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| Dương Thị Ngọc Hân (sitting) and her colleagues research to benefit the water supply industry. VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Tuyết |
HÀ NỘI — Easily fulfilling their daily work requirements and showing a passion for work and a will to learn, this year's nominees for the Tôn Đức Thắng Award are all stellar candidates.
They are achieving great results, benefitting businesses, communities and society.
The Tôn Đức Thắng Award is a city-level award honouring workers and engineers who have undertaken outstanding and creative initiatives that pay off for the enterprises involved.
Applying digital technology effectively
Starting off as a designer, a passion for programming brought Dương Thị Ngọc Hân to the water supply industry.
She is currently Head of the Information Technology (IT) Division under the Trung An Water Supply Joint Stock Company, managed by the Sài Gòn Water Supply Corporation.
In 2014, Hân began working at the company to repair and troubleshoot computer problems.
At that time, most of the company's activities were still done manually, so there were many problems.
Eventually, the company established a specialised team to digitise its management and operations.
As an IT engineer, Hân proactively joined the team and was given an opportunity to learn more about programming.
Her career took a big leap forward from there.
Hân and her colleagues launched eight software applications to help streamline troubleshooting, reduce water loss and improve customer care services.
Each initiative—including a free messaging application and software for online troubleshooting—has brought the company billions of đồng in profits.
Out of these projects, Hân is most satisfied with her team's water meter replacement application, which was launched in 2020 after much effort.
"Every year, the company replaces water meters for customers. Previously, this process was done manually. Workers had to go to the office to get a list and then approach customers to replace them. The work was not always convenient because the water meter location was difficult to access, and it was difficult to contact customers if the house changed owners. These things increased the risk of water loss and took a lot of time. Therefore, my colleagues and I invented an application to replace water meters," said Hân.
With this application, workers can receive information about replacing water meters on their phones anywhere and can process it immediately.
This saves time and reduces the travel time for water industry employees.
The application also accurately determines the location of the water meter that needs to be replaced through the GIS Geographic Data Management system.
This initiative has helped the company save over VNĐ300 million (US$12,000) per year.
Ensuring safe electricity
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| Phan Văn Điền (right) is a shining example in the electricity sector. VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Tuyết |
Phan Văn Điền, from the Củ Chi Power Company, is a shining example of spreading the spirit of responsibility for every labourer in the electricity industry.
Điền said, "In 34 years of working in the electricity industry, I have held many positions. From worker, shift leader, deputy head of the technical division and now a full-time safety engineer. No matter my position, I always try to complete my tasks well and be a foreman guiding the younger generation."
When he was a worker, watching his seniors continuously develop technical innovations, Điền always wished that one day he would have a brainchild named after him.
In 2008, he was transferred to the Technical Division, which helped him gradually affirm his professional ability.
After two years of diligent research, Điền's first scientific research topic was recognised: "Research on repair and maintenance methods for distribution transformer stations for overhead lines, with the criterion of not causing power outages".
It was also the project he was interested in the most so far.
Taking that as motivation, in the following years, Điền came up with one or two initiatives every year.
From 2016 to 2023 alone, he had nine initiatives and scientific research topics, accumulating a total profit of billions of đồng for his unit, also increasing its labour productivity and work efficiency.
Having worked with Điền for many years, Nguyễn Thanh Lâm, Deputy Director of the Củ Chi Power Company, said: "Điền is one of the best examples for electricity workers in terms of perseverance, effort and progress. Not only helping improve work quality and efficiency, Điền is also a dedicated master craftsman who wholeheartedly imparts knowledge and professional skills to other workers.”
Nurturing high-tech crop varieties
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| Nguyễn Hoàng Duy Lưu works in the nursery garden of the Centre for High-Tech Agriculture Research and Development. VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Tuyết |
Over the past 12 years, Nguyễn Hoàng Duy Lưu’s initiatives and innovations have not only benefitted his company but also helped suburban farmers increase crop productivity.
He works as a nurseryman at the Centre for High-Tech Agriculture Research and Development under the HCM City Management Board of the High-Tech Agricultural Zone.
Cần Giờ District is a coastal zone in HCM City known for its aquaculture.
Growing melons in Cần Giờ, which seemed impossible, has now been effectively realised.
Nguyễn Trung Quốc, Chairman of the Thuận Yến Cooperative, said that An Thới Đông Commune has long mainly raised shrimp and fish.
However, some farming areas have recently been contaminated with alum, so the economic efficiency of their aquaculture has shrunk.
The cooperative has, therefore, boldly switched to growing melons in greenhouses, with technical support from Lưu.
Growing melons has produced clear results, with farmers' profits of VNĐ128 million ($5,100) per hectare per year. The productivity is 17.5 tonnes per crop.
“With this initiative, people are excited because they know how to approach the new technological process. In addition, converting the land contaminated with alum to growing melons has contributed to using the local land effectively, bringing more economic efficiency. Therefore, even though I travel dozens of kilometres from Củ Chi District to Cần Giờ District every day, I am not discouraged because my efforts are useful for farmers," said Lưu.
Lưu’s process of growing melons has also been introduced to farmers in Bến Tre, Tiền Giang and Đồng Tháp provinces, where land is often affected by drought and salinity.
In addition to research, Lưu also trains workers and introduces high-tech agricultural cultivation methods to young people in HCM City and some other localities.
Specifically, his model for using a drip irrigation system in greenhouses to produce rosemary has been taught to farmers in Ninh Thuận, Phú Yên and Hậu Giang provinces.
Those who benefit from this project highly appreciate the effectiveness of Lưu’s new techniques.
"After successfully testing and applying research, technology transfer is prioritised. That is the destination for innovative research in high-tech agriculture,” said Lưu. — VNS
