2000Man – This name is not unfamiliar to those of you currently working at BAP Group. When mentioning 2000Man, everyone praises and admires the individuals who day and night strive for a common goal for the project and the company as a whole. Who are they? Let’s find out together with BAP.
2000Man – Who are they?
The 2000Man project at BAP involves developing and migrating data systems for car sales to a large corporation in Japan. The 2000Man team advises and provides technological solutions to upgrade the car sales system by converting programming languages from Cobol to Java, aiming to enhance sales productivity and system management efficiency.
Why is this conversion so effective? The old system of the Japanese automotive conglomerate that BAP Software is consulting for uses Cobol, a somewhat outdated programming language with a large source code base that incurs high operational and maintenance costs. Consequently, its ability to meet the business requirements is very low and struggles to keep up with the rapidly changing technological trends of today.
By transitioning to Java, the system undergoes significant improvements, leading to reduced operational costs and the ability to implement new technologies effectively, meeting real-time business demands. This is also the strength and mission of working at BAP: constantly bringing innovation to contribute to the world’s continuous development.
2000Man officially launched in August 2020 with a team size of up to 60 personnel. It’s considered the most massive project scale at BAP since its establishment. Since the beginning, team members have consistently impressed clients and garnered widespread praise for their work on the 2000Man project.
Despite the extensive time and effort required to review old code segments, the team excelled in the initial phases by diligently identifying and analyzing bugs, thereby proposing optimal solutions for the language transition process within the product.
Moreover, the team successfully completed LOT2 ahead of schedule by 15 days (with the official release on April 28, 2021) and began work on 50% of the modules in May. Despite the early completion, there were minimal bug issues, and any encountered were promptly addressed by the exceptional 2000Man team, ensuring smooth and seamless product operation. Consequently, the team received overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers.
Sharing humorous anecdotes about their time working together, Ngô Thanh Lợi, Project Manager of the 2000Man project, stated: As a project manager, he often finds himself “extorted” and “bargained with” by his team members whenever assistance is needed. For instance, when adjustments to tools were necessary, they’d humorously demand “500 BAP COIN, please,” or “Alright then, I’ll take two cases of beer.” Lợi shared that while he knows they’re joking, he indulges them because he enjoys their company. This rapport has even led to occasions where the team used BAP COIN at the Honest Mart mini supermarket at BAP and enjoyed team-building sessions together, fostering a much closer and relaxed atmosphere among everyone.
When it comes to team building, Lợi also subtly mentioned: Even though we work together almost 24/7, the team doesn’t want to lose focus on work even when we go out drinking. Every time we have a drinking session, the entire team is filled with ideas and contributes many opinions on the project, hoping to improve it further. Lợi shared, “Even when drinking, you guys keep working relentlessly; how can I keep up with you?”
A team member shared that during the peak period of the project, if they heard a notification sound from their phone or laptop around 4-5 AM, they would know who was calling without checking. And around 5 PM every day, the phrase “OT nhé” (Over Time) would stir the entire 2000Man team into action. The 2000Man members would happily start working diligently, enthusiastically doing overtime to ensure the project’s progress was met.
Notable faces in the project The 2000Man project brought together many individuals with various personalities, working styles, and distinctive marks within the team. Some members contributed ideas that made Unit Testing much easier and faster.
For instance, Huy is a standout, as he only took 4 hours to write a support tool for Unit Testing. Although the tool wasn’t completely perfect, it helped the project finish ahead of schedule and reduced the team’s workload to some extent.
Bạn Nguyễn Khánh Huy – người được mệnh danh là “Thần đồng viết tool” của team 2000Man.
The most impressive figure in the 2000Man team, as shared by Project Manager Lợi, is Phạm Văn Tú. Tú currently holds the role of Leader and Bridge Engineer for the project. From the very beginning, Tú, along with Lợi and Toàn, worked hard to secure this large project for the company.
In LOT1, Tú also took on the role of Sales Support and excellently completed all assigned tasks. By LOT2, Tú’s family welcomed a new member, and he embraced the additional role of being a father. Despite often feeling exhausted from the pressures of both family and work, the SS1 team, led by Tú, consistently completed their tasks quickly and was among the top performers in terms of quality in the project.
Bạn Phạm Văn Tú – Leader, Bridge Software Engineer kiêm Sales Support của team 2000Man.
And, we can’t forget to mention those team members who have a natural talent for communicating with customers, receiving heartwarming praise and compliments whenever the team excellently meets customer requirements. This often makes Lợi exclaim, “How do you make customers like you so much? What’s your secret?”
Besides the stories about the 2000Man team members, there is also the story of a Project Manager considered the most dedicated under the sun, widely known to many. In his role as Project Manager, Lợi always strives to “carry the team” and develop the team members. He continually makes an effort to rotate and arrange tasks appropriately, recognizing the capabilities and desires of each member to ensure everyone feels they are growing and developing.
Anh Ngô Thanh Lợi – Project Manager có tâm nhất hệ mặt trời.
In addition, Lợi is a role model for the “early riser for success” movement, working with great discipline. By 7:30 AM, he is already at the office, starting his day with customers and team members.
Even though he is quite busy with company work and family, he always exudes positive energy, making others feel comfortable when interacting with him. Lê Minh Quân, a very young Bridge System Engineer (BrSE) for the 2000Man project, is currently working at BAP’s Ho Chi Minh City branch.
Although he did not participate in the PILOT phase, Lê Minh Quân quickly adapted and learned, overcoming all pressures, and became a core member in building the XMAP1 and XMAP5 teams at BAP’s Ho Chi Minh City branch.
Phạm Hùng, a member of the 2000Man project since August 2020, is currently working at BAP’s Hue branch. Although not originally from an IT background, he has continually made efforts to learn and has contributed to the development of most of the customer systems, including Sales Support, XMAP, and SVF. Phạm Hùng is now trusted by customers to be part of their Technical team, working directly with customers on a daily basis.
The success of the 2000Man team today cannot be mentioned without acknowledging the key figures from the 2000Man Japan team. From the very beginning, even before the project landed at BAP, Lê Minh Toàn from Japan, along with Lê Thanh Lợi and Phạm Văn Tú in Vietnam, made great efforts during the pilot phase to secure this significant project for the company.
For the project, 2000Man Japan is likened by Lợi to a “solid bridge” thanks to the timely support from Bridge Engineers Nguyễn Minh Thành and Nguyễn Văn Mạnh. They work in conjunction with other BrSEs to communicate directly with the customer, ensuring mutual understanding between both parties. This smooth cooperation enhances customer satisfaction.
Moreover, 2000Man Japan serves as the final checkpoint in the product release process. This crucial stage ensures and elevates the quality of the product that all team members are striving to complete.
Lessons Learned from the Project
The 2000Man project faced numerous challenges right from the start, such as recruiting 54 additional team members within three weeks during the intense phase of the Covid pandemic. As a result, the company decided to recruit and implement the project across all three regions of Vietnam.
Most team members had to onboard and familiarize themselves with the project while working from home. However, after nearly a year of working together, the team has gained invaluable memories and lessons.
Spirit of Cooperation
With 2000Man, the spirit of mutual contribution and development is encouraged and upheld in every situation. Besides completing their own tasks, team members also collaborate, exchange ideas, and propose solutions to issues faced by other teams.
Frequent Communication
Sharing with BAP, the key to achieving this is regular communication, exchange, and proactive problem-solving between management and team members. Regular communication has forged a strong bond among the 2000Man teams in Da Nang, Hue, and Japan. During discussions, everyone actively debates and proposes solutions, all aiming toward a common goal: improving project quality and meeting customer requirements.
Adherence to Processes
Ensuring adherence to processes is also a critical lesson for the 2000Man team. Reflecting on the working process, Tình, a QA who has been with the 2000Man team, shared: “From a procedural standpoint, the 2000Man team is doing an excellent job of running according to all the processes required by the company and the customer.”
Information Security
Ensuring information security during the project is one of the stringent requirements prioritized by the customer. The 2000Man team has complied well with the steps of Training – Doing – Check – Audit and has met customer requirements excellently. This not only helps the project score points with the customer but also demonstrates the 2000Man team’s commitment to the company’s regulations.
Conclusion
2000Man – 60 individuals standing together on one boat with Captain Ngô Thanh Lợi steadily steering the ship. You have all been excelling in your roles, not only in your work but also in supporting your fellow team members. We hope that in the near future, BAP will receive more good news from the team and stories that contribute to BAP’s working culture – growing together and striving towards the common goal of developing people and ensuring better project quality.
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