What do sambal, spreadsheets and snorkeling have in common? At first glance, maybe nothing, but if you ask Aram and Stephan, these words exactly sum up their trip to Bali. Best of all, six months ago this trip wasn't even in the planning. That's how fast things can go! In fact, last November Aram and Stephan flew to Bali to work with their Indonesian colleagues and now they are looking back on an unforgettable trip.
Let’s start with an introduction
Aram van Meurs and Stephan Bakker are part of the Hyperautomation cell. Aram has worked at Incentro since 2020 and is now a RPA Tech Lead. Stephan started in 2021 within Incentro's Supp cell where he took on Mendix support. Nowadays he has joined the Hyperautomation cell as a consultant and is in the final phase of his Computer Science studies. Both describe themselves as "typical nerds" who like nothing better than to hide behind a screen. Yet they were pulled out from behind their screens and put on a plane to the tropics.
How did this journey come about?
From a customer request for a large 'Test Automation' project came the desire to bring down development costs and take the work offshore. The colleagues at Incentro Bali are highly skilled in Mendix, but did not yet have the right knowledge in the field of RPA/UiPath. At that point, Aram and Stephan's new mission arose: train the team of Balinese colleagues in UiPath and collaborate on the complex project.
A pretty sweaty experience
Arriving in Bali, Aram and Stephan took their fellow developers under their wings. Soon they noticed that thanks to the physical gathering, any previously experienced barrier online had disappeared.
"Online, you still noticed that communication was a bit stiff from time to time due to, for example, glitches in the internet connection and not being able to explain what you mean with your hands and feet. When we got there that disappeared immediately and communication went very smoothly." Aram
The training days were intense, with long days full of sprints, code reviews and hands-on guidance. But with humor and a strong work ethic, the days flew by. Besides the hard work, there was also time for relaxation. Lunch together, dinner, gaming, snorkeling, and even climbing a volcano: the line between work and play quickly blurred.
"At lunch, we challenged each other to order extra spicy noodles. I didn't back down and started a dish with spiciness level 8 out of 8. The plate consisted more of peppers than noodles. And I still could feel that the next day..." Aram
What struck the men was that you immediately felt the Incentro atmosphere when they were there. It was just really like working with your colleagues, only in Bali. The project not only resulted in an efficient tool for the client, but also a lasting bond between the teams in the Netherlands and Bali.
"Every morning we started the day with a dip in the pool at our guest house. Then we would walk about 10 minutes to the office to join our colleagues and work through until 6 p.m.. Often everyone would then stick around the office for a game of gaming. The vibe was just great!" Stephan.
A look into the future
Aram and Stephan do not rule out a future with more exchange between the teams. They see the potential for more cooperation on IT projects and knowledge sharing. "Who knows, we might soon see more Incentronauts on the beautiful island!"
