We Are avodaq: A German IT Company in Singapore

Sounds exciting! When and how did you join avodaq?

I joined avodaq in February 2008. I was born and grew up in a few places in Indonesia and was interested in moving to Singapore, so I searched for jobs online and applied to avodaq. I’m very grateful that I got the job and therefore moved to Singapore.

You’ve been working at avodaq for 16 years, that’s really impressive! How do you think the company has changed since 2008?

It was smaller back then, so there were less employees. In Singapore there were only about five or six people, in Germany I think there were only about a hundred. Now, of course, everything is much bigger. More people, departments, teams in different locations, more compliance and governance requirements. But I don’t think our spirit has changed, and we continue to develop and enhance it, especially our teamwork.

What is it like to work for a German company in Singapore? Are there differences to non-German employers in the region?

Germany is known for its high quality and precision, as an example I think of car brands such as BMW. In Singapore and Southeast Asia in general, the work ethic is more fast-paced and flexible. Also, people tend to be more implicit and do not share their opinions. So I feel that when we work with our German colleagues, it is more about translating our German context into a local context and vice versa. We have to put more effort into understanding each other and the way we communicate.

How would you describe the working relationship between Singaporean and German colleagues?

I think there are a couple of differences that I see. Firstly, the cultural differences, but also the diversity, not only in terms of Germany, but also within our Singapore team. At avodaq Singapore we have many people from different backgrounds and ethnicities. We work with people from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines. I think our colleges in Germany also have a lot of different ethnicities. We also work with different generations, which creates a very good mix in our office.

Then, distance can become challenging. But as a technology company, we are well positioned to ensure the best possible collaboration regardless of location. For example, we use video telephony to maximise our understanding of the other person’s facial expressions and gestures. Our technical expertise simplifies and enhances international collaboration.

Does the time difference influence the working relationship?  

Yes, it does. We usually have a four-hour window each day where our working hours overlap with our German colleagues. Most of our German colleagues are willing to start earlier to accommodate the Singapore time zone. For example, we meet at 8am German time, which is around 2pm in Singapore. We usually work until 6pm, which gives us 4 hours to talk to our colleagues in Germany.

And you mentioned cultural differences. Could you explain that a little bit more?

Just what I think, in Asia – especially where I live – we can be less direct when it comes to feedback or opinions and be more careful to listen to what is not being said. In contrast, the German way of communicating is very open and direct. A friend of mine pointed me to a book called The Culture Map, which explores this topic.

Have you ever visited to our avodaq offices in Germany?

Yes, I always love to visit. I have been to Hamburg, Berlin and Munich, which I really liked because each of the cities has its own identity and is very different from Singapore. Like the harbour feel of Hamburg, the street art expression of Berlin, and the old town and mountains in Munich. I also really enjoyed and appreciated the hospitality of some colleagues who took the time to show me around when I visited our offices in Germany.

Is there a project or an experience that you will always remember?

Yes, I particularly remember working with a customer from the education sector. It was an intensive, cross-organisational project in which we were able to set up the entire infrastructure including networks, WLAN, servers and the corresponding security measures in an international school expansion. Andreas Kusch (Editor’s note: CEO of avodaq) and Yew Yen Tham (Editor’s note: Managing Director of avodaq Singapore) were very supportive. Our network specialist Andreas Willenbockel (Editor’s note: Architect & Team Lead), together with our strong local team in Singapore, delivered a successful design workshop, which was an important milestone in the progress of the project.

Thank you, Johannes, for taking the time to share your experiences and insights with us. It was a very informative conversation!