Handbook on digital transformation for SMEs introduced

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung, Deputy Director of the Department of Business Development, in the context of digital era, the digital economy and the fourth Industrial Revolution are taking place strongly. Innovation and digital transformation is considered as an effective way to create new impulses and values for the country’s economic development, as well as improving the competitiveness of enterprises.

He then emphasised that digital transformation has become a pressing issue, particularly in the post COVID-19 period as the pandemic's impacts have drastically changed people's habits as well as the whole society, requiring organisations, individuals and businesses to adapt to.

Applying new technology and boosting digital transformation are key strategic plans to strengthen the food processing sector’s position and increase competitive advantages over other markets. 

The programme to support businesses in digital transformation in the 2021-2025 period strives to enhance awareness of digital transformation among all businesses; at least 100,000 enterprises receive technical support on digital transformation; at least 100 supported businesses are typical successful digital transformation models; establish a network of experts including at least 100 organisations and individuals to consult, provide solutions to promote digital transformation for businesses, and support digital platform development.

According to the 2022 Enterprise Digital Transformation Annual Report of the Department of Business Development, digital transformation has shown signs of increasing and many businesses have set aside specific budgets for digital transformation.

Therefore, the Enterprise Development Agency under the Ministry of Plans and Investment (MPI), in collaboration with the Centre for Digital Transformation and Agricultural Statistics under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), released a handbook to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food processing and distribution industry digitalise effectively. 

The guidebook provides technical solutions that are effectively applied to different stages in the value chain of firms based on the features of the food processing and distribution sectors. Depending on the business's potential, technological solutions might be implemented sequentially or concurrently. Businesses should prioritise two solutions for early deployment: multi-channel sales solutions and traceability to boost income and connections in the chain.