What kind of work does Harvey Nash do from Hanoi, and for which companies?
The five primary service lines being undertaken from our Hanoi center are application development, application transformation, testing services, application management, and software product development and support.

The customers we service from Hanoi include Capita, Honda and Discovery Communications.

Which regions are being served from your Hanoi center?
Apart from Hanoi, we also have smaller operations in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, which provide services to all the regions of Vietnam.

Why did you select Hanoi as your primary offshore base?
Hanoi is the capital city, and we wanted to be close to the political center. Today, we have good relationships with the government departments and with the city’s universities. Also, the mix of low wages, technical proficiency and widespread English language skills (English is taught as the second language) provide an excellent foundation for offering outsourcing service.

What challenges did you face while setting up your center in Hanoi?
Setting up an operation in Hanoi will face similar challenges as setting up operations anywhere else. But my recommendation would be to seek advice from local experts and companies that have experience of the city. And at the same time, put in place recognized industry practices and procedures around things such as security.

Two areas to focus for a provider are communication and cultural differences. That is why we use an onshore/offshore model with local U.K. or U.S.A. consultants providing project management and domain expertise while the bulk of design, coding and testing is undertaken offshore.