Proactive Prevention: The golden key for multinational projects

The success of a project stems not only from technical capability but also from seamless and consistent coordination driven by a “Proactive Prevention” mindset among teams and individual project members. The recent success of Project B* within EBS is a testament to the effectiveness of this “proactive prevention” strategy, transforming risks into opportunities and laying a solid foundation for the sustainable development of projects, especially multinational ones

At FSOFT, undertaking multinational projects is no longer unfamiliar to employees in the Production unit. However, cultural differences and varying work processes between countries always pose potential risks, leading to discrepancies during implementation. Therefore, FSOFT consistently advocates for projects to adhere to the “proactive prevention” strategy, swiftly identifying and addressing issues as they arise.

Project B* has become a clear example of effectively applying the prevention strategy, earning high praise from management for the team’s professional competence, proactive attitude, and continuous learning spirit.

Project B* (under EBS), a collaboration between Vietnam and Indonesia, revealed vulnerabilities early on. The Rollout (RO) team, not directly managed by the main Implementation (IMP) unit, coupled with a lack of practical experience in similar projects, raised concerns within the project regarding potential discrepancies and delays. This made controlling and coordinating work more challenging, easily leading to misunderstandings and outcomes that failed to meet client expectations.

The repercussions emerged immediately in the first batch: the partner PM did not fully follow FSOFT’s guidelines, leading to negative client feedback on implementation quality. Furthermore, information from the implementation team was not consolidated and shared promptly with the project team for resolution. In such a situation, without timely intervention, the consequences could spread, damaging the project’s reputation, adversely affecting partnership relations, and jeopardizing the entire international cooperation roadmap.

Recognizing the imminent risks, the project team immediately implemented a series of preventive measures. The project proactively engaged with internal partners and clients: fostering transparent, open, and attentive dialogue in a “One Team” spirit to ensure timely collaboration and support, helping team members quickly get back on track. Specifically:

• At the unit and PM level: Clearly defined roles and coordination processes, particularly the overall coordination role of the Vietnamese team.
• At the project member level: Introduced new collaboration methods to members, ensuring consistency and efficiency throughout the entire implementation process.
• Regarding outstanding issues: Collaborated to propose solutions based on experience to address them.
• Regarding internal reporting and communication: All communication related to arising issues was rigorously reviewed to ensure full and thorough resolution, and clearly summarized before reporting or presenting to the client, preventing impacts on project progress or reputation.

Thanks to this proactive approach to prevention and preventing recurrence, the project was recognized and honored by Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dong – FSOFT CDO – with the title of “Effective Prevention Projects.” This achievement not only demonstrates the team’s continuous learning and proactive spirit but also affirms a strong commitment to maintaining quality and continuous improvement.

Due to this proactive approach, from the second phase onwards, inter-team coordination became smoother and more efficient. Implementation not only met but exceeded client expectations; clients were completely satisfied with both the quality and speed of project execution. The project continued successfully, opening up numerous opportunities for long-term collaboration in the future.

The experience from Project B* once again proves that when risks are identified early, preparation is thorough, information is shared transparently, and coordination is tight, teams from different countries can still operate effectively. “Proactive Prevention” is not just a risk management solution; it’s a solid stepping stone for the success of multinational projects.