Real digital transformation outcomes for businesses
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, there are currently approximately 82,723 active digital technology enterprises nationwide. Revenue from the digital technology industry is estimated at over 770 trillion VND, a 36% increase compared to the same period in 2025.
Concurrently, many enterprises are proactively investing in AI, cloud computing, blockchain, and automation, thereby gradually enhancing their technological capabilities and expanding their business horizons.
In the case of Sun Group, digital transformation has helped raise the share of revenue from digital channels from under 10% to nearly 60%, while reducing intermediary costs and enabling the group to gradually master its customer data.
At Phu Quoc International Airport, the group collaborated with the Ministry of Public Security and the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam to implement non-stop authentication and check-in procedures.
By applying biometric technology to automate processes, they reduced waiting times approximately tenfold and cut gate-passage time to just two seconds, achieving an accuracy rate of nearly 100%.
However, the digital transformation process still faces bottlenecks that hinder businesses from fully realising the benefits of their investments. Drawing on practical experience in implementing technology projects, Nguyen Hai Son—Executive Vice President of CMC Corporation and CEO of CMC Technology & Solutions (CMC TS)—noted that while the Government has issued Decree 224/2026/ND-CP detailing the procedures for investment, procurement, and the leasing of digital technology services, CMC Corporation has still faced significant obstacles at the local level.
The primary reason is that project owners, wary of legal risks, often prioritize lengthy open bidding processes over the “direct commissioning” mechanism. Many localities propose that enterprises conduct pilot implementations for one to two years before submitting formal investment procedures.
In such scenarios, enterprises must shoulder the initial costs themselves, whereas state support is capped at 30% of the cost and a maximum of 15 billion VND.
Son proposed that the State consider assigning tasks based on a specific mechanism: the State defines the problem or requirement, enterprises register to undertake the task and commit resources and specific outputs, and the State evaluates and conducts post-implementation reviews based on the results.
The Viet Nam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) has faced similar challenges. To Dung Thai, Chairman of the Board of Members at VNPT, stated that regarding large-scale inter-ministerial databases, the progress of synchronising component data remains uneven.
Although many technology projects have successfully passed technical trials, legal procedures and budget allocations at various agencies and units remain slow, preventing the signing of contracts for many of these initiatives.
Furthermore, Decision No. 1132/QĐ-TTg regarding the list of national shared digital platforms has not yet fully specified technical requirements, connectivity standards, or the clear demarcation of operational responsibilities between central and local authorities, causing some confusion among localities regarding investment allocation.
Interconnected processes for the assessment and certification of cybersecurity products, as well as procedures for inspection and monitoring connectivity testing, remain overlapping...
Connecting data to boost digital transformation efficiency
In reality, data remains a core bottleneck in current digital transformation efforts. According to UNESCO, Viet Nam still lacks the structured, standardised, and labeled data—components that are virtually essential for deploying AI applications at scale. Data fragmentation hinders system connectivity and limits the overall efficiency of processes.
Digital transformation requires not only effective solutions but also the ability to connect, share, and leverage data across systems, gradually creating an interconnected digital ecosystem that generates added value.
Experts from Viettel’s Data Service and AI Centre (Viettel AI) advocate for a centralized approach, utilising a shared data repository as the infrastructure to link currently disparate information sources. This centralised platform enables the collection, storage, and management of data from various systems within a unified architecture.
Viettel AI is developing solutions that enable ministries, sectors, and localities to integrate data from diverse systems into a unified infrastructure, where it is standardized and ready for use.
A prime example is the Viettel Data Analytics and Management Platform (Viettel DAP). This platform automates data aggregation, generates real-time reports, performs multidimensional data analysis, and supports operational monitoring within a single unified architecture; it helps reduce reporting volume by up to 92% and information aggregation time by 95%.
According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, while the volume of cleaned data is a key indicator, it is not the sole metric for success. The intended outcomes must be concrete products that are measurable, verifiable, and practically operational; success is to be gauged by output products, operational data, user numbers, and reductions in paperwork, time, and costs, as well as the satisfaction levels of citizens and businesses.
The effectiveness of digital transformation hinges not only on establishing a favourable institutional framework but also on the readiness of enterprises. The programme for digital economy and digital society development for the 2026–2030 period—approved via Decision No. 1033/QĐ-TTg on June 9, 2026—aims for the digital economy to contribute approximately 30% of GDP by 2030. Achieving this goal requires ministries, sectors, localities, and—crucially—enterprises to unlock resources and enhance implementation capabilities.
A representative from the Department of Digital Economy and Digital Society (Ministry of Science and Technology) stated that the Ministry has issued a set of indicators to assess the level of digital transformation within enterprises, allowing businesses to proactively select tools suited to their specific operational characteristics.
