Driving efficiency – A must in the digital age
In a move once thought exclusive to IT professionals, employees at Nagase Vietnam—a subsidiary of Japan's Nagase Group—have begun designing their own automation bots, streamlining business processes and boosting efficiency across departments.
The transformation began in 2023, driven by the company’s urgent need to stay competitive amid Vietnam’s accelerating digital economy. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam was Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing digital economy from 2022 to 2024 and is forecast to hit USD 45 billion by 2025, comprising 20 percent of the national GDP.
For companies like Nagase Vietnam, the challenge was not just technological—it was human. Despite recognising the benefits of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), most staff had no experience in system development and feared the changes it would bring.
Determined to build in-house digital capabilities without relying on costly external systems, Nagase Vietnam partnered with ABeam Consulting to launch a tailored internal Center of Excellence (CoE). The initiative aimed to develop "citizen developers"—non-IT employees with strong business knowledge and a willingness to innovate.
ABeam introduced a three-phase roadmap: Train, Pilot, Expand. Initial hands-on workshops helped staff build basic RPA bots for everyday tasks. Within ten weeks, a five-member CoE team—including those with no tech background—had developed two functional bots for live use.
By late 2024, the team had built 44 bots automating tasks such as entering SGA costs into SAP, verifying MSDS files, and generating chemical reports. These solutions have saved the company over 2,000 work hours annually. The time saved has been reinvested into value-added business initiatives.
“This wasn’t just about technology,” said Masai Tsutomu, Director of Nagase Vietnam. “It was about empowering our people. Thanks to ABeam, our staff are no longer just office workers—they’re digital innovators.”
Masai Tsutomu
Building tech skills from scratch with ABeam Consulting
Nagase Vietnam is now exploring broader applications of its CoE, including Microsoft Power Platform, optical character recognition (OCR), and generative AI. The shift marks a cultural transformation: any employee, regardless of department, can now propose and develop their own digital solutions.
ABeam Consulting, which played a supportive—not directive—role, emphasised that digital transformation is not about adopting new tools alone. “It’s about unlocking people’s potential to grow from within,” the firm stated.
Nagase Vietnam’s experience is now serving as a model for the group’s other branches, with plans already underway to replicate the program in Thailand.
What began as a cautious step into automation has grown into a comprehensive cultural shift—turning a once tech-shy workforce into a team of empowered, future-ready professionals.
Nagase Team
CoE members - Dang Thi Ngoc Anh
Admin Division Manager - Le Yen Oanh
