Meet M2P’s Implementation Specialist
This month, we shine the spotlight on the very first employee of M2P, Lekha Vasudevan- AVP-Implementation. Lekha is a wonder woman who handles the responsibility of being a mom and client implementations for M2P like a pro. In addition, she loves doing DIY projects in her free time.
What happens in your typical day at M2P?
My day usually begins by listing the work I have for the day, including pending and upcoming work. It helps me set priorities. I always have a habit of religiously reviewing the projects that usually have a high volume of transactions. Then I move on to the pending tasks and then finally, the upcoming tasks of the day. My simple premise is to ensure that my work moves forward minus the glitch and complications.
What do you do at M2P?
Currently, I am part of the implementation team, and my role starts right from gathering the client’s requirements to understand how the integration process should be set. I also must set up the mock environment to iron out the kinks we encounter during the process.
Once the process is complete, I will sign off on the go-live procedures and share them with the client. Then again, I will do the same process, but it will be in the Live environment and do necessary checks all over again.
If all is well, I will be monitoring every checklist like customer onboarding, KYC process, transactions (POS/E-com/ATM, etc..), notification, portal access behavior. I will also be liaising with our internal Operations teams and watch out for potential red flags.
In a word, I would have to be the bridge between the client and the team to ensure the smooth rollout of the program.
Being the first employee, how has your experience been all these years?
To sum it up in one word, it is “Awesome.” I have been through challenges that made me pull an all-nighter. But when the issue is fixed, and you get appreciation from both colleagues and clients, that’s worth missing sleep.
We had very limited resources back those days, and as I was the first hire, I witnessed things firsthand. Of course, we were in a nascent stage, and I have donned many hats back then. But our flexibility to accommodate client’s requirements coupled with work ownership resulted in great products and long-standing clients.
I have been here for a long time since it was a first-year start-up. I am inspired by M2P (Madhu, Muthu, Prabhu), and they have been instrumental in driving its growth. And the main reason would be that it feels like family rather than a workspace.
Can you give me a quick recap of your journey at M2P?
I started out as a fresher and was the only employee. So, I have handled all types of work starting from SQL queries, developing Android mobile apps, App testing, vendor coordination, etc. This helped me in strengthening my multitasking skills, and Prabhu always encouraged me to learn. In fact, he is my first guru, and Muthu taught me to go straight to the logs anytime I have a hiccup at work.
He never accepts the assumptions and always says, “Log is a source of truth.” That mantra helps me both professionally and personally.
My testing capabilities helped me learn the nuances of the payment industry. I am proud to say that in my journey from Trainee to AVP, I have had my share of good and bad experiences. And my bad experiences helped me reinforce my learning.
When I saw one of our best solutions live, it was an unforgettable moment that I relive often. Today I am experiencing that moment often, and I am very proud of our company’s journey.
Being a new mom, how are you managing work and home?
It is really tough, so I try to complete all my household work before 9.30. Sometimes my daughter will sleep on my shoulder while I am working. And she observes what I do; whenever my mom asks her, “What is Amma (mom) doing?” she will say, “Amma, hello,helloo laptoppp.”
Likewise, the other day I was on a call with a client, and I was walking up to her. Immediately she kept her palm near her ear and started mimicking by saying “yeah, yeahhhhh,” like how I talk. My whole family was shocked, and we burst out laughing. It is a great experience as I can enjoy working and motherhood.
Has COVID altered your working style?
Yes, having a toddler and working is a bit challenging at times. However, I really miss my colleagues and our interactions. My husband is also in WFH mode, and given my loud voice (laughs), he faces trouble in handling his calls. So, we have decided to keep our workspace as far as we can from each other. It is good entertainment too.
What are your other interests?
I love cooking, gardening, taking on DIY projects
Have you played a practical joke in college?
Yes,, there are a lot. For example, I have teamed up with my hostel mates to get snacks from the hostel kitchen. And once I put a lot of salt into my warden’s lunch just because she made fun of me for missing home. And the list of pranks is just endless.
What’s that one thing your colleagues don’t know about you?
I am highly short-tempered, not many people have experienced it, but I am. I am also a good dancer and have participated and won in many college events. Today I am spinning and twirling around with my little one.
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