According to the "National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with a vision to 2030" approved by the Prime Minister, logistics is one of the eight sectors that need to be prioritized for digital transformation. However, experts point out that, in reality, there is no single model for digital transformation in the logistics sector that applies to all businesses.
On the morning of October 18th, a workshop on the topic "Digital Transformation in Logistics – The Current State of Logistics Operations and Successful Digital Transformation Stories in Vietnam" took place in Ho Chi Minh City. The workshop was part of the Go Digital digital enterprise development program, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Industrial Park Enterprises Association (HBA) in collaboration with the Digital Transformation Alliance (DTS) and Smartlog Supply Chain Solutions.
According to the "National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with a vision to 2030" approved by the Prime Minister, logistics is one of the eight sectors that need to be prioritized for digital transformation.
To date, large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises in this sector have been undergoing digital transformation to enhance their competitiveness and improve the efficiency of their supply chain management.
Attending the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Giang, General Director of Saigon Beer Trading Company Limited (SABECO), affirmed that the digital transformation of the logistics industry is a long and difficult journey that any business wanting to develop must overcome. At the same time, there is no single model that works for all businesses. To begin this journey, businesses need thorough preparation in terms of personnel, capabilities, team mindset, budget, communication, etc. Detailed data preparation will help the transformation process achieve high efficiency.
SABECO officially launched its digital transformation in 2020 to improve its working methods through optimization, standardization, and automation of processes, starting from the supply chain, warehouse operations, sales, and smart business systems.
Speaking on behalf of participating businesses at the event, Mr. Vu Hai – Head of Import-Export Department of De Linh Co., Ltd. – Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone, said: "From a macro perspective, we strongly support the government's policies on digital transformation. We have been applying digital technology to our management and operations since early on, as soon as we recognized its advantages in management, economics, and simplification.".
However, logistics operations involve many different steps, and currently, not all steps are digitally controlled (for example, in the export process, if our company exports goods in full containers, management is very easy. But orders are not always the same; some are small, requiring container consolidation, forcing us to transport goods to the CFS warehouse before loading them into individual containers. Although we have applied digital technology (pre-declaration), loading and unloading still depends on human labor at the last minute, and people may leave before their scheduled break time, leaving goods unloaded until the next working day)... If there were a tool that could solve this problem, it would help businesses save time, especially food export businesses like ours.
Also present at the event, Mr. Mai Van Thanh, Lecturer at the College of Technology and Business Administration (CTIM), shared: "We have been training in logistics for quite some time, but the application of science and technology in training has mainly been through free educational software applications. If there were a software that could connect with real-world databases to better understand the business needs of enterprises, it would save training time and help students easily adapt to the operating model and processes of businesses.".
Source: Business & Investment Magazine
