Smartlog and the pride of bringing "Make in Vietnam" values ​​to the world

As a technology company in the logistics industry, Smartlog has built a variety of software products serving logistics and supply chain operations.

"Trump cards" such as STM Transport Management Software Solution, SWM Warehouse Management Software Solution, SOM Multi-channel Order and Inventory Management Software Solution, STX Transport Platform, COS Container Optimization Platform... with high creativity have helped this Vietnamese enterprise strengthen its competitive position in the race with global companies.

“99% of Smartlog’s solutions are created and developed by Vietnamese staff. Smartlog has never used any open source software, which many software development companies often consider a shortcut, regardless of the major consequences that hinder creativity as well as the “intelligence and uniqueness” of the product. We are proud to bring the value of “Make in Vietnam” to the world ,” Smartlog CEO emphasized.

In the process of researching and developing "Make in Vietnam" products to compete with "imported" products in the Vietnamese market, Smartlog has a number of favorable factors such as: Understanding the domestic market and how to interact with local customers helps to easily grasp the specific needs of businesses to design suitable products; The flexibility and creativity of the technical team helps to quickly adapt and respond to changes in the market.

However, there are also many difficulties and challenges. Notably, it is necessary to maintain a balance between providing high-quality solutions and ensuring competitive prices. Or continuous innovation and application of new technologies pose challenges in training and developing human resources.

In particular, when building the "Make in Vietnam" brand in a globally competitive environment, we will often face caution from international customers, requiring us to demonstrate our ability to provide quality and reliable solutions.

In 2021, at the National Forum on Digital Technology Enterprise Development, chaired by the Prime Minister, Smartlog was assigned by the Ministry of Information and Communications to research and develop solutions to optimize the supply chain.

“This is not only a personal honor but also an important motivation for Smartlog to continue to develop and offer innovative solutions. With the trust of the Ministry of Information and Communications, we are committed to continuously striving to build applications with national impact, promote digital transformation in the supply chain, and contribute to the strong development of the digital economy ,” said Mr. Binh.

“Our biggest challenge now is how to convince customers to trust Vietnamese products, accept and apply Smartlog's solutions in supply chain and logistics operations. To be honest, Vietnam's logistics industry is still far behind many countries in the region and the world. That challenge comes not only from planning, infrastructure, or network issues, but also from whether businesses themselves consider logistics as a competitive weapon or not,” Mr. Binh frankly shared.

The idea of ​​international competition in the field of logistics appeared in the mind of the “captain” of Smartlog quite early.

Many years ago, no one thought that Vietnam could develop internationally competitive logistics products and services, not only for the domestic market but also for the world.

However, with national spirit, steadfast will towards success, clearly feeling the development potential of the logistics sector in the economy, Smartlog CEO and his associates are determined to overcome current limitations, contributing to building a sustainable and globally competitive logistics system.

Hundreds of big names, including many global enterprises operating in the Vietnamese market, have become Smartlog’s customers. Among them, there are global enterprises that have switched from foreign products to “Make in Vietnam” products of this relatively young logistics technology company.

Compared to Kurt Binh's initial hopes, the competitive environment, both domestic and international, is actually much fiercer. Similar solutions and services force Smartlog to face relentless competition.

Smartlog's leadership carefully assessed and realized that there are still some aspects where they are inferior to international competitors. For example, the ability to reach and serve customers in distant markets with different cultures, languages ​​and legal regulations.

“Our deep understanding of international markets and ability to customize products to the specific needs of each country are points we are trying to improve. In some cases, we need to improve the ability to integrate with existing systems and technologies at international businesses, to ensure that the product can operate smoothly and effectively in complex industrial environments,” Smartlog CEO assessed himself.

On the other hand, Smartlog also sees itself as needing to learn more to further improve its professionalism in product development, certified by global independent organizations such as Gartner. Professionalism must be demonstrated from product structure, product quality, user experience, to promotion, marketing and customer support.

“Know yourself and your enemy”, Smartlog has focused on expanding market research activities, improving training and development capabilities of the team to meet the diverse requirements of international customers. At the same time, it has strengthened cooperation and integration with local technical and technological partners to ensure that its products can be compatible and better adapted to the global environment.

On the “Go Global” roadmap, Smartlog carefully researches to understand the regulations and legal barriers in each country that may affect the transportation, delivery and storage processes, thereby establishing appropriate processes and standards to minimize risks.

“If nothing changes, in September this year, Smartlog will launch a transportation management software (STM) version for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Thai market, through a strategic cooperation with partner Deliveree (one of the strong logistics platform businesses in ASEAN). We are very excited about this. This is the next big test for us when entering a new land,” Mr. Binh added.

Smartlog's biggest aspiration now is to promote comprehensive digital transformation in the logistics sector in Vietnam and globally; improve the performance of all aspects of the supply chain, from transportation management to warehouse management and international trade, through the application of advanced technology.

Smartlog aims to serve at least 1,000 large enterprises and 10,000 small and medium-sized business customers within the next 5 years.

From a “Paranoid in Logistics” in 2015, Smartlog is implementing the strategy “Go Big or Go Home” in 2023, and towards the future 2030 everyone will “Think Logistics, Think Smartlog”.

To realize the goal, Smartlog will continue to invest heavily in research and development activities, optimize products and services based on customer feedback as well as in-depth market analysis; strengthen marketing and promotion activities to spread Smartlog's value to a large number of businesses and potential customers.

If there is more support from government agencies, funding organizations and strategic partners in terms of finance, regulations and policies to create an environment that promotes the development of technology companies, the path to realizing Smartlog's aspirations will be significantly shortened.

Regarding the “Go Global” activity, according to CEO Kurt Binh, Vietnamese businesses cooperating and standing side by side when conquering the international market is an important step and has the potential to bring great success.

However, businesses need to cooperate closely towards common goals; clearly divide roles to optimize contributions from each side and avoid unnecessary conflicts; share knowledge and resources to help solve difficulties and take advantage of new opportunities in the market; flexibly adapt to the new business environment; and need to build a reputable Vietnamese brand in the international arena.

The representative of the standing agency of the “Make in Vietnam Digital Technology Product” Award said: With great efforts, Smartlog's product was evaluated, scored and proposed by the Jury of the 2022 “Make in Vietnam Digital Technology Product” Award to the Ministry of Information and Communications to award the Bronze Prize in the category of “Outstanding digital product for the digital economy”. This is the recognition of the Ministry of Information and Communications for businesses that have actively responded to the “Make in Vietnam” policy and strategy in recent times.

Article: Dawn

Design: Nguyen Cuc

Vietnamnet.vn