The development of electronic commerce (e-commerce) has now entered a new chapter. Far from just changing the mechanism of buying and selling transactions, the transformation towards digital commerce is now completely reshaping business operations and the global labor demand landscape. In the midst of this dynamic, the readiness of technological infrastructure and human resources (HR) capacity are the main determinants of a company's competitiveness.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Quan, Head of the E-commerce Department at Foreign Trade University, revealed that the Southeast Asian region shows very rapid digital economic growth at a rate of 25-30 percent per year. According to him, digital commerce is now becoming a new export driver that opens up opportunities for businesses of various scales to penetrate international markets more efficiently.
The shift from e-commerce to digital commerce is not just a change in terminology, but a profound qualitative leap. While conventional e-commerce only focuses on digitalizing sales activities, digital commerce integrates the entire business value chain comprehensively—from market research, product development, supply chain management, to customer service. In this new ecosystem, data is positioned as a highly valuable strategic asset.
The integration of three main technological pillars, namely cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI), is the driving force behind this transformation. Cloud computing facilitates business scalability at efficient costs, while big data enables accurate data-driven decision-making to predict market trends. On the other hand, AI acts as the operational brain to personalize the customer experience in real-time and automate the logistics chain.
The consequence of this transformation is a shift in recruitment needs in the labor market. Companies are no longer just looking for ordinary operational staff, but multi-skilled digital talents such as data analysts, digital experience managers, and cross-border trade specialists. Workers in this new era are required to have an analytical mindset, the ability to operate AI, and agility in adapting to technological changes.
Nonetheless, the talent quality gap remains a major challenge. Many industries face a shortage of experts capable of leading digital transformation and strategically analyzing data. To overcome this problem, close collaboration between the government, educational institutions, and the private sector is absolutely necessary. Concrete steps such as aligning academic curricula with industry needs and providing internship opportunities are key to producing a new generation of digital commerce pioneers.
