How FPT Software applies lessons from Infosys

Beginning with minimal processes and expertise in global software exports, and driven by a daring spirit and the determination to place Vietnam on the global digital map, FPT has, over 25 years of sharing Vietnamese knowledge, earned over $1 billion in IT service revenue from foreign markets, establishing Vietnam as a global technology hub.

Few people know that behind the current achievements of the company lies a long journey and an unwavering spirit of continuous learning to upgrade itself and strive to reach world-class standards. As Ms. Chu Thi Thanh Ha, Chairwoman of FPT Software, a subsidiary of the FPT Group specializing in IT outsourcing, said: “Top talent create a world-class company.”

Towards world-class standards

In its early days, FPT Software adopted a mindset of “moving forward without prior knowledge”, in the simple hope of securing contracts. In the year afterwards, it had faced significant failures, which served as the first crucial lesson. Recognizing that survival and growth in international markets required a shift in mindset and improved capabilities to meet the strict demands of global clients, FPT Software promptly initiated training in processes and foreign languages while also preparing for international technology certifications.

From that point on, company leaders fostered a desire for learning, improved processes, and updated international standards, and also enhanced the capabilities of each and every employee.

One of the key training programs for boosting capabilities and quality management processes was the CMM-4 campaign. CMM is a quality certification from the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), which was established and funded by the US Department of Defense. To achieve CMM Level 4 (out of 5 levels), a company must be capable of managing software projects using data to fully meet customer requirements and ensure the company’s business objectives regarding product quality. In 2002, FPT Software became the first company in Southeast Asia to secure CMM-4 certification, making it on to the Top 100 companies globally in quality management and giving it a first-class ticket to enter the global software market.

In terms of project management, FPT Software continuously enhances its standards through collaboration with leading organizations worldwide, such as the Project Management Institute (PMI), to apply the most modern international standards. Furthermore, the company has invested in research to keep up with the latest technology trends in fields such as AI, cloud, and automotive. In AI, it is a founding member of the Global AI Alliance alongside IBM, Meta, and 50 other major companies and organizations. The company recently partnered with Aitomatic and Tokyo Electron (TEL) to launch SemiKong, the world’s first open-source large language model (LLM) specifically designed for the semiconductor industry.

Nurturing a desire to learn

One of the factors that has helped Indian multinational tech company Infosys become an IT legend, with a market capitalization in excess of $70 billion, is its culture of lifelong learning. In 2002, it established the Global Education Center in Mysore, India, spanning 150 ha, with 400 instructors and over 200 classrooms, meeting all international standards. The center can accommodate and train up to 14,000 individuals at a time across various technology fields.

Similar to Infosys, FPT Software is actively working to become a learning organization to achieve and go beyond the goal of becoming a “billion-dollar, world-class company”, according to Chairwoman Ha. FPT Software has built a variety of learning programs to meet the aspirations of diverse groups of learners, from freshers and junior employees to experts and middle managers.

To enhance the company’s learning culture and gain insights from the practical experiences of the Indian IT legend, at the beginning of 2024 FPT Software successfully recruited Mr. Prajith Nair, former Director of Training at Infosys, to take on the role of AVP, Head of Learning and Innovation.

“A company that seeks sustainable growth needs employees who are always prepared to tackle customer challenges,” Mr. Nair said. “To achieve this, each individual must take the initiative to learn and develop themselves. Only around 20 per cent of training should be reactive based on customer demand, and 80 per cent of the time we should have people trained and qualified, ready to start working. This happens when we provide a clear role-based learning path to the workforce.”

Specifically, FPT Software offers self-directed programs for employees with a diverse range of content, from technical and domain skills to marketing and foreign languages, through various methods, including in-house online and offline courses, as well as financial and time support to empower employees in their learning journey.

FPT Software continues to invest heavily in providing the best learning resources to the workforce towards creating a great learning environment. Many high-quality learning programs and continuous certification support campaigns have emerged, such as Upskilling (a deep skills development scheme for programmers), Global SE (English language training), 20K Certificates (professional certification training provided by Udacity), and PMI-555 (project management certification training), offering self-directed learning opportunities for over 33,000 employees of FPT Software. Depending on the job requirement, each employee must complete specific proactive learning programs.

The learning culture at FPT Software goes beyond merely applying new processes and technologies; it also fosters a spirit of innovation. Employees are encouraged to share ideas and experiences.

Preparing a future IT workforce

Infosys currently has around 317,000 employees, which is nearly ten-times the number of FPT Software staff. Its growth is closely tied to its philosophy of focusing on developing human resources, regarding people as the company’s most valuable asset.

Aiming for the scale of Infosys means FPT Software needs to prepare substantial long-term human resources. It has partnered with universities that have notable IT programs and has funded scholarships for outstanding technology students. Recently, it announced a training investment package of VND150 billion ($6.06 million), collaborating with 15 universities to secure a Japanese-speaking IT workforce.

Today, India has become a global technology powerhouse, thanks to the dream of founder Mr. Narayana Murthy to build a software company. “Vietnam is unique. No other country has shown the courage and ambition you have. We believe if we can achieve it, so can you,” he remarked during his visit to Vietnam last May, emphasizing that companies like FPT will help Vietnam tap into its potential, particularly in developing a high-quality workforce.