Truong Gia Binh, chairman of Vietnamese tech giant FPT, said collaboration between humans and machines will create strength in a 'new normal.' 

FPT Techday on November 19 in Ho Chi Minh City involved more than 1,000 attendees, including leaders of large enterprises, consulting firms, technology experts, and thousands of online viewers.

Human-machine collaboration to satisfy demanding consumers

Truong Gia Binh, chairman of FPT Corporation, said many businesses are struggling to survive in the world experiencing dramatic change. "Businesses have to change, adapt, and master technology, or be swept away," he stressed.

Truong Gia Binh, chairman of FPT Corporation, speaks at FPT Techday
on November 19, 2020. Photo by Dat Nguyen.

Binh said the challenge lies in building brand loyalty, with consumers more and more fastidious. "They are not patient. They want to have cars delivered right to their doors or a bowl of pho to their table with a click. They only click when they get the best and cheapest products. Once dissatisfied, they won't return because of other options. They need a good experience, not just a mere 'touch point' for a product or service."

Another challenge is that businesses do not have direct contact with customers, reliant on "no touch, no contact" during Covid-19.

FPT Techday is the meeting of three parties: state, enterprises, and technologists. "However, the three parties account for half of the change. The other half belongs to the power of technologies and machines. The encounter would create a new power in the new normal phase to boost performance and productivity," Binh said.

Technology application to better resilience

Pankaj Rathi, CEO of Deloitte Southeast Asia, said businesses are facing an insecure future. Covid-19 caused global GDP to fall below the level of the 2009 financial crisis.

"Enterprises with high levels of technology applications are more resilient. In the past two years, the top 5 global companies have developed assets based on technology, such as Apple, Amazon, Google... These are also the businesses that have maintained strong growth while the world struggles with Covid-19," Rathi said.

Pankaj Rathi, CEO of Deloitte Southeast Asia, speaks at FPT Techday
on November 19, 2020. Photo by Dat Nguyen.

A survey by Deloitte also pointed out that most business leaders believe that technology and digital tools are no longer strategic advantages but "normal and must-have" elements. Factors that drive business success are Transformation Speed, Flexibility and Continuity, and Leverage AI, Networks, and Partners Advantage.

Digital transformation for up to 60 percent cost reduction

Nguyen Van Khoa, general director of FPT, said technology and digital transformation will play an important role in creating the next normal state.

He took FPT as example, the company having activated a "wartime" mode, setting up a command center to make quick decisions, sometimes within 24 hours. "We determined it is better to make a wrong decision than not to make a decision."

"We believe in the power of technology that can change the situation, bring new opportunities, and create greater value," the FPT head stated.

Le Hong Viet, CEO of FPT Smart Cloud, mentioned the FPT customer care center that relies on AI applications. The machine will execute incoming and outgoing interactive conversations successfully by 90 percent, reducing costs by up to 45 percent, reaching 4 out of 5 points. For complex conversations with a human element, staff would take over.

Based on the implemented projects, FPT experts estimate digital transformation could help businesses cut costs by up to 60 percent, save 30-70 percent in time, even up to 90 percent in some cases compared to the time prior to digitalization. This prepares businesses to adapt to the new market wave, grabbing opportunities to recover and breakthrough in the next normal period.

Nguyen Van Khoa, CEO of FPT, speaks at FPT Techday
on November 19, 2020. Photo by Dat Nguyen.

Participants at the event envisioned a new normal future based on the combination of technology and people.

FPT Techday is an annual technology event organized by FPT, discussing new trends and technologies that shape and create the future with the participation of leading experts from Vietnam and abroad.

With the theme "Synergies to exploit efficiency", FPT Techday 2020 takes place in both offline and online modes. The event has four main activities: seminars, product exhibitions, digital transformation solutions, 1:1 transformation consultations, and a technology arena.

The online event is led by Mia, the AI virtual assistant developed via the FPT.AI platform, using FPT's state-of-the-art machine voice.