Author: Steve Ngai

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Risk Management

Why some companies especially banks require their staff to take ‘Block Leave’?

In my previous company, every year, we need to take this mandatory block leave. It is a special annual leave whereby the annual leave is in a ‘block’ form once a year. During this period, the company is not allowed to contact you and vice versa. An executive level might have a longer block leave compare to a non-executive.

During your block leave period, if you company contacted you for some critical reasons, your block leave is considered void. And when it is void, you need to re-take the block leave again. If you do not have enough annual leave for your block leave, you need to take unpaid leave for your block leave.

 

Block-Leave

So, what is the purpose of a company imposing their staff to take block leave? The answer is risk management, to make sure that the company can still operate as usual without your presence. Just imagine, a bank has this only one employee who can support a critical system. And one fine day, he went missing in action. It can be due to many possibilities. Emergency. Accident. Critical illness. What will happened to the bank? Another word, by imposing block leave, this will ensure that there is replacement for every staff.

Not all company impose block leave, only those from banking industry or those companies which need to support critical systems.

Even with this scenario of senior software engineer resigned, the entire team is more prepared. At least, for the past four years, we know that the company survives when Mutu took block leave.

Categories
Risk Management

Software Documentation Management – The missing piece?

Puzzle

After working for more than ten years in several positions particularly within Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), I come to this observation – software documentation management is lacking in most companies. Thus, it hurts the company greatly at the end. One of the most important benefits of having sufficient, quality and manageable software documentation is to minimize RISK. Let me explain. From the early stages until the end of the SDLC, some documents supposed to be produced.

Here is a classic scenario as illustration purpose.

A picture paints a thousand words

Imagine, which is a faster way for Wong to explain Mutu’s modules or for Sally to learn it? Reading 20, 000 lines of source code or looking at a some software documentation diagrams? Worst still these 20, 000 lines of ‘messy’ (i.e. with redundant similar functions or libraries) source code. Now wonder the employee turn over rate is high 🙂

Another beneficial reason of having proper software documentation like change request form and release notes document is to manage risk. I have seen some fire-fighting moments whereby the production system has so many bugs and unstable. Issues were escalated from one level to another level until the company had to hire a team of ‘specialist’ from oversea to cope and control the ‘fire’. So much money was spent.

At the end, the company decided to take so serious the importance of having proper process. Eventually new role was created just to focus on managing quality, process and risk and one way is by adopting Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 3 process model. After some months of learning CMMI, the ‘Process/Quality Manager’ then trained all roles which involve in SDLC, be it project manager, team leader, software engineer, software tester or application support engineer. It took a while to learn it. Initially, there were some complaints because of the hassle it caused. But, as time goes by, those process and template documents were refined to suit the need. Software engineers took longer time to release a fixes but what fixes released to the production system were much more stable than before. This is because the fixes were released and thoroughly tested by the software tester first before approve to be released to production environment.

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Tips Macam-Macam

Warning Light for Engine and RM10 Solution :)

Two weeks ago, for days, my car got this warning light which means something ‘wrong’ related to my car engine.

warning-light-engine

Went to Perodua Service Center for inspection and after 2-3 hours, they told me that a wire connect to my engine got problem and need to be replaced. The replacement part cost about RM350 and no stock for at least one week. So, I called my father and he told me to go to his working place because he can bring me to check with other workshop. Went there and to my surprise, the mechanics there spotted the ‘broken’ wire and fixed it within just 5 minutes! And the best part is they charged us only RM10! 😀

engine-wire

So in future if you get this same warning light, you better check this wire first and better not send to Perodua Service Center 🙂

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Uncategorized

Thanksgiving – September 2014

Related to housing

  • Housing loan offer letter – Initally received offer letter from CIMB but the offer is only -1.7. I plan to sign that offer letter within 2-3 days. When meet up with lawyer to sign SPA, the ‘administrator’ in the law firm asked me why not take Maybank instead which gives better rate which is -2.35. She even show an offer letter to me which the property is same with my apartment. Thus, I applied to three other banks since I still have the time to do so. At the end, although I couldn’t get Maybank which I wonder why, I got offer from Public Bank which is -2.2. Although the tenure has to be reduced to years, I am still grateful because even -1.8 vs -2.2 is indeed big difference. Maybe around RM4k difference if settled after 5-6 years
  • EPF Account 2 application for housing – Approved and received the money within 4 days. Efficient.
  • Tenancy – Pretty stressed out looking for tenant to occcupy the vacant unit because still need to pay maintenance monthly. I also struggle to make decision whether to fully furnished because someone offer me RM900 for 10 items of furniture including fridge, washing machine, sofa set, queen size bed and etc because he is leaving to Philippines. The timing is extremely stressful and need almost perfect timing (tenant agreed fully furnished for that the date the furniture move in which is 11/10/2014). If I agreed to buy those furniture but tenant want unfurnished then I miss that tenant. If I decided not the buy the furniture but the tenant want fully furnished how? Many inquired and viewed but none really serious to pay deposit until 3 interns who wanted to rent for 3 months. I only verbally agree for rm900 monthly rental which including water and electricity and mattress for them. But they didn’t make payment for almost a week until another person confirm to rent the unit for RM1250 monthly rental for fully furnished. And the tenant is ok for the furniture to move in on 11/10/2014. For bonus, when I have a quick check on the tenant, I initially thought that I am renting to my company’s competitor. Mine is ePay while his is iPay. I even told my property negotiator not to tell him that I am from GHL 😀 But when I finally meet him, I realize that that company whom I rent to is my company’s partner. They have a office in Bandar Tasik Selatan and Puchong. Interesting also to know that the one who came to view my unit is actually a MD and CTO of a company in Penang. Cool 🙂

Others:

  • Fell into a fight a brother in Christ during a boardgame session. Grateful to have another brother in Christ over there to be the middle person to help both of us to resolve at least at that moment.
  • Teo injured and recovered suddenly – One Saturday suddenly my left foot toe injured. It is pretty severe until I gotta walk like a little limp. This continues until the following day and before my Sunday soccer, I saw a watson and check out what I can buy to help my toe. At the end, I bought the cream heat and applied some. Amazing when I reached the football, suddenly I could run like normal and thus can play and enjoy for football session. Amazing.
  • Extra income – Two person called to order products from me because of my website. One order 6 boxes of CEO Coffee while another one which is a MLM company from Penang ordered 24 boxes of CEO Coffee. Received payment from both already 🙂 She said if customer likes those coffee after one month, they will order more including Bee Pollen products too 🙂
  • Car problem – Engine warning light on for few days. At the end, gotta take emergency leave (EL) to settle it. Went to Perodua service center. After 2-3 hours, the staff there told me that the wires connected to my car engine spoilt. Replacement part is about RM350 but no stock. Called my father and he told me to look for him because he got some friend whom might be able to help. Went there and sure enough within 5 minutes that guy spotted the problem and the other guy fix it and only charged us RM10!!! After that, there is no more engine warning light 🙂
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Uncategorized

Sermon of the year 2014?

Probably the best sermon I received for year 2014. Hilarious and delivering the point so well. Had lots of laughter and at the same time convicted by reflecting how I view God.