As an important component of the digital transformation ecosystem, credit institutions are accelerating the development of digital banking, cashless payment services, and online financial solutions, making it easier for businesses and cooperatives to access capital and conduct secure, convenient financial transactions.

At Agribank Son La, digital transformation has been implemented comprehensively through the digitisation of operational processes, the application of artificial intelligence (AI), and the organisation of 41 training courses to enhance digital skills for staff.

The branch currently operates in 44 communes and wards across the province with one headquarters, six sub-branches, and eight transaction offices. It also operates six cash deposit machines (CDMs) and 11 ATMs, serves nearly 295,000 Mobile Banking users, maintains outstanding loans of nearly 12 trillion VND (455.93 million USD) for 26,400 borrowers, and has more than 140,000 customers using the Agribank Plus application.

Alongside the banking sector, telecommunications companies are playing a pivotal role in developing digital infrastructure and providing digital transformation platforms for businesses. As the leading telecommunications provider in the province, VNPT Son La has deployed the oneSME platform along with more than 100 digital solutions designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

These cloud-based solutions help businesses reduce investment costs while improving corporate governance. At the same time, VNPT Son La is promoting the application of Big Data, AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cybersecurity solutions, contributing to comprehensive digital transformation for businesses and cooperatives.

Tran Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of VNPT Son La, said that digital transformation not only helps businesses and cooperatives innovate their governance methods but also optimises costs, improves labour productivity, and expands market access.

Through digital platforms, enterprises can manage all production and business activities within a unified system while effectively utilising data to make faster and more accurate decisions. This provides an important foundation for improving operational efficiency, enhancing competitiveness, and achieving sustainable development in the digital economy. 

Digital transformation is also reshaping production and product distribution. In agricultural production areas, smartphones and digital platforms are becoming new “production tools” of many cooperatives. From product traceability and online promotion to e-commerce sales, digital transformation is creating new opportunities to bring Son La's agricultural products to consumers both domestically and internationally.

In Phieng Khoai commune, Xanh Tay Bac Cooperative is one of the pioneering units effectively utilising digital platforms to promote and market agricultural products. Through the use of high-quality images, promotional videos, and traceability systems, the cooperative has increased online sales of fresh plums to between 2 and 5 tonnes per day. Its products, including fresh plums, persimmons, pears, and soft-dried plums, are also marketed through e-commerce platforms and social media, generating annual online sales revenue of more than 1 billion VND.

Son La province currently has more than 5,000 enterprises operating across various sectors with a combined registered capital exceeding 144 trillion VND (5.47 billion USD). Each year, the business community contributes more than 50% of the province's Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), over 70% of total budget revenue, and provides employment for more than 80,000 workers.

The provincial Business Association has actively coordinated with provincial departments and agencies to implement numerous initiatives aimed at raising awareness and supporting enterprises in gradually adopting digital technologies in production and business activities.

Its chairman Nguyen Quoc Khanh stated that the association would continue accompanying businesses through consultancy, training, networking, and technology support programmes, enabling them to adopt digital transformation solutions that match their scale and practical conditions, thereby improving governance capacity and promoting sustainable development.

Despite encouraging progress, many businesses and cooperatives in the province continue to face challenges in digital transformation due to their small production scale, limited financial resources, and shortage of workers with digital skills.

In response, the province is strengthening training and consultancy programmes, promoting cooperation with technology enterprises, and encouraging the adoption of e-invoices, digital signatures, product traceability systems, and e-commerce platforms. These efforts are expected to improve governance capacity, reduce operating costs, expand markets, and enhance the competitiveness of businesses and cooperatives.

Digital transformation has become both an inevitable trend and an essential requirement for businesses and cooperatives. As technology becomes more deeply integrated into governance, production, and business operations, enterprises will not only strengthen their competitiveness and expand market opportunities but also contribute to the development of the digital economy, creating new momentum for the sustainable socio-economic growth of Son La province./.