Introduction
In particular, I enjoy acting within a global project. Meet new people, different countries and cultures, speak in other languages, learn different ways of thinking, etc.
But, behind all the good stuff and as opportunities for a global project, there are also challenges and I just want to talk about that today.
Main Challenges
Complexity
When we talk about global projects carried out in Brazil, one of the first challenges is precisely the fiscal and legal complexity. (This also occurs in other countries: Russia, Argentina, etc.).
In all the projects I went through, regardless of the preparation of the client’s global team (some prepare well before the project), talking about the various taxes and legislation in Brazil seemed like a big nightmare.
Sometimes it was funny when I started to explain the local processes within SAP itself, using even official presentations from SAP itself, and I watched people’s faces of confusion and frustration.
The complexity of taxes, the Nota Fiscal (Brazilian Invoice), and the amount of legal obligations is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges of any global project carried out in a country with complex legislation.
It is without a doubt the point at which foreigners most complain when participating in a project in Brazil.
Communication
Honestly, I don’t know which of the two points is more challenging.
Whether it is legal complexity or communication is the biggest challenge.
Most of the time it is very difficult for everyone on the project to have a good level of English.
This factor is extremely important for the smooth running of the project.
And why do I say that?
At the beginning of the project, usually in the Workshops and Fit-Gaps phase, the great purpose is for the global team and the consultants to deeply understand the local processes.
For this, users (business) must explain each process as deeply as possible so that the gaps of change in the Project Template can be identified.
This is an extremely critical point, as the Global Template, as a rule, should be modified as little as possible, especially so that several countries may be using the same structure of the SAP system.
Now, imagine the following situation.
During Fit Gap, we have several Key Users (business users who understand the processes in depth) who are incredible at what they do. They understand in detail all the processes in their area (Sales, Purchasing, Inventory, Production, Quality, etc.).
But, unfortunately, the English level of a given Key User is average and its corresponding local consultant (a Brazilian in this case) also has a medium level.
Do you know what will happen?
During the Fit Gap, very few Gaps will be found, as both were unable to understand and express themselves the way they should.
The project manager will create a plan for the project based on the Gaps that were raised and during the testing phase, that same Key User and consultant will talk to the same Project Manager (probably desperate) and say that there are more X Gaps new.
They are not new Gaps.
They are Gaps that were not mentioned, simply due to communication problems.
Of course, we cannot generalize. During the testing phase, new Gaps do appear. This is normal for all projects.
Only in this case (I have seen this in many projects), the deficient communication took the project planning to the hole.
In my opinion, the best way for when this happens is the Key Users and consultants themselves to ask for help from other people who have a good level of English.
You can’t be ashamed at that time.
When you raise your hand as soon as possible, the chance that the project will work (in the correct period) will increase a lot and surely everyone will have a much more peaceful coexistence.
Culture
A third fact that is often a great challenge is cultural differences.
It is practically impossible for people in distant countries to think and work in the same way.
Even in large countries like Brazil, people from remote states are already quite different, imagine between different countries that speak different languages?
The worst thing that can be done in this case is to form “groups”.
What do I mean by “groups”?
People are grouped because they are more alike and hardly talk to professionals from other countries.
That is it can lead a project to failure.
Here comes the figure of the project manager, as he must be aware of this.
The lack of unity within a project can lead to many delays. Approval of gaps, solutions, unfocused meetings, etc.
But it is not just the project manager who must be aware. We should all be.
We must accept that people are different and even take it as a learning opportunity.
In case we notice that something is not right (mainly with your partner from the global team), there is no problem in reaching the person and asking if there is something that he/she sees that should be changed.
Humility is the keyword here.
Being humble opens many doors in life and if you want to start being more humble, projects are a great opportunity for that.
Note that in addition to being able to perform filters by type of material, material group, special stock, you can see quantity and value at the lot level! It is very useful!
Conclusion
I know that this topic is a little controversial and even many professionals may disagree with my view on the subject.
But I believe that, in many situations, we can improve and transform problems into opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Working in a multicultural environment is an incredible opportunity, don’t waste it!
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A big hug,
Bruno César
