system of socio-economic indicators, upgrading infrastructure to ensure digital transformation platform, developing IoT infrastructure for digital transformation and smart city service development, smart city service development project for the period 2021-2025, orientating to 2030; and finally, the deployment of an integrated and shared platform to complete the development of digital Government.
Mr. Phan Ngoc Tho, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, pledged that all levels of the authorities always support businesses in the process of digital transformation. Also, experts will aid and share transformation models and digital transformation experiences for companies. In addition to attracting public investment to develop a digital transformation platform, the province develops policies to support small and medium-sized enterprises in digital transformation in three key directions consisting of building a digital transformation ecosystem, moving towards establishing a business digital transformation club to share experiences and remove difficulties for businesses, and implementing policies to support digital transformation and honor provincial enterprises that are pioneers in digital transformation.
In addition, the province also has policies to support businesses to join e-commerce platforms, train human resources, support new businesses (about digital signatures, free e-invoice fees, supporting the cost of hiring accountants, etc.). "It is expected that every year, the province will allocate about 100 billion VND and until 2025, about 500 billion VND to develop and complete the infrastructure to deploy the province's digital platform," informed Mr. Phan Quoc Son.
Story and photo: Lien Minh