Virtual assistant - breakthrough in administrative procedure reform

Effective support tool

Previously, Nguyen Thi Thu Ha in Hai Duong city wasn’t sure what documents were required to register her child’s birth online. After having logged into Hai Duong province’s administrative procedure processing system, she noticed a special virtual assistant (VA) icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Surprised and intrigued by this “special character,” Ha typed her request: “I need to register a birth online” and instantly received detailed instructions regarding the required documents, the competent agency, and the processing time.

Meanwhile, Bui Van Duoc in Kim Thanh district needed to register a sole proprietorship. He was guided through each step by the VA and easily completed the process online.

“I only logged in to look for information and didn’t expect the VA to provide such detailed and specific answers,” said Duoc.

A representative of Biel Crystal Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Nam Sach district also reported using the VA to check the procedure for inspection of the quality of imported Group 2 products and goods.

After submitting documents online, the company’s representative regularly logs in the system and interacts with the VA by entering application codes in the chatbot to check the processing status.

According to Hoang Cong Thuong, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Kim Thanh district People’s Committee and head of the district’s one-stop service division, the introduction of the VA has significantly reduced the workload for his team.

“In the past, our staff members had to spend a lot of time explaining things to citizens. Now we just direct them to the system, and the VA provides all the necessary information,” said Thuong.

Driving digital transformation

As part of the province’s 2024 plan to apply information technology and promote digital transformation in government operations, in July 2024, the Department of Science and Technology led a project to research, develop, and implement the VA to support organizations, individuals, and public servants in administrative procedures.

According to a representative of the department’s Information Technology Division, the VA operates on an artificial intelligence (AI) platform. It automatically analyzes users’ queries and provides relevant information.

People simply need to access the province’s online public service portal at https://dichvucong.haiduong.gov.vn/ then type a question or use voice input to interact. The chatbot will instantly respond with related procedures and displays detailed information for reference. Users can then select the desired procedure and view specific content.

In addition to computer access, the VA is also compatible with smartphones and tablets, allowing citizens and businesses to interact anytime, anywhere.

The application of AI in handling administrative procedures reduces the need for in-person consultations, minimizes wait times and manual information searches, thereby saving time for both citizens and public servants. The service is entirely free and available 24/7, making it highly convenient.

In just over a month of operation, the VA received about 80 - 100 user interactions per day for procedure inquiries and support. This is a positive sign, highlighting the potential of applying technology in administrative reform.

The VA not only eases the burden on one-stop service divisions but also contributes to enhancing digital transformation within State administrative agencies.

VY KIEN