Day 3:

Today was a very busy and longgg day! We (and the rest of the CSC teams) met our client executives this morning! Our team leadership kicked off the meeting with a quick presentation on the background of the CSC Program and I provided a short history of IBM. If you know me, then you know I tend to speak very fast…which doesn’t work well when someone is attempting to translate your every word after each sentence! After the introductions, we had the opportunity to sit with our clients for a few hours and discuss the scopes of work (SOW) and figure out the logistics for the week – we are to be ready at 7:15 AM…seems like companies in Vietnam like to start early!

For lunch, our translators introduced us to a delicious vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant that was less than 5 minutes away from the hotel! This means that I will be probably be eating there as much as I can over the next few weeks – the food was so tasty and healthy!

Our client came back and picked us up after lunch and took us to their office for the rest of the afternoon. We met about ten different managers and listened carefully to their needs and current issues. We then donned masks (to protect us against gases and dust) and  took a tour of their very impressive facility. We finally had the opportunity to witness and truly understand the frit manufacturing process first-hand. We saw how the raw materials were mixed, melted, and formed into different types of frit. We even saw a lab where the frits were applied as glazes on real ceramic tiles and tested for quality control.  Other things to note:

1. It ranges between 90 – 100 degrees F here every day…not to mention the humidity

2. The frit manufacturing process requires tanks to operate at over 1,000 degrees C (~1800 degrees F)

3. The factory is basically open– on one end coal furnaces burn to produce gas, which is then used to heat the tanks for producing frit

4. If it isn’t clear yet, IT WAS HOT THERE – like more than Texas summer hot!

Regardless, we learned a lot and already have some ideas and suggestions for improvement in their processes and tackling their wish list. The client team seemed very excited to work with us and, likewise, we cannot wait to provide some real value to their company!

But before we get a chance to get deep into brainstorming tonight, we have another presentation to prepare for on Friday. The entire CSC Team will be presenting to 200+ junior and senior college students at the Hue University of Science on career planning, resume building, interview etiquette, and what it means to work for a large technology company like IBM. We are meeting in about 30 minutes and hopefully the presentation will not take all night to build…but of course, in a room full of ambitious, experienced, and successful professionals…you never know =)

“Find something you love to do, and you’ll never work a day in your life” – Harvey MacKay

Note: no pictures today, per the client’s request, due to protection of their technology and processes