Zebra Technologies eyes potential of logistics, healthcare, and public sectors in Vietnam

Christanto Suryadarma, sales vice president for Southeast Asia at Zebra Technologies, told VIR at a press briefing on March 21, "There are many industries that we can participate with in Vietnam to modernise and automate. Transportation logistics is a key, and we are already gaining customers in this field. We are also starting to see some good use cases in healthcare, and we want to continue growing that.”

“Recently, we also saw interest from the Vietnamese government in terms of safety and security, looking at how they can equip security and police officers with our technology to improve safety and productivity," he added.

Christanto Suryadarma, sales vice president for Southeast Asia, Zebra Technologies

Retail and manufacturing are now the two best performing industries for Zebra Technologies in Vietnam. For example, in retail, the company sees many retailers automating and digitalising using its solutions.

Moreover, the nation is now a strategic location for many manufacturers worldwide. Besides retail, Zebra’s second-largest industry vertical is manufacturing.

"Vietnam is a very big country for electronic and automotive manufacturing, and we see it as one of our key markets. In terms of growth, the country possesses a great potential for Zebra," added Suryadarma.

To tap into this, Christanto Suryadarma elaborated that the company has teams in Ho Chi Minh City and in Hanoi to serve its customers across the nation. It is also taking the steps to increase its partners and will continue to bring its latest and greatest technology here.

Currently, Zebra has several distributors in Vietnam, namely Sektor, SMC, and Elite. The company also has many resellers and a partnership with independent software vendors, as well as many good local companies and multinational partners from the US, Japan, and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Overall, around 70 per cent of automotive industry decision-makers (76 per cent globally and 67 per cent in Asia-Pacific) agree digital transformation is a strategic priority for their organisation.

Over the next five years, they anticipate expanding their use of technology, with 47 per cent focused on additive manufacturing and 3D printing and around 45 per cent on supply chain planning solutions, according to the findings of Zebra's Automotive Ecosystem Vision Study conducted from August to September 2022 that gained the participation of 1,336 respondents globally.

Smart manufacturing

“Automotive manufacturers today have many hurdles to cross,” said Suryadarma.

“Equipped with an expansive portfolio spanning industrial automation, location technologies, fixed industrial scanning, machine vision, and more, Zebra is best positioned to advise and help manufacturers enhance their operational capabilities and clear those hurdles.”

“It is not just about deploying technology, but deploying the right technology at the right time. Zebra aims to deliver the right tools and technologies necessary to accelerate human-to-machine capabilities, achieving true enterprise asset intelligence in automotive manufacturing,” he continued.

Specifically, automotive manufacturers are pressured to accommodate growing consumer preferences for electric vehicles (EVs). They must plan for a smooth transition to EVs, which have very different requirements in terms of raw materials and final assembly.

The tech-led priorities will therefore be focused on increasing automation, building in-house technologies, and expanding visibility across their respective production and supply chains.

Despite a fluctuating economy, automotive manufacturers are ready to invest in innovation and infrastructure in 2023.

"According to the study, consumers are leaning towards a greener automotive future with a greater preference for EVs," said Tan Aik Jin, vertical solutions marketing lead for Asia-Pacific at Zebra Technologies. "This sends a clear signal to automotive leaders that they must proactively invest more in the right technologies to help formulate robust manufacturing infrastructure that can better serve this growing customer demand."