Hà Văn Út, deputy director of the HCM City's Department of Industry and Trade delivers his speech at the conference. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY  — Digital transformation and technology adoption have become essential for Vietnamese manufacturers seeking to improve productivity, product quality and production management, while strengthening their positions in global supply chains, experts said.

The remarks were made at a conference reviewing the 2026 Smart Factory Development Cooperation Project in the South, organised by the HCM City's Department of Industry and Trade in collaboration with Samsung Electronics Vietnam on Wednesday.

Speaking at the conference, Samsung expert Lee Kyung Ha said smart factories needed to integrate data through a unified operating system connecting factory operations with the wider supply chain. This would enable manufacturers to base operational improvements on data rather than relying on traditional manual management, while standardising processes and building a sustainable digital foundation for production.

Although participating businesses follow the same programme, implementation must be tailored to their specific production activities to maximise efficiency, identify operational shortcomings and address bottlenecks, he said.

Digital transformation should ultimately deliver measurable improvements in business development, production planning, quality control, logistics and energy management.

Cat Thai Manufacturing and Trading Co and SMC Investment and Trading JSC have shifted towards real-time production management systems and used data to improve product quality. Meanwhile, VietAus Polymer and SIBA High-Tech Machinery Group JSC have stabilised operations at their new factories by incorporating digitalisation technologies from the outset.

Lê Hoàng Trung, deputy general director of SIBA High-Tech Machinery Group JSC, said participation in the project has enabled the company to reassess factory operations, adopt advanced management practices and gradually develop a smart factory roadmap aligned with its long-term strategy.

Initial results included improvements to production facilities, standardisation of work processes, greater quality awareness, better warehouse and logistics management and stronger equipment oversight, he said.

SIBA has also begun digitising design data through a product data management (PDM) system, monitoring energy consumption and visualising production information.

These initiatives have delivered practical improvements while helping employees better understand implementation priorities and the roadmap for further transformation, Trung said.

As international integration deepens and competitive pressures mount, industrial manufacturers need to strengthen their domestic capabilities, modernise production systems and standardise data-driven management to participate more deeply in global supply chains.

However, smart factory development remains a significant undertaking, requiring substantial resources, time and sustained commitment. Implementation models must therefore reflect each company's operating environment and capabilities to ensure resources are used effectively.

Hà Văn Út, deputy director of the HCM City's Department of Industry and Trade, said the city valued the project not only for the software deployed or technical indicators improved, but also for its impact on management practices.

Participating businesses were moving away from experience-based decision-making towards data-driven management, while professionalising operations and standardising processes to meet increasingly stringent requirements from domestic and international supply chains, he said.

Over recent months, Samsung experts have worked directly with these four mentioned firms to assess their operations and develop tailored development roadmaps.

The department's Centre for Industrial and Supporting Industries Development has also coordinated with Samsung Electronics Vietnam and its team of experienced experts to help local manufacturers assess their digitalisation capabilities and establish appropriate pathways towards smart factory development. —VNS