As big companies continue to apply artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations, small businesses are also taking advantage of the technology to find new business opportunities. In the education sector, Tomia, an educational technology startup, launched a smart school management platform named after the company in 2023. The platform not only manages textbooks and lectures but also uses AI to develop facial recognition capabilities and automatically complete comments to reduce teachers’ workload. Tomia offers the platform for free for public schools and a trial for private or international schools. According to CEO Pham Duong Tran, there are 300 private schools using their AI management platform. Additionally, about 90% of Tomina’s customers are schools that teach according to the Montessori method, which focuses on creating conditions for children to develop naturally through self-discovery and self-study.
In the logistics industry, SuperShip, a domestic startup based in Vietnam, introduced SuperAI last month. The smart application can suggest sellers the optimal carrier in terms of cost and time for orders from various delivery services. Le Thanh Hoai, CEO of SuperShip, said that there are 4 million orders delivered daily in Vietnam and each delivery company has strengths in different delivery routes. The application can also warn delivery routes at risk of being overloaded, helping shop owners avoid stalled goods like the goods congestion incident of a delivery house during the recent Tet holiday.
Platforms that use AI such as Tomia or SuperShip are developed with the goal of helping Vietnamese businesses transform digitally and technology to save costs and increase competition. Research by auditing firm PwC released earlier this year said that AI is one of two prominent trends that are putting pressure on regional CEOs to innovate. Small businesses in Vietnam may struggle with limited team capacity, finance and understanding when it comes to accessing AI technology. Some may find it difficult to determine possible directions for applying AI in their business operations.
Small businesses looking to implement AI should first consider existing solutions from technology companies before investing in self-development or working with specialized companies directly related to their business needs. According to Dr Le Duy Tan, an AI lecturer at University International University International University), small businesses should aim for core technology mastery first before moving on to more advanced technologies such as AI
