The “Applying AI & Data to Business Operations: Innovating from Within” session, held as part of the Innovation Sector Forums at InnoEx 2025, brought together leaders from four different industries, with each explaining how their organizations are harnessing AI and data management to fuel growth, scale operations, and push the boundaries of innovation.
But amid the buzz around AI, speakers struck a common note of caution: technology is only the means, not the end. True transformation, they argued, begins with strategy and governance. Above all, it requires visionary leadership and the right business model; only then can AI and data be deployed effectively, and with control.
Race to harness AI and data
As Vietnamese companies race to harness AI and data for growth, the food and nutrition sector is no exception. But technology, experts believe, is only as powerful as the consumer shifts it responds to.
Mr. Tran Bao Minh, Vice Chairman of Nutrifood, noted that three major trends are shaping Vietnam’s food and nutrition sector today: The first is the steep decline of traditional retail. Mom & Pop stores are fading away quickly as modern trade and online channels dominate. Consumers no longer need to visit a store, they can browse, compare, and buy with just a few clicks. The second is the rise of premiumization. And the third is the move towards natural and transparent products. Where consumers once sought complex, multi-ingredient formulas, today they want goods that are natural, traceable, and authentic. Mr. Minh sees this shift as irreversible.
He argues that the old model - pushing products through traditional channels, running TV ads, and waiting for customers to walk into shops - no longer works. Companies must now embrace the fully digital journey. Technology not only makes buying faster; it turns consumers into independent distributors. With just a smartphone, they can purchase, resell, and earn. The companies that can build a seamless digital ecosystem - connecting buyers, sellers, banks, and logistics - will hold the advantage.
Data is another pressing challenge. Experts say Vietnamese firms must invest in data literacy and management if they want to turn raw information into a true growth driver. Yet many businesses still claim they “don’t have data”. In reality, they do, but it’s scattered across PDFs, Excel files, and enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems.
The real task is helping companies see where their data lives, then consolidate, clean, and process it. Only then does it transform into a genuine strategic asset.
In today’s business world, it seems everything comes back to technology, data, and customer insights. But in food and nutrition, data is only part of the story. Ethics, intuition, and managerial experience also weigh heavily, Mr. Minh said.
“Market data may show a category exploding,” he went on. “Energy drinks, for example, have surged over the past decade. Plenty of companies want in. But for us, as a nutrition and health brand, it’s not possible. That kind of product risks clashing with our positioning. Only if we can create an energy drink that genuinely supports health would we consider entering the market.”
The rise of AI has made data collection and processing easier than ever before, fueling the global fascination with data-driven decisions. In Vietnam too, companies are discovering the real value of data in shaping strategy. But as several experts noted, decisions are rarely based on numbers alone. Intuition, personal judgment, and even what one called “romantic instincts” often share the table, alongside customer feedback.
But for data-driven decision-making to work, one principle is non-negotiable: the data must be large enough, reliable enough, and, above all, secure.
Failing to do so risks overwhelming organizations with unusable information while exposing customers to harm.
“We cannot simply ‘use data’,” he concluded. “We must use it responsibly. Protecting the customer is at the heart of that responsibility, so every decision based on data also delivers safety and value.”
Beyond the tool
AI is just a tool, not a destination. That was the clear message from Mr. Albert Antoine, Co-Founder and CSO of Taipy, a Singapore-based consultancy on digital transformation. “AI should only come into play at the final stage, not at the beginning of business operations and development,” he said. “Before AI, there must be strategy and governance.”
He stressed that before investing in any AI tool to resolve a business problem, companies need to define their end goal. Once the destination is clear, they can work backwards to assess their current position and the gap in between. Only with that understanding can they decide whether to buy a service, purchase a product, or build their own solution. In short, strategy has to align with technology investment before any project begins.
When asked for his advice to businesses applying AI, he pointed to two essentials. First, be clear about the destination. This is about strategy and governance, not just technology. Businesses must set their ultimate objective, then examine their current reality and identify the gap that needs to be closed. Only then can they make sound decisions on whether to buy, outsource, or develop solutions in-house. Second, every AI project must rest on a foundation where business strategy and technology investment are aligned. Technology should serve strategy, not dictate it.
“The most important message I want to send to businesses is: do what fits your circumstances and stage of development,” Mr. Minh advised, echoing that perspective. “Don’t chase trends just because others say they’re good, or because they’re fashionable. Enterprises need a clear strategic approach: define the goal first, then choose the technology, service, or solution to achieve it.”
He warned that, in Vietnam, many businesses are easily swayed by advice from all directions. “Knowing how to say no to a hundred wrong pieces of advice is sometimes even more important than finding one good piece,” he said. “The ability to refuse what doesn’t fit is already a success, because it avoids waste and keeps a business on the right path.”
Technology, he noted, can shorten the distance between companies and customers, making interactions more direct, faster, and more convenient. But AI is not the end point, it is only a tool. To apply it successfully requires vision, strategy, and the discipline to stay committed to one’s chosen path.
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