Korea SBC Company diagnosis model: An advanced company management solution

More than a decade ago, in 2004 a project named “Company diagnosis” was first introduced to Korean business community by the Small Business Corporation (SBC). Since then, the terminologies such as “Company doctor”, “Company hospital” or “Company diagnosis” have come to know by and been familiar to Korean enterprises. “Company/Corporate Diagnosis” is a management solution or technology, that has been successfully applied in Korean enterprises, covering the procedure from diagnosis, prescription and treatment for “Company’s diseases” just like the procedure in a hospital. The “Company doctors” with “specific professions” will diagnose and examine any typical company and then offer appropriate solutions and linkages to support it depending on its problems, for example: a favor loans, production/ brand improvement, market or technology transfer/ innovation/ commercialization... Consequently, since company diagnosis, professional capacity of CEO and staff has been improved, especially company revenue has been grown remarkably from 20 to 30% even higher.

Could the “Company Diagnosis” model of SBC be successfully applied to Vietnamese enterprises, especially to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME)? This is a question for which the only focal point of SBC in Vietnam for company diagnosis projects– The Center for Vietnam Science and Technology Internationalization Promotion (VISTIP) belonging to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has been struggling. For that reason, on March 28th 2014 at MOST Headquarter and with the witness of H.E Mr. Tran Van Tung – Deputy Minister and other senior officials of MOST, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by VISTIP Director and SBC President. One of the most important terms in the MOU was: “The Parties will jointly promote the formulation of joint Diagnostic projects between Vietnamese and Korean SMEs in field of technology innovation”.


To execute the signed MOU, right in the end of 2014, VISTIP and SBC jointly developed and implemented a “pilot project on company diagnosis” applied to 3 selected companies in the North of Vietnam. And to preliminarily review the result of the project as well as firstly to introduce “SBC Company diagnosis” model to Vietnam SMEs community, on November 5th - 6th 2015 at Fortuna hotel, Hanoi, with the permission of MOST, VISTIP and SBC jointly held an international conference on “Advanced Management Solutions: SBC Corporate Diagnosis Model”.

The conference was regarded as a highlighted step in the mutual relationship between SBC and VISTIP. Through it, the Vietnam business, especially management agencies can fully understand about the SBC Company diagnosis model so that they may be able to integrate it with the current management technologies or to find out a better solution helping Vietnamese enterprises in a regional and international playgrounds like WTO, EVFTA, AFTA and TPP… that Vietnam has been and will be their member.


The conference attracted the interest and registration of a big number of delegates coming from the big Vietnam Groups like FPT, Viettel Group, Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Holdings- VINACOMIN, Vietnam Chemical Group-VINACHEM... Vietnam Electrical Equipment Joint Stock Corporation- GELEX, VIGRACERA and SMEs... state management agencies from provincial and central governments like Departments of science and technology from Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh... CIEM, AED, DSI from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, IPS from Ministry of Trade Industry, DoEM from Ministry of Transport,.... especially the conference was so honor to have the presence of HE Mr. Pham Dai Duong- Deputy Minister of Science and Technology for opening.

In addition to the key presentations on Company diagnosis model and case studies made by SBC speakers, the conference also enjoyed the supporting presentations by other well-known speakers coming from the Agency for Enterprise Development (AED) and Central Institute for Economy Management (CIEM) belonging to Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam National Productivity Institute (VNPI) belonging to Directorate for Standards and Quality, VISTIP and especially a case study shared by a demonstration company from the pilot project- the GPR Co., Ltd.


The questions and discussions raised by audiences to the speakers during the conference can say something about the “hot” of “SBC Company diagnosis model” for Vietnamese enterprises as well as about the “urgent needs” of Vietnamese enterprises and management agencies for a better solutions to enhance productivity, quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises so that they can survive and develop in both presence and future.

Fully aware of the needs of business community and management agencies, VISTIP- with its mission trusted by Minister of MOST to conduct research and fetch overseas experience, models for international integration of science and technology of Vietnam- will be always side by side with Vietnamese business and management agencies and acts as a bridge in connecting the overseas scientist/business community to Vietnamese one for technology transfer/innovation and commercialization. First of all, VISTIP will do its best to connect SBC with Vietnamese business community vie the cooperative projects, programs that VISTIP and SBC would jointly develop and propose to the government of Vietnam and Korea for approval in near future.

Some key speakers at the conference- (Photo by VISTIP)