ROI & Efficiency Gains60% report improvement
PwC 2026
Cost Reduction10-20%
McKinsey 2025
Task Automationup to 20%
McKinsey 2025
Revenue Impact10%+
McKinsey 2025

Industry averages — results vary by implementation

In 2026, SMEs can access the same AI capabilities once exclusive to large enterprises. Here's what AI can realistically do for your business - no hype, just practical insights for Vietnamese SMEs.

What AI can do for your business

Operations & Productivity

Work smarter, not harder

AI excels at repetitive tasks, information synthesis, and workflow automation - freeing your team to focus on high-value work.

Capabilities

  • Document drafting and editing (emails, reports, proposals)
  • Meeting transcription and summarisation
  • Data entry and extraction from documents
  • Process documentation and knowledge capture
  • Task automation and workflow orchestration

Real Examples

  • Auto-generate meeting notes with action items
  • Extract invoice data into spreadsheets
  • Draft standard operating procedures from descriptions
  • Automate repetitive email responses

Quick Wins

  • Start with meeting summarisation - immediate time savings
  • Use AI to draft first versions, humans to refine
  • Automate document formatting and templating

The reality check

AI that fits your business, not the other way around

We design AI agents around your processes - each one mastering proven capabilities, with human validation at every critical step. No black boxes. No one-size-fits-all. Just tailored systems that unlock AI's full potential, safely.

What works today

Proven, practical applications

Text generation and editing

Drafting emails, reports, and marketing copy. AI produces good first drafts that humans can refine.

Information synthesis

Summarising documents, extracting key points, and answering questions about content.

Structured data extraction

Pulling data from invoices, forms, and documents into structured formats.

Translation and localisation

High-quality translation between languages, including Vietnamese-English.

Code assistance

Writing, explaining, and debugging code - a major productivity boost for developers.

What's still maturing

Use with appropriate oversight

Fully autonomous agents

AI can assist with multi-step tasks, but complex autonomous workflows still need human checkpoints.

Real-time decision making

AI can recommend, but high-stakes decisions (pricing, hiring, legal) need human judgment.

Domain-specific accuracy

General AI is impressive, but specialised fields (medical, legal) require careful validation.

Long-term memory and context

AI can struggle with very long conversations or remembering details across sessions.

AI for Vietnamese SMEs

Vietnam's SMEs are uniquely positioned to benefit from AI adoption. Here's what makes the opportunity compelling:

🇻🇳

Vietnamese language support

Modern AI models handle Vietnamese well - both generation and understanding. Quality has improved dramatically since 2024.

💰

Cost-effective for SMEs

AI tools are now affordable for small businesses. Many offer pay-as-you-go pricing, eliminating large upfront investments.

🔌

Integration with local tools

AI can connect with Vietnamese banking systems, e-commerce platforms (Shopee, Lazada), and local software.

👥

Talent augmentation

AI helps small teams punch above their weight - one person with AI can do the work of three for certain tasks.

🌏

Export advantage

Vietnamese SMEs can use AI to compete globally - professional English communication, 24/7 customer support, faster turnaround.

📱

Mobile-first integration

AI works well with Zalo, messaging apps, and mobile workflows that Vietnamese businesses rely on.

Common myths - debunked

Reality: AI augments human work, it doesn't replace it. The best results come from AI + human collaboration. Your team becomes more productive, not redundant.
Reality: Many AI tools cost less than a single employee hour per month. Start with free tiers, scale as you see ROI.
Reality: Modern AI tools are designed for business users, not programmers. If you can write an email, you can use most AI tools. That said, having a partner like AIssential helps you get more value faster.
Reality: AI makes different mistakes than humans. The key is designing workflows with appropriate review steps. Partial automation with human oversight works well.
Reality: General AI capabilities (writing, summarising, extracting data) apply to every industry. Start with universal tasks, then explore specialised applications.