As the years go on, more disruptive ideas are being introduced across industries which has made it more important than ever for businesses to embrace digital innovation.
As business landscapes become more complex, we are seeing the rise of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Cloud technology, and AR/VR to name a few, all of which can aid employees with working smarter while also protecting a business’ valued consumers.
Embracing technology can add tremendous value to any organisation, this is a statement that Levi Nguyen can attest to in his role as the CEO of FPT Greater Bay Indochina.
FPT Greater Bay Indochina is a subset of FPT Software, a global technology and IT services provider headquartered in Vietnam with more than US$ 632 million in revenue and 60,000 employees in 27 countries. Established pioneers in digital transformation, the company delivers a range of world-class services, and serves thousands of customers worldwide, almost 100 of which are Fortune Global 500 companies.
From reducing time spent on maintenance, to having access to expert support and added security, the advantages of working with an IT service provider like FPT Software are plentiful.
Levi discusses these benefits in detail during an exclusive conversation with Prestige.
As an experienced executive with a track record of delivery financial returns and customer satisfaction in the realms of ICT and telecommunication, Levi was first attracted to technology because of its potential to transform.
“I think the last 20 years in technology have been a warm-up act. I think the dot-com boom and dot-com bust represent only the end of the beginning, and now we are entering an era – a historic opportunity – where technology can truly transform governments, societies and lives,” he enthuses.
Beyond its ever-evolving nature, Levi was also drawn to the field of technology because of its potential to provide solutions to the various challenges we face in our society, whether those challenges are around education, healthcare, economic development, environment protection, or security.
“None of these challenges will be solved without the application of technology,” he explains. “The increasing demands from citizens for information, services and transparency – technology plays a role in all of these challenges.”
Before joining FPT Software, Levi grew his skills and fostered an understanding about the world of tech at several multinational telecom giants before receiving an offer from FPT to build up the telecom competency for a client in Singapore.
“My decision to join FPT Software stemmed from two things – the desire to embark on an adventure in a new country and having the opportunity to work for a global leading technology and IT services and solutions provider,” he reveals.
“There were many things that stood out to me about the company when I joined. One example is that FPT has a rotation programme. FPT leaders at all levels are rotated between positions and units in the corporate. The goal of this is to create a diverse experience, a self-development process to improve management capabilities, and to be ready to meet the needs of customers’ demand for high-level resources for the corporate and its subsidiaries.
“In my case, after doing a farewell with a client we had worked with for 17 years, my boss told me that he wanted me to build the Hong Kong market and I didn’t hesitate to accept this new assignment. Then the following offer was to take the Thailand office after I finished a project delivery in Thailand during the COVID period.
“I took a rescue flight back home and was in a quarantine hotel when the FPT Software Board of Directors told me they wanted me to build up FPT in Thailand. In retrospect, I am very happy that both big assignments were completed successfully. We saw substantial growth in 2021 and was able to lay down a strong foundation in the kingdom for our next chapter,” Levi explains.
Over the last decade, FPT grew its presence in several countries in the Asia Pacific region including Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and China and continues to have its sights set on becoming one of the world’s top 50 global digital transformation service providers by 2030.
The decision to branch out to Thailand began with FPT’s work with Unilever, opening an office to support a valued client in distribution management systems. To meet growing demand from other companies in Thailand seeking out the company’s services, FPT transformed a delivery centre into a fully functioning FPT office.
Levi also divulges that Thailand is the biggest ASEAN investor in Vietnam and because of this mutually beneficial relationship, the company wants to play a role in accelerating the pace of US$ 20 billion trading to an even higher target.
During the beginning of his tenure in Thailand, the team restructured the organisation to present a unified, coherent front to customers, a restructuring that also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to invention and innovation.
“We consolidated our lines, and we employed a customer experience that has been designed to focus on serving very specific customer needs. This restructuring and refocusing, however, is only one step in our larger plan. We want to build even stronger foundations for a company that can lead in our chosen markets, that has the agility and flexibility to adapt to new ways of change,” says Levi.
Taking on these big changes in role and restructuring within the FPT structure exposed Levi to a much wider scope of digital transformation, as he had to become more familiar with various services from smart factories to executing digital platforms, RPA, AI, IoT, enterprise mobility, digital product development, Cloud technology, AR/VR, business applications, application services, managed services, and more.
The services that FPT provides are extensive, encompassing digital consulting on digital transformation – which is often viewed as an obstacle-ridden process. FPT Software can aid with smoothening this process with its new technologies, comprehensive DX roadmaps and well-researched methodology.
Another important service is aiding with digital innovation. As businesses are ramping up their efforts to optimise business outcome with cloud computing, big data analytics, mobility, and ‘the internet of things,’ FPT and provide solutions and services to help businesses embrace these innovations.
FPT can also aid with rebadging IT services personnel, allowing for the co-existence of cost optimisation, operation efficiency, and robust innovations.
With other global firms offering similar services, I ask Levi what makes FPT a cut above the rest, to which he explains: “In the midst of the last decade, FPT began focusing on digital transformation rather than just outsourcing services. As the biggest IT service provider in ASEAN, we have the right position to become a pioneering player in the new digital transformation (DX) era.
“We know where we are. We are hungry, but we are humble. We have our own philosophy of how we can best support our clients. We have worked to gain trust from our clients. We are constantly digitising to match the pace of acceleration globally, and we tailor our services to always provide new insights.”
Through his detailed explanation, it is evident that FPT aims to be more than just a family of technology companies, and rather, act as a body that actively changes millions of lives by creating better opportunities for businesses in Southeast Asia.
To do this and continue doing this, FPT has embraced three domains of change:
Digital Customer: a pillar that focuses on reinventing customer value propositions and experiences and delighting customers through a seamless omni-channel customer journey to drive top-line growth.
Digital Core: a pillar that helps enable efficient, predictable, low-cost and effective operation by digitalising processes, automating work, instilling discipline for business processes, and leveraging data to make faster and better decisions. This also aids with breaking down organisational silos and encourages movement towards a flexible, cloud-based infrastructure that can increase operating margins.
Digital Work: a pillar that aims to radically change how work is led, organised, and completed to achieve business agility and adaptability.
Speaking about these three domains of change, Levi said: “A holistic approach is required. The path to future readiness requires a strategy in which all three domains are considered together and are aimed at three objectives: top-line growth, operation margins, and business agility and adaptability. FPT offers digital and IT leadership that has a broad view on all these domains, rather than having multiple leaders that focus on only one.”
With the world rapidly changing because of new technologies and unprecedented circumstances brought forth by the pandemic, the digital economy has become more important than ever.
“Nowadays, there is less dependence on real infrastructure. Businesses are reducing paperwork to save the environment; real-time data ecosystems make decision making faster and more convenient; robots can work 24/7 to replace manual labour; AI can aid with accurate predictions; the Metaverse can help users understand how products work before they are produced; these innovations can make our lives much easier.
“At the heart of our work is the commitment to leverage technology to redefine the way people live, work, play, and do business day-to-day. To effectively solve problems so people have time for higher value work,” Levi reveals.
Now that Levi has given me an in-depth understanding of the work that FPT specialises and what makes the company stand out when compared to other IT service providers, I ask him why our local readership, many of whom own their own businesses, should consider working with FPT Software.
“We have strong credibility and a solid reputation for helping enterprises succeed and progress in the areas of expertise, improved productivity, cost/benefit, enhanced security and implementing new tech. Through collaborations with world-class tech talents, reputable partners, regulators, and communities across the region, we aim to create better opportunities for all enterprises in Southeast Asia.
“We continuously invest in improving the simplicity, manageability and adaptability of our products and systems. Because of this vision and commitment, we can assure every enterprise that working with FPT will be a worthwhile journey. By enabling technology together, we can explore endless possibilities,” Levi says with enthusiasm.
Of course, no business journey can be without its challenges, and so I ask Levi what are the ongoing obstacles he faces working in the complex world of digital transformation and tech.
“In our position as pioneers, our work is about managing and mastering change – embracing it, not fearing it. This is a big challenge that requires vision, commitment, and the willingness to take risks, as well as finding the right balance between a real sense of urgency and sense of patience. This understanding is born out of the realisation that change is hard and takes time,” Levi clarifies.
Adding onto Levi’s sentiments, Truong Gia Binh, FPT Chairman said: “With the great disruption that was COVID-19, now is the best time for us to revive and come back stronger, and digital transformation is the way to do this.
“With innovative solution suites based on core technologies such as AI, Big Data, Blockchain, RPA, and so forth, FPT is committed to bringing our worldwide clients world-class digital transformation services through the power of connectivity.
“We want to accompany businesses and organisations to recover and achieve success on their future digital journey. Therefore, we will continue to provide our services based on three core values: intelligent services, deep understanding, and maximum benefits, to deliver happiness to everyone,” he concludes.
For more information about FPT Software’s extensive digital-oriented services, click here.
Ashima is a Senior Writer for Prestige Digital and her role involves writing and curating engaging content for Prestige Thailand’s online portals. Before joining Burda, Ashima spent five years working in Thailand’s dynamic media industry as a digital editor and lifestyle journalist. Outside of the office, Ashima is a professional DJ and proud dog mum to a Labrador named Luna. She also enjoys painting, watching films and true crime documentaries, listening to podcasts, and running.
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