Engineer Nguyễn Thái Hải and the design of the production line that generates approximately US$60,700 in annual benefits for the company. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Thu

HẢI PHÒNG — Engineer Nguyễn Thái Hải, Head of the Kaizen Team at the Sumida Việt Nam Electronic Co Ltd, is a standout figure honoured at the first Patriotic Emulation Congress of Hải Phòng City for the 2025-2030 period.

Hải, 34, now works in the An Phát 1 Industrial Park.

Last year, he was awarded the title of Outstanding Face of the City by the municipal People's Committee.

He has numerous initiatives to his credit, including one automating a production line that generates approximately VNĐ1.6 billion (US$60,700) in annual benefits for the business.

This earned him a certificate of merit for 'Creative Labour' from the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour in 2023 and first prize at the City's Creative Labour Contest in 2023.

Hải explains that during his work, he noticed frequent faults in manual machinery, leading to lengthy repair times. He thus researched and experimented to minimise breakdowns, streamline production stages, including a major project to automate the CDRH74 product line.

With support from the company union and management, his team successfully automated nine out of 11 stages, boosting productivity by 19 per cent, freeing up labour for six workers, and delivering over $60,700 in annual savings for the company.

Hải and his Kaizen team have also introduced other standout initiatives, such as improving the glue-spraying stage for the RCH1216 code, which reduced labour by three workers and slashed the error rate from five per cent to just 0.2 per cent.

These achievements not only brought profits but also served as a source of pride, demonstrating the intellect and mettle of Vietnamese workers when trusted and empowered, Hải said.

Working path

After graduating from the Automation Engineering Department at the Việt Nam Maritime University, Hải joined a foreign-invested enterprise. After four years there, feeling the role no longer suited him, he moved to the Sumida Việt Nam Electronic Co Ltd.

At the new company, encouraged by the union and supported by management, he formed a team with two others to design and install automated machinery. Their mission is to devise optimal solutions for maximising machine operation efficiency.

As one of the advanced role models in the Patriotic Emulation Campaign, Nguyễn Thái Hải attributes its success at the company to management's trust and empowerment, alongside the union's companionship, which ignites aspiration and an ownership mindset in every worker.

The union tackles issues at their root, shifting the 'hired hand' mentality so each worker truly feels like the 'owner' of their tasks and stages. The union advises and persuades management to bring in top experts for on-site training.

This valuable knowledge gives workers a fresh lens on daily tasks, helping them realise that every redundant action or faulty product wastes not just company resources but, more profoundly, national assets – slowing the nation's progress.

To make the Patriotic Emulation Campaign substantive and effective, Hải proposes several measures. Relevant agencies and units should build a cohesive ecosystem for innovation in industrial parks. The city should lead by planning and establishing shared innovation centres where workers from different factories can exchange ideas, learn, receive expert guidance and test-refine their concepts.

Additionally, the Hải Phòng Initiative Support Fund was established with flexible financing to 'fan the flames' and recognise achievements promptly. The fund would directly reward outstanding worker initiatives, bypassing typical corporate bureaucracy. Workers gain recognition and benefits, businesses boost competitiveness, and the city gains growth momentum.

Nguyễn Thế Lương, Head of the Maintenance Team at the Sumida Việt Nam Electronic Co Ltd, notes that he often collaborates with Hải to address machine repair issues. Hải's initiatives have helped him shorten repair times, saving the business time and costs.

Vũ Thị Hiền, Chair of the company union, said that the firm was established in 2010 with 100 per cent Japanese investment, specialising in electronic components for industries like consumer electronics, automotive, medical equipment and environmental technology.

In the context of intensifying global integration and competition, fostering initiatives and technical improvements is a key strategy to enhance productivity, quality and business efficiency. Engineer Hải's responsibility and creativity in task execution is a vital positive contribution to the company's Creative Labour Emulation Campaign.

Hải has also played a key role in organising on-site training, enabling workers to access modern improvement tools and apply them directly to daily work. This has birthed many initiatives from production realities, fostering an environment where workers propose solutions, spreading a 'think big, act boldly' spirit among the workforce. — VNS