Ethan

“At Capgemini, we believe in the open door policy.“

We take immense pride in our workforce, a significant portion of which comprises graduates selected through the Gradathon. This program is a melting pot for talent and celebrates collaboration, shared passion and growth. It forms an integral part of our ecosystem and focuses on social impact through shared goals and organized work codes.

Ethan Lee, senior analyst, among the well-deserving graduates from Singapore, shares anecdotes about his journey and learnings with Capgemini.

– What are your views about the culture at Capgemini?

At Capgemini, we believe in the open door policy, where our supervisor or management leaves their office door “open” to promote openness of ideas and transparency of information within the company.

– What was it that drew you to Capgemini?

While I was at university, I had internships across various industries, from manufacturing to wine subscription, and it was then that I stumbled across an opportunity with an IT consulting firm – Capgemini, one of the leading IT consulting firms. I was keen to hone my skills in solving industry-defining challenges and developing integrated solutions that benefit both the company and the clients.

– What is your current profile at Capgemini?

I am a first-year senior analyst in Capgemini, working on a Coupa implementation project.

– Describe your pre- and post-pandemic scenario and your adaptability to change.

During this unprecedented time, most day-to-day work has shifted to virtual settings. But this doesn’t mean that we have to compromise the quality of our work. Instead, our project team doubled up on various measures to ensure that communication between stakeholders remains at the highest level. Virtual stand-up meetings are conducted every morning and every evening, and online teleconferencing and Teams chats are used for discussion between team members and clients.

– Tell us about your adaptability towards new work models.

As many scrambled to understand and adapt to the shift in working dynamics and remote working, Capgemini – already the forefront in technology – was well-equipped with remote working facilities and initiatives. Most of our collaborative work is done through Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint, which allows us to work in real time with our colleagues. In addition, most of my projects and assignments at university were done through e-learning, hence such virtual measures were not new to me.

– Could you talk to us about your current project and its impact?

I am working on a Coupa implementation project, which is a Business Spending Management platform for a global luxury retailer group operating in 14 countries worldwide with more than 200 end users. Coupa increases business efficiency by allowing full visibility and control of a company’s procurement process, such as reducing costs and bolstering compliance.

– Tell us about your learnings from the project.

Being new to the Coupa platform at the start, I was given the opportunity to travel to the Capgemini office in India for an instructor-led workshop, which enhanced my understanding of the system’s technical and configuration features.

At the early phase of the project, my team and I were involved in collaborative discussions with clients to gather business requirements for system configuration. The discussions allowed me to provide system knowhows to best fit the client’s business processes. During the System Integration Testing (SIT) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) phases, my team was involved in ensuring that the new systems were integrated seamlessly with the existing system. We also  assisted UAT testers to perform test scenarios. Subsequently, leveraging on my change management experience, I was involved in crafting user-friendly collateral materials, such as user manuals, FAQs, and quick reference guides (QRGs) for end users. As this was my first project from start to finish, it gave me an understanding of how a project is managed and how expectations are aligned at the different phases of the project.

– How has Capgemini armed you with the latest learning and development tools?

As part of the Capgemini graduate program, which prides itself on graduate development, we participated in various workshops or classes to hone our skills in our areas of interest. During the onboarding phase, we were given training on SCRUM methodology, which is an agile framework for delivering and developing products. This prepared us before we were assigned to our respective projects. Also, our graduate program lead in SEA, Tracy, proactively sought feedback from the graduates to further enhance our capability during our project delivery to our clients.

– What is your advice to fellow graduates who wish to join Capgemini?

You may have completed your tertiary education, but your journey has only just begun. If you are looking for an organization that invests in its employees’ learning and growth, and you want a vibrant work space and exciting career opportunities, Capgemini is the place for you.

– How are you exploring the compatibility of future technology with existing tech stacks or frameworks?

As part of a digital transformation project with our clients, I witnessed firsthand how new technology can seamlessly integrate and enhance the capability of existing technology stacks. However, organizations must create a vision to drive such digital changes for both their employees and customers. Many times, we have seen how organizations integrate future technology to their existing processes, take for example fast food restaurants in Singapore, which offer both self-checkout and cashier counter options to cater to customers with different preferences.

Capgemini offers a holistic graduate program where there are ample learning and development opportunities and places a strong emphasis on innovation & collaboration between stakeholders, which I believe is the future of work. I love the emphasis on mentorship within the organization, not just from management to the employee, but also from the recently introduced reverse mentorship. The benefits of mentoring relationships enable me to grow as a professional.

I believe that self-improvement is a continuous process and I take up any challenges I face at work as a great career development project for myself. Capgemini, an organization that cultivates an environment that allows the free sharing of information and knowledge, is where I want to be.

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