Today was one of our most interesting days for sure! It consisted of two site visits to two companies that were filled with different strategies and skills that I saw at work.
The day started off with a visit to Cat Lai Terminal and it was a very eye-opening experience. After arriving and putting on the equipment like our vests and hard hats, I felt like I was a worker! Even though I did my pre-departure class slides on this company, I wasn’t fully sure what to expect. Either way, I knew that seeing this company operate in person would be a unique experience. The amount of coordination and organization required to make sure everything ran smoothly was truly incredible. What fascinated me the most was how the port almost functioned like its own small city. Every truck, crane, or worker plays a role in keeping the supply chain moving forward. When we were on our tour and got to see the operations up close, looking at the endless rows of stacked containers filled with cargo, it made me realize how many other countries are also relying on this company to produce its products at such a large scale. I was also amazed by the precision and speed of all the cranes and machines. At first, the environment looked very chaotic, but every movement within the facility was carefully calculated to be efficient and safe. One mistake in a port that handles this much cargo could create major delays and then impact the next step in the supply chain. It was very impressive to see how organized the system was despite the size of the terminal and the number of workers there.
In terms of sustainability, I think Cat Lai is making efforts to become greener, but they could still be doing more. With the number of ships, cranes, and machines that they use, it seems difficult not to think about the environmental impact. Ports usually contribute a lot to pollution, and this port definitely played a role in that. The faster ships are loaded and unloaded the less time they spend idling or burning fuel that is unnecessary.
After our visit to see the industrial side of Vietnam, visiting Dan on Foods Corporation provides a completely different vibe. My favorite part of the facility was the pool along with the putting green. I found it very interesting that a company almost felt like a resort. There were so many interactive fun activities for the employees to do when they get off of work. I went up and asked our tour guide why they have this. As explained to me, it gives the workers more incentive to show up to work, be in a better mood and overall increases their desire to work at the company in the first place. I thought this was a very cool touch and awesome to see that Dan on Foods treats their employees with respect and care.
What stood out to me most Dan On was not only the scale of operation, but also the small number of workers they had. Before visiting, I expected to see hundreds of employees working side by side on assembly lines, but instead, much of the facility relied heavily on machines, robotics, and advanced technology. It was fascinating to watch how automated many of the processes were. The machines handled a large portion of the production, while the workers seemed to focus more on monitoring the systems and making sure everything operated smoothly. For example, the few workers that I watched made sure the boxes of peanuts were flipped in the correct direction right before they were placed in the larger box to be shipped off. Little jobs like this that machines can’t do are vital to a large scale company. I found it interesting how this company stayed sustainable through their use of solar panels that covered the entire roof. Additionally, everything in the facility was spotless and very structured. We even got to wear green crocs! I thought this was a funny touch, but they took it very seriously. They had different colored crocs for the different sections on each floor.
Overall, the visit changed the way I think about manufacturing facilities. I expected loud chaos and crowded production lines, but instead it was very organized with little workers who had extremely specific roles. It showed how efficiency today isn’t just about working harder, but about designing smarter systems that use automation while also making sure to focus on attention to detail.
As our site visits begin to wrap up, one of the biggest things I’ll remember about business operations in Vietnam is how fast-moving, yet organized everything feels. Every company we visited operated in completely different industries, yet they all shared the same mindset of constantly improving and expanding. A few examples include the Cat Lai Terminal, where I was shocked by the scale and coordination that was required to keep thousands of containers moving efficiently every day. At Glass Egg, I saw how the technology came together through huge teams working on incredibly detailed digital projects. At Dan On Foods Corporation, I noticed how much modern manufacturing relies heavily on new technology and clearly strict cleanliness (crocs!) standards to keep their company safe for producing their product. My favorite aspect about these site visits and what really stood out to me though was that despite how modern and advanced a lot of these companies were, there was still a strong human side to every experience. I felt that everywhere we visited, there was such a strong sense of pride that the employees had when explaining their work along with the hospitality shown during presentations. The businesses never felt cold or robotic, with the employees explaining how they love focusing on relationships which was clear with the warmth we received to every single company. Even in massive operations that focus on mass production and staying efficient, there was still a sense of personal connection that made each visit feel welcoming.
PS. A few of us grabbed the Pizza place for a late dinner. Some of the best pizza I have ever had and it was such a cool and fun vibe sitting up top at the restaurant. Thanks for the recommendation!
