Hello. I am Kawamura, the director of Monosus Thailand (hereinafter Monosus Thailand).
In the previous Work and Life article, we introduced Monotai's director, Miyagawa, in an article about Monosus Japan, his relationship with Monotai, and the order process. This time, we will go a little further and give you a taste of the atmosphere on the actual production site.
The beginning is crucial! Examining new projects with Thai coders
The flow of production at Monothai is that first, a consultation about a project comes to Thailand through the sales team of Monothai Japan. Almost every day, we receive consultations about projects from our two bases in Tokyo and Osaka, so we check the project outline, confirm the documents that have been provided, calculate the man-hours, and examine whether it is possible to complete the project within the scheduled period.
In the course of the review, a Japanese director will act as the liaison office for the domestic Monosus sales team, but the actual labor cost estimate will be calculated by the Thai coder leader, Tong, and the coder who will actually be in charge of the project, and they will coordinate in advance regarding the possibility of handling the project and the schedule. We also ask as many questions as possible about concerns and necessary information regarding the implementation of difficult JavaScript before the actual production begins, and confirm them in advance.
Kawamura (right) consulting with Thai leader Tong (left) about the man-hours involved in the project
In a production site filled with a lively atmosphere, the director is the bridge between the two parties.
Now, when the actual production begins, the director will first share with the coder the information necessary for production based on the submitted materials. The basic specifications and site map information received from the customer are compiled on Google Drive, and the project members are made able to view them.
Once the materials are ready, we ask the interpreter to translate them. Once the translation is complete, we send it to a Thai coder to confirm the specifications.
The general flow is that after the translated specifications have been checked, the basic specifications of the project are explained to the project members verbally, with any supplementary explanations provided.
Communication during production is basically done through Skype, but if necessary, we communicate with the coder through an interpreter as needed to move the production forward. In our work in the front-end field, we often need to understand and convey subtle nuances, such as how JavaScript works, so the process of explaining things face-to-face is essential.
Sometimes when giving instructions about animation movements, they would use subtle expressions such as "smooth" or "soft" by pointing at the monitor and using body language.
Akamine (left) uses gestures to explain the specifications to the coder Prem (right) through the interpreter Fon (center).
On average, Thai directors are responsible for two to three projects at a time, so on busy days, the coders are constantly asking questions and clarifying things, and the directors are often running around their desks with a notepad in hand.
Although it can be difficult at times, our directors enjoy the process of communicating with Thai people to create the desired website.
All Thai directors, no matter what, love producing!
Every day is a learning experience. Three languages are spoken at the production site.
As mentioned above, at Monotai, the interaction between the director and the coder is largely divided into two types: face-to-face communication and text-based communication using Skype's chat function.
Communication is basically carried out in three languages: English, Thai, and Japanese.
Compared to Japanese people, Thai people have less of an aversion to English, and I feel that everyone tends to be able to understand English to a certain extent. As you can sense from the fact that the city is overflowing with farangs (Thai for Westerners), I think that people in Bangkok have naturally had more opportunities to come into contact with English than we Japanese people do. I have been able to overcome my fear of English to a large extent since coming to Thailand, but it is still difficult to communicate in English alone, so I sometimes try to communicate by weaving it in Thai.
Some things can be communicated directly from the director to the coder in English if there is only a simple exchange. Of course, there are also times when a director who has mastered Thai will give instructions directly in Thai.
In order to accurately and quickly convey the numerous documents and detailed nuances of specifications, the presence of an interpreter is essential. Currently, Monotai has two interpreters, Fon and Waan, who work together to provide interpretation and translation services.
He also occasionally teaches the Thai language. He immediately translates what he explains in Japanese into Thai, and there are many times when Japanese people listen and say, "Oh, so that's the Thai word you use," which helps them learn.
Machiyama (left) explains how the smartphone works to coder Mong (right) through interpreter Fon (center) while looking at the actual smartphone.
When an interpreter is involved in communication, there is a sense of security that there is less misunderstanding and no mistakes will occur. However, when multiple projects are running simultaneously, the translators may not be able to keep up, and there may be a time lag while waiting for the translation.
To ensure that the interpreters can start translating smoothly, the director will compile information such as where the translation materials are stored and what information has been entered into a Google spreadsheet, and will share the information on Skype.
Here too, for things that can be developed in English, some directors give instructions to the coders directly in English.
At times there are close to 10 projects, large and small, underway in Thailand, and we are grateful to the two of them for always checking the progress of each project and immediately responding with translations.
It's been three years since Monotai was launched, and little by little, changes are beginning to emerge on the part of Monotai's coders. One day, when I happened to look at a coder's desk, I found a Japanese workbook there!
Thai Coder's Japanese Practice Book
When hiring coders, Monotai does not specifically require Japanese language skills.
I myself have always felt, without anyone telling me, that it is the role of the director who acts as a bridge between the project and the people who create the system to make an effort to bridge the communication gap, and that the coders should just be professionals who focus on coding. And when you value productivity, that may actually be how it should be.
Even so, when I see the coders making an effort to understand Japanese little by little, it makes me happy and makes me smile. I still think that the environment where we can work while learning about each other's cultures and respecting each other is a fresh and valuable experience.
Japan vs. Thailand: The hidden potential of hybrid teams
What do you think? Although this was a simple explanation, I hope it conveyed at least a little of the atmosphere at Monotai. In terms of both its structure and potential, I feel that Monotai is still in the development stage.
I think there will always be problems with communication and management when producing overseas, but once we overcome these, I think that because we are a hybrid team of Japanese and Thai people, it will be a source of mutual support and a bond that transcends culture will be born.
I can't go into details yet, but we are planning a new venture based on a trilingual environment. That's all for now! I'll keep it a secret until my next post!
Although every day is a process of trial and error, I hope that we can work together in a harmonious atmosphere so that we can produce better output as a team.
See you next time!
モノサスアーカイブ