印度行——印度软件公司的印象

       

        这是我第二次访问印度。2004年，我访问了印度普纳（接近孟买）。这次是海得拉巴 - 印度中心附近 - 接近班加罗尔。

        在市中心，有许多的IT或业务流程外包（BPO）公司–类似中国科技园等。表面上，他们很相似：都在4、5层高的建筑中。你还能看到各种知名的企业——Oracle, HP, Tata。深入了解之后，能发现2者有很大不同？主要的区别在哪？

        在这里，外包是主要或唯一的业务——IT，业务流程，呼叫中心等方面。因为客户分布在美国和欧洲，这里的员工需要昼夜不停地工作。例如，夜班从凌晨3点到上午9时然后进行倒班（三班倒），拥有2000以上员工的公司被视为中小规模公司。

        我此次来为一家当地的IT公司做CMMI评估前准备。XYZ在印度的海德拉巴，是一个具有16年历史的IT公司。该公司一直发展很好。现在它有近2000名员工。

        因为XYZ主要为外国客户提供服务，该公司的中心围绕着如何为每一位客户提供最好的服务。客户满意度永远是XYZ公司的重中之重。

        下面给大家介绍XYZ在国际展贸中心城市建设的设计重点放在如何体现公司的核心价值观。

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        问：XYZ已经非常成功。请你告诉我，你们如何支持自己的价值观和经营理念？

        答：我们非常在意与客户的长期关系。例如，我们的第一个客户来自美国，16年来，我们仍然为他提供着服务。我们的CEO和这个客户保持着密切的联系。

                6年前，我们的CEO开始构想这座大楼，他希望它反映我们的价值观和成为商业模式价值的实验室。当时，我们大约只有120名员工。我们的CEO构想一个能容纳1600 名以上员工的建筑，因为他想建设一个长期的服务型公司。请跟我参观一下公司。

我们的选择了印度顶级的建筑师。他在这个项目中投入了很多激情。例如，他采访了我们所有的高级管理人员，以了解我们的思想。他了解我们要建设反映我们独特的商业模式的建筑。

               XYZ可以看作是由许多致力于客户服务的小机构组成。我们称之为扩展的团队模型（Extended Team Model - ETM）。每位员工首先把自己看成是ETM客户服务的一员。但也应看到自己是XYZ家庭的一份子。（大部分员工已为这个公司服务了很久。我认为一部分原因是这个“家族”哲学。）整个建筑是由各个客户服务单位的办公区组成。在这幢楼我们有一个连续的楼梯，连接所有的区域。当员工走出自己的工作区，整个建筑物映入眼帘，她便感受到自己是XYZ家庭的一部分。

建筑设计师充分考虑了员工的感受。

               以前的办公楼是由许多封闭的区域分隔。员工感觉不太好。在新的工作大楼，我们使用的透明玻璃墙给所有员工提供一个公平、透明的感觉。例如，在行政楼层，你进来的时候，你可以看到所有的办公室都使用这些玻璃墙。让人有空间感和开放感。

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              在海得拉巴，因为很多公司争夺资源（好员工），吸引和留住优秀员工始终是企业的一个挑战。XYZ在让员工有“家庭”感觉方面做了很多–免费午餐/晚餐（甚至早餐），免费的茶/咖啡和其它饮料，公司对员工的培养。还有定期的公司活动。

 

·         一些其他建议——假如您将去访问印度的公司

           电力仍不稳定（虽然比10年前好多了），每天会有几次短暂的停电。

           印度的收入差距巨大。例如，有的人只是为公司提供茶和咖啡服务，收入只有100美元/月！很多人能负担得起-自己的专职司机。

           基础设施仍然远远落后于中国。在海得拉巴，他们正在建设的地铁–目标是到2014 / 2015开始首次运行。许多人骑摩托车上班。我不建议你自己开车（即使你有国际驾照）。因为交通太混乱，特别是在上下班时间。

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This is my second visit to India. In 2004,I visited Pune (close to Mumbai). Now, it is Hyderabad – near the center ofIndia – close to Bangalore.

Most of the IT or BPO companies are in theHiTec City area – like the Science Park in China. On the surface, it may looksimilar – many 4-5 storiesbuildings. You can also find a lot of well known brands here – Oracle,HP, Tata, etc. But if one look deeper, one will find it quite different. Whatare the main differences?

Here, outsourcing is the main and onlybusiness of the area. It can be in IT, business process, callcentres, etc. Becausethe customers are in US and Europe, people are working in every hour round theclock. For example, there is a night shift from 3am to 9am shift (total 3shifts). Here, in outsourcing, companies with 2000+ staff is regarded as smallto medium size.。

This time, I come to prepare for a CMMIappraisal for a local IT company. This XYZ is a 16 years old IT company in Hyderabad, India. The company has beengrowing very well. It has now nearly 2,000 staff.

Because XYZ mainly serves overseascustomers, the company is organized around how to serve each customer best.  Customer satisfaction is always XYZ’s toppriority.

The following excepts focus on how thedesign of the XYZ building in HiTec city reflect the company’s core values.

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Q: XYZ has been very successful. Would you please tell me what are thevalues and management philosophy that support this?

A:We care very much about the long term relationship with ourcustomers. For example, we are still serving our first customer in US for morethan 16 years now. Our CEO is the still prime contact to this customer.

When our CEO design this building 6 yearsago,  he wanted it to reflect the valuesand business model of Value Labs. Then, we had about only 120 staff. Our CEOdesigned the building for 1600 + staff because he wanted the building is toserve the company for the long term. Have our people showed you around thisbuilding?

The architect we employed was the top ofthe class in India. He put in a lot of passion in this project. For example, heinterviewed all our senior executives to understand our thinking. He understoodwe want the building to reflect our unique business model.

XYZ can be seen as made up of many smallcompanies. Each is dedicated to serve its customer organization. We call thisour Extended Team Model (ETM). Each employee should see herself first as amember of the ETM serving a customer. But she should also see herself as partof the XYZ family. (Most of the staff has been with the company for a longtime. I think this ‘family’ philosophy is part of the reason.) So the whole buildingis made up of open office areas for each customer unit. In this building wehave one continuous staircase that link all the areas. When the staff come outof her ‘company’s work area, she sees the entire building and feels she is partof the XYZ family.

The architect also considered a lot of theinputs from the existing staff.

The old office building was made up of manyclosed areas separated by cabinets. The staff did not feel good about it. Inthe new building , we use see through glass walls to give a feeling oftransparency and fairness to all staff. For example , on this executive floor , when you come in, you can seeall offices are using these glass walls. You can probably get this feeling of spaceand openness.

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In Hyderabad, because so many companiescompeting for resources (good people), it is always a challenge for companiesto attract, and retain good staff. XYZ did a lotto reinforce this ‘family’ feeling among staff – free lunch / dinner(even breakfast), tea / coffees and other drinks are also free, companycoaches  to pick up staff to work. Thereare also periodic company events.

·        * * Other tips to those who mayvisit India companies in future * *

Electric poweris still not stable (although much better than 10 years ago) There are alwaysseveral short breaks in electric power everyday.

The incomedifference is huge in India. For example, there are servers in the company who only serve tea and coffee in theoffice. These people may be earning only USD 100 per month!  There are also full time drivers.

Infrastructure is still much behind China. InHyderabad, they are building their Subway – target to get the first linerunning in 2014 / 15 timeframe. Many rides motorbike to work. I do notrecommend you to drive yourself (even if you have an international drivinglicense). It is because the traffic is so chaotic, especially in the rushhours.