Labor in digital era – adapting to break through

PART 2: PROACTIVE INNOVATION DRIVES AUTOMATION

As an industrially developed locality, Dong Nai is positioning itself to attract high-tech and eco-friendly projects, including major factories producing components and semiconductors. As factories increasingly adopt automated production lines, robots and intelligent control systems to improve productivity and product quality, workers are expected to operate, maintain and oversee equipment while mastering modern production technologies.

Workers at Global Powersports Manufacturing Incorporation in Giang Dien Industrial Park (IP), Trang Bom ward. Photo: Nguyen Hoa

Recognizing this trend, the workforce has rapidly adapted to and mastered automated equipment and production lines. Many have risen from production workers to management positions thanks to their quick grasp of technology.

Leading workplace innovation

Nguyen Thanh Tung, Head of the Maintenance Department at Pou Chen Vietnam Enterprise Ltd. in Bien Hoa ward, is among Dong Nai’s outstanding workers honored to attend the 2025 Creative Labor Festival organized by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour. The event brought together outstanding individuals whose initiatives and technical improvements have generated significant practical value in production and labor activities.

At the festival, Tung showcased his innovation at the exhibition with his “Shoe Box Folding and Sealing Mold” solution, a highly practical technical improvement that has helped boost productivity, reduce costs and optimize production processes.

Speaking about his initiative, Nguyen Thanh Tung said that shoe-box assembly and packaging were previously done entirely by hand, making the process time-consuming and prone to errors caused by repetitive operations. In response, he developed the Shoe Box Folding and Sealing Mold.

The innovation reduces manual handling, improves precision, accelerates the folding process, minimizes technical defects and creates a more comfortable working environment for employees. It has cut operation time by more than 50%, increased packaging productivity by over 1.5 times and generated considerable financial benefits for the enterprise. At the same time, it has lowered the defective-box rate and reduced material waste.

Workers’ innovations have demonstrated a strong spirit of creativity and proactive adaptation to enterprises’ technological transformation requirements. Nguyen Minh Hoi, an employee at Aqua Electrical Appliances Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Tran Bien ward, stands out as a model of innovative thinking, technological adaptability and active participation in workplace innovation.

Each year, his initiatives deliver tangible results and meet the company’s changing production demands. Particularly, his improvement to the plastic injection mold for washing machine door handles has enabled the enterprise to cut product defects by 30%, save 150 hours of product reprocessing each month and generate annual savings valued at VND120 million.

Alongside workers’ self-learning efforts, enterprises also play a crucial role by regularly organizing training courses, providing guidance on equipment operation and maintenance, and updating employees on emerging technologies. Many companies further encourage workers to propose technical improvement initiatives aimed at optimizing production processes. In parallel, they foster modern and safe working environments that help reduce physically demanding manual labor and workplace risks.

Doan Van Ut Chinh, who works in the Automation Department of Pou Sung Vietnam Co., Ltd. in An Vien commune, is another notable example of innovation and creativity, making substantial contributions to enterprise development.

Among his initiatives, the improvement of the fabric-label attachment process by switching to direct content printing on the smooth surface of shoe fasteners has received high recognition from the company. The innovation was also selected by the Dong Nai Trade Union for exhibition at the 2025 National Creative Labor Festival.

The initiative has delivered significant benefits, saving nearly 7,000 working hours per month and reducing costs by more than USD18,000 monthly.

Embracing technology with agility

Jason Furniture Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Dong Xoai III IP, Binh Phuoc ward, a manufacturer specializing in furniture products such as beds, cabinets, chairs, sofas and sofa accessories, is providing stable employment for nearly 6,000 workers. With its large production scale and modern development orientation, the enterprise has boldly invested in and put into operation multiple automated production lines, gradually enhancing productivity and product quality.

Against increasingly demanding technological transformation requirements, the company’s workforce has not only adapted quickly to the modern working environment but has also proactively pursued learning opportunities to upgrade skills and master machinery and equipment. Notably, many workers have actively proposed initiatives and technical improvements aimed at optimizing production processes, cutting costs and reducing manual labor.

These improvements have helped raise efficiency while reinforcing workers’ role in digital transformation and production automation.

One notable example is Truong Van Nhat, head of the company’s automated overhead conveyor line. Since the company installed the automated hanging conveyor system, Nhat has taken the lead in mastering the technology, ensuring smooth operations and maintaining production efficiency.

According to Nhat, the overhead conveyor system not only optimizes labor utilization but also significantly boosts daily output. Previously, before the automated system was introduced, workers achieved only around 50% of production capacity. That figure has now risen to 80%. Workers only need to complete the sewing stage, after which products are automatically arranged by the system, reducing movement time and improving workflow efficiency.

At Topband Smart Dong Nai (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. in Loc An–Binh Son IP, Long Thanh ward, the application of advanced technology in production has become a core pillar of the company’s development strategy. The enterprise focuses on manufacturing smart electronic components and devices while making strong investments in modern, highly automated production lines to enhance productivity, product quality and market competitiveness.

Moreover, the company continues to expand its product portfolio with a wide range of technology products, including household electrical appliances, smart lighting systems, security solutions and industrial automation applications. Product diversification, coupled with technological innovation, has enabled the enterprise to gradually strengthen its position within the global supply chain. Currently, nearly 3,000 employees working at the company are provided with ongoing training, professional skill development and industrial work-discipline programs.

According to Yang Jia Yan, Human Resources Director of Topband Smart Dong Nai (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. in Long Thanh ward, regular training programs and advanced courses have enabled employees to progressively master technology and adapt flexibly to the modern production environment. Beyond meeting job requirements, many workers have proactively pursued learning opportunities and proposed improvement initiatives, contributing to higher production efficiency and accelerating enterprises’ digital transformation process.

According to local enterprises, whereas the operation and maintenance of advanced production lines once relied heavily on foreign engineers or highly specialized technical experts, Vietnamese workers are now increasingly capable of confidently taking on these crucial roles. This transformation reflects not only the growing capabilities of Vietnamese workers but also the effectiveness of long-term investment in human resource development, helping meet the demands of modern industrial production amid digital transformation and international integration.

According to the municipal Department of Finance, Dong Nai City currently has 58 established industrial parks, along with numerous industrial clusters. To date, many industrial parks have been developing under green, smart and high-tech industrial models aimed at improving productivity and product quality. Alongside this transition, workers employed at these enterprises have also continued to enhance their professional capabilities, rapidly adapting to and mastering automated equipment and production lines.

By N. Hoa, T. Ngoc – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha