TCS has split its workload between India and Singapore. It has several people working onsite at the SGX. "TCS is still at the stage (as of January this year) of drawing a list of requirements that need to worked on, before they put up a plan," explains Cher. "Most of the application development will be done in India. So, [immediately after]they have completed the collection of data and are sure that this indeed is what they need for the job, they will start on the application development. The applications will be initially tested in the southern Indian city of Chennai." Once the two sides are satisfied with the results, the applications will be transferred to Singapore for the final tests.

Challenges

Cher says the key challenge that the SGX is likely to face is in the use of Java. TCS has so far shared their insights into best practices in design patterns, the use of Java frameworks and so on. "They have been very active in proposing alternative views and new ideas to our suggestions and proposals." The SGX, however, is not alone to have acquired a new set of skills from an Indian vendor. An American project management company says that its relationship with its Indian partner has become indispensable to the success of its global business.

Two companies, one spirit

We have all heard of executives toiling into the twilight hours, hurriedly putting the finishing touches to business strategies and plans. The sad part is, many such ideas are not even given second thought after the presentation. What is worse, however, for the ideas that do win acceptance, is that many are not acted on, or even if they are, it is done half-heartedly or incorrectly, with the result that, the company's objectives in implementing strategy are not achieved. This is why companies often call upon the expertise of implementation experts--also known as project management specialists. "What we do for companies is to ensure that their strategies are translated into focused and effective action," says Michael Mobley, CEO, IPS Global Partners, Inc. Its client list covers a slew of blue-chip names such as Citibank, DellDell, Sun Microsystems and Singapore Airlines. "Our job is to ensure that the processes are not only implemented, but are fine-tuned and made scalable," says Howard Vaughan, managing partner, IPS Associates Asia Pte. Ltd. Mobley uses the analogy of a speeding bicycle to illustrate the challenges IPS's clients face in implementing projects. "Think of our [typical] client as being on a bicycle riding downhill at full speed on a bumpy road." The speed symbolises a dynamic business. The bumpy road symbolises a tough and often unpredictable business environment, and, thus, the cyclist (management) has to have a good grip on the handle and needs to be alert for unexpected danger. "We prepare both the cyclist and the bicycle for the challenges ahead; we do it while the bicycle is still in motion." Alles zu Dell auf CIO.de

Stuntmen@work

However, it is not just IPS that jumps on to the bicycle, with the cyclist frantically pedalling. The processes and solutions it implements, without exception, are IT intensive. IPS has partnered with Satyam Computer Services Ltd., one of India's largest software development companies, to develop the applications, or tools, to fit into the processes that are being developed for a project. "Project management incorporates three dimensions: processes, people skills and tools," explains Mobley. "The tools assess the data of the projects being implemented or, if it is a set of related projects, it analyses the interfaces or connections between the projects. We're good at creating and implementing customised processes and training the people to work on these processes." However, identifying or creating appropriate enterprise-wide tools is trickier. There are tools available off-the-shelf, "but these may be far from suitable for the projects that our clients are implementing." In fact, each project and client is unique and, it follows, it is likely that the tools need to be custom-developed. "Therefore, we needed an IT partner who was swift in execution and passionate about the value that project management brings to a company." IPS saw all these qualities in Satyam. "Satyam, like IPS, has significant global experience, has worked with a diversity of clients and has the experience of working with proven profit-generating processes at some of the best companies in the world." All this, in short, has given Satyam the capability to acquire an in-depth understanding of IPS's objectives and service-delivery model. "This is a truly valuable insight for us. In addition, Satyam has far more exposure to operational processes and supporting software than we do. So, what we have done by partnering with Satyam is to have brought in their competency, which is managing operational processes to complement our competency, which is implementing strategic initiatives and projects. We needed a partner who could design ways to make specific crucial project information available and integrate it with ongoing operations." Satyam develops its applications in the cities of Hyderabad, which is India's second largest sofware development centre, and Chennai.

To hell with cost!

There is a perception that one of the factors driving the success of Indian IT-service providers is their low cost. However, low cost was certainly not a factor that influenced IPS's decision to partner Satyam. "In fact, Satyam was the most expensive partner that we had selected from a list of bidders. The key criteria was quality and effectiveness," says Mobley. "This is because our reputation is on the line when we implement projects." IPS's clients invest anywhere between 40 and 80 percent of their annual budgets on project-related work, says Mobley. In other words, even a single mistake can put IPS's reputation on the chopping block. So how did the two meet? "IPS has worked with a gamut of application developers for a wide range of clients," says Mobley. "But we had this particular client that was very IT savvy...they were not easy to please. So, we needed a partner who could keep up with the demands of this client...we teamed up with Satyam for this project." This experience showed IPS that Satyam had the savvies for working in tough situations. "It was obvious that we shared common values and our relationship started to evolve from that point."