First of all

Hi everyone! My name is Son and currently I’m working as a PdM in RAKSUL.

Currently, many Japan companies are outsourcing in Vietnam. To do that, the role of BrSE (Bridge System Engineer) is indispensable. BrSE are people who have both IT knowledge and Japanese language skills. They act as a bridge between Vietnam and Japan, removing the language barrier. However in RAKSUL, there is no BrSE role. Instead we have PdM (Vietnamese Product Manager). So what is the difference between PdM at RAKSUL and BrSE? Today, on behalf of other Vietnamese PdMs at RAKSUL, I will give our thoughts on this difference and hope you can check it out.

The role of a BrSE

Depending on the organization of each company and the experience of each BrSE, the role of the BrSE may be different. However, it can be summarized as below:

• Explain the project to the offshore team (development team in Vietnam).
• Write design documents (mainly translated from Japanese documents, supplement if necessary).
• Report progress and quality of the project to the Japanese side.
• Organize meetings, act as a bridge between customers (Japan) and offshore team (Vietnam). The offshore team can include PM (Project Manager), Dev (Developer), Tester, BA (Business Analyst), IT Comter…
• [Optional] Sometimes also play the role of BA (Business Analyst).
• [Optional] Sometimes also play the role of Tester.
• [Optional] Sometimes also play the role of PM, operate team and manage QCD (Quality, Cost, Delivery) of the project.

The role of PdM VN in RAKSUL

• Working as a BrSE: bridge between Vietnam and Japan.
• Communicate with Japanese stakeholders (Biz, CS, Operator…) to create a roadmap for the product and solve product-related problems.
• Working as a PM: Manage the tasks of the members and ensure the QCD of the project.
• Working as a QA Engineer: Because there is no QA engineer in the team and Vietnamese developer does not understand Japanese, Vietnamese PdM has to take more responsibility for the quality of the product.
• [Optional] System architecture design: Basic design and detail design.
• [Optional] Working as a Designer: Can contribute ideas and make decisions about the design of the project.
• [Optional] Participate in the project’s marketing strategy.

RAKSUL PdM vs BrSE

BrSE is in charge of communicating with stakeholders to ensure a smooth communication between Vietnam and Japan. Meanwhile at RAKSUL, in addition to being a BrSE, PdM also plays the role of a PM, QA, IT Comter. PdM communicates with many Japanese stakeholders (Biz, CS, Operator..) to solve product related issues. BrSE usually only communicates with one person in charge of the Japanese side (usually PM).

Conclusion

Since the scale of RAKSUL projects is quite small, 1 PdM has the opportunity to take on many roles. How far you can go depends on your ability!

Challenging but also an opportunity for self-development and self-improvement. Do you want to become a PdM at RAKSUL?

RAKSUL is looking for Japanese PdM and Vietnamese PdM. If you are interested, please let us know!

You can also checkout the full Advent calendar of RAKSUL from HERE