Digital transformation “giants”: Lessons from Petrovietnam & EVN for Vietnamese businesses

When “giants” lead digital transformation – a positive signal for the entire economy

In the national digital transformation picture towards 2025, with a vision to 2030, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are considered the “spearheads” in the digital economy journey. According to the directives of the Government and the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises, large corporations such as Petrovietnam and EVN are not only “applying” technology but also “leading” the trend of innovation, setting new operating standards for the entire private sector.

At the macro level, the digital transformation of SOEs is not merely an upgrade of IT systems. It is a transformation of operating models, where data becomes central, and technology – especially AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), Big Data, and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) – become core tools to optimize management, production, and customer service.

The success of these “giants” is a strong affirmation that: digital transformation is not a privilege of large-scale enterprises, but a mandatory direction for any business wishing to survive and thrive in the digital age.

While Petrovietnam and EVN are leading digital transformation at the national level, GTG CRM is the platform that helps small and medium-sized enterprises “digitize” with the same mindset – but with more optimal costs and resources.

Petrovietnam – Data and AI optimize operational exploitation

For many years, Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) has implemented numerous technological initiatives, ushering the oil and gas exploration and production sector into the digital era.

By synchronously deploying AI, IoT, and Big Data, Petrovietnam can monitor exploration data in real-time, analyze pressure, flow, and temperature indicators to optimize operations. As a result, operating costs at key fields like Bach Ho and Rong have decreased by 10–15%, while labor productivity and safety have significantly improved.

Concurrently, the integrated ERP system helps Petrovietnam unify all financial operations, manage inventory, assets, and supply chains on a single platform. This not only enhances transparency but also supports real-time forecasting of production needs, costs, and revenues – a critical factor in the oil and gas industry, which is highly volatile in terms of prices and output.

Furthermore, Big Data enables the group to analyze global market data, predict oil price trends, and adjust business strategies in a timely manner.

As a result, Petrovietnam has not only reduced resource wastage but also optimized productivity, efficiency, and decision-making capabilities – crucial elements in a competitive global environment.

Lesson for small businesses: Data is also your “oil well”

Not every business has the scale of Petrovietnam, but every business has its own “data resources” – customer data, marketing campaigns, purchasing behavior, or market feedback.

With GTG CRM, small businesses can:

• Store and manage all customer data, transactions, revenue, and advertising on a unified platform.
• Utilize built-in AI to analyze customer behavior, suggest optimal advertising content, email marketing, and landing pages.
• Track multi-channel campaign effectiveness (Google, Facebook, Zalo, Email…) through intuitive dashboards, enabling business owners to make quick and accurate decisions.

If Petrovietnam uses AI to optimize offshore rigs, small businesses can use GTG CRM to “drill deep” into customer data – extracting true value from every interaction.

EVN – Comprehensive digital transformation in the power industry

From power stations to offices – when every process is digitized

Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is one of the pioneers in implementing comprehensive digital transformation on a national scale. Since 2021, EVN has been building a comprehensive digital ecosystem, covering most operational areas: internal management, production, construction investment, business, customer service, and IT.

One of the notable highlights is EVN Digital Office – the first electronic office system within state-owned enterprises that allows for 100% electronic document processing, approval, and storage. As a result, millions of pages and thousands of hours of manual work have been saved, while ensuring seamless connectivity between affiliated units nationwide.

In technical operations, EVN also uses UAVs (drones), AI cameras, and IoT sensors to monitor power lines and substations. AI-analyzed image data helps detect incidents early, reduce maintenance time, limit risks, and enhance the safety of the national power grid.

Notably, EVN has fully transitioned all electricity services to 100% online, from registration and connection to payment. The rate of cashless payments exceeds 99.5%, demonstrating the company’s efficiency and high level of digital readiness.

Lessons for SMEs: Automation and customer experience are key

You don’t need to be a national corporation to adopt automation – GTG CRM helps small businesses do the same at a suitable scale:

• Automation Workflow: Set up scenarios for automatic sending of emails, messages, or notifications when customers register, place orders, or do not respond.
• Unified Messaging: Consolidate all conversations from Facebook, Zalo, Gmail, WhatsApp… into one place for quick customer care, ensuring no missed interactions.
• Live Chat AI: Automatically suggests intelligent answers, collects customer information, and saves it directly to the CRM.
• E-invoicing & Task Management: Supports invoice and contract management, and task progress tracking, reducing administrative procedures and increasing internal efficiency.

EVN digitizes to serve 30 million households, while GTG CRM helps you digitize to serve each customer individually – accurately, quickly, and efficiently.

The Government and the “spearhead” role of state-owned enterprises

The Vietnamese Government has clearly stated: “Digital transformation is no longer an option, but a mandatory path.”

In the SOE Restructuring Plan for the period 2021–2025, the goal by 2030 is 100% of SOEs to complete comprehensive digital transformation, while also spreading models of transparent governance, efficient operations, and data-driven decision-making.

The State Capital Management Committee, the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the Ministry of Finance all emphasize the pioneering role of SOEs in:

• Applying digital technology to innovate management.
• Standardizing processes according to international standards.
• Serving as a model for private enterprises in innovation.

However, digital transformation is not exclusive to the state sector. In the digital economic ecosystem, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for over 97% of the total number of businesses in Vietnam, therefore, they are the force that determines the speed of national digital transformation.

GTG CRM – The “AI infrastructure” that helps small businesses keep pace with digital transformation

GTG CRM was developed with the goal of becoming a comprehensive AI platform for modern businesses, helping small and medium-sized enterprises undertake digital transformation steps similar to Petrovietnam and EVN but with minimal cost, time, and manpower.

One platform – multiple integrated modules:

• Landing Page Builder: Create SEO-optimized sales pages with AI content writing, image generation, and automatic live chat.
• CRM: Manage customers, companies, tasks, invoices – all data centralized in one place.
• Messaging Hub: Consolidate all multi-channel messages (Facebook, Zalo, Gmail, WhatsApp…) with AI support for quick responses.
• Marketing & Ads AI: Assists in creating Google, Facebook, LinkedIn ads; suggests SEO-optimized titles, descriptions, and keywords.
• Automation Workflow: Automate customer care, reminders, email sending, and internal notifications.
• Access Control: User permission management, ensuring transparent governance and data security.

Therefore, instead of investing tens of billions of VND to build private infrastructure, SMEs can leverage GTG CRM as a “unified digital transformation platform,” moving all marketing, sales, customer care, and operational activities to the digital environment in just a few days.

Conclusion: Digital transformation is not just about technology – it’s a new management mindset

The stories of Petrovietnam and EVN show that digital transformation is not just about “installing software” or “using technology,” but about restructuring how businesses operate, make decisions, and serve customers entirely.

The difference between pioneers and laggards lies not in scale, but in a mindset of mastering data and a willingness to change.

GTG CRM was born to realize this for Vietnamese small and medium-sized businesses – turning digital transformation from a slogan into concrete action, enabling each business to operate like a “giant,” even with a small team and limited budget.

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