Vietnam
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Digital transformation has become a revolution within the Vietnamese business community, in line with the general global trend. The steel industry in general and the VAS Group in particular are not exempted and have considered business digitalization as a “long-arm” that helps the Group to optimize its operations and serve the ultimate goal of providing the best experience for customers and partners.
Digitalization and automation of processes and tasks
Having approached “digital transformation” actively and openly, the VAS Group has applied 4.0 technologies in its administrative system at an early stage. With its steady “Mind of Steel”, the digital transformation process at VAS not only avoided difficulties in implementation but also received strong support from all 6,000 of its employees. Thus, work processes have been improved and productivity optimized for the ultimate goal of enhancing the Group’s product and brand values and providing the best experience for its customers and partners
Digitalization and Automation of Work Processes at VAS Group.
The first milestone in this “digital transformation” began in 2018 when the eInvoice [electronic invoice] system was first introduced in all 6 member businesses of the Group. This was considered to be the first step in the digital transformation journey at VAS.
After years of implementation, the focus of digitalization at VAS Group currently lies in BPM and SAP. In which, BPM is a management software that helps to digitalize the entire process by automating workflows and has been implemented since January 2021. BPM is applied mainly for domestic sales at departments directly under the management of VAS Group. All standardized processes include transparent and clear information that helps VAS Group employees to save time, energy, and resources in tasks that require accuracy and speed, including: creating and approving advances/payment requests, creating payment invoices for suppliers, categorizing money flows, and dealing with public debts. With its fast and accurate processing, BPM significantly advanced professionalism and enhanced the reputation of the VAS Group with its partners and customers.
The SAP solution applied in tandem helped the VAS Group to standardize internally. This is a comprehensive business administration solution that is able to provide plans as well as distribute and utilize business resources. The software designs efficient management processes and supports Management in controlling each part and phase of tasks, and acquire information in a fast, accurate, and timely manner. Thanks to SAP, all processes operated smoothly, especially in a large-scale Group with multiple member companies like VAS Group.
Tearing down barriers, “Advancing the Viet Spirit”
With producing businesses, agencies are the main channels to deliver products to retail customers. However, particularly at VAS, digitalization has brought about an additional benefit as it “lengthened” connections and helped the Group to approach new customers. Instead of distributing products and providing product information solely through agencies, VAS has successfully implemented its website with a loading time of less than 1 second which is compatible with 90/100 devices [according to Google measurements]. Its entirely proactive, effective digitalization strategy served the inquiry needs of all types of customers.
This was a breakthrough for the Group when it embarked upon the rapid consumer sector, helping to approach 4.0-era users in an effective and advanced manner. With time, this step further proved its usefulness as VAS Group became widely embraced by customers with visits to its website increasing significantly from 50,000 visits in September to 250,000 visists in October and maintaining at 100,000 monthly visits throughout the end of 2022.
When speaking of “digitalization” it is inevitable to mention the “touchless, contactless” trend. To reduce dependency on papers and time in fulfilling customers’ requests, VAS has successfully applied a touchless process which is operated entirely online, from downloading contracts, organizing processes, informing relevant parties, to fulfilling contracts, etc. Customers can review and sign contracts on any personal devices anywhere, thus, all tasks are proactively and quickly done and saves time. This process is easier to manage as it enables information confidentiality through digital signatures and helps to avoid risks of losses.
Business digitalization helps the VAS Group
to provide better experience to partners, customers.
After four years of implementing its digitalization plans, the administration model at VAS Group has now become more stable and complete. BPM, SAP, econtract, einvoice, etc., are no longer foreign concepts but has become accompanying tools that foster growth throughout the system and help that Group to optimize values in its cooperation with other parties. Digitalization has torn down spatial and time barriers and became a part in the journey to “Advance the Viet Spirit” that the VAS has been firmly enacting.
Source: VAS
