No coding experience? No problem!

Surging our GT2025 journey forward where possibilities are limitless, every A+Person holds the power to spark transformative change from within.

Rafi’s GT Hackathon experience is a story of determination, curiosity, and belief that even the most audacious dreams can become a reality. With his work under the Reputation Management team of Aboitiz Construction Inc., be inspired by the impact of his transformative journey not only on ACI but also for the wider landscape of the Group’s future.

I aspired to develop a user-friendly mobile app someday because I find people doing so to be “super cool.” But because I don’t have any IT background, it remains a far-fetched dream. Until I learned about the GT Hackathon. Out of curiosity, I represented Aboitiz Construction in the sessions even without prior knowledge of Google Appsheet (it was also my first time hearing about that Google Cloud tool). I clung to that glimmer of hope that there’s no coding involved here so it’s a chance for me to realize my becoming a super cool app developer.

I joined the Hackathon to bring this new knowledge to ACI by identifying our archaic processes and systems that can be revamped and digitizing them to make our work faster, simpler, and more efficient.

Some demos presented by the training facilitators proved that leveraging collaborative tools can make the completion of tasks much easier, enriching, and fun! What excites me is the ongoing integration of Generative AI into Google Workspace to make users more productive and deliver more value-adding outputs. This is something to really look forward to by us A+ People.

KEY LESSONS FROM GT HACKATHON
Now that we have been equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills on this tool, my main takeaway from the sessions is to be entrepreneurial.

When you have an owner’s mindset, you get to see things from a different perspective. You become motivated to find new solutions and seek ways to improve.

After my initial conversations with some teammates, some processes we identified to apply the Appsheet would mostly benefit our construction operations. These include real-time and fully digitized incident reporting and workplace safety reporting at our project sites, asset management, equipment inspection, and project management.

The Hackathon experience helped me strengthen my problem-solving skills. I learned to analyze requirements, which involves understanding the specific needs of a business and then coming up with appropriate solutions using the platform. This process allowed me to translate business requirements into functional applications, aligning technology with real-world needs.

Working with AppSheet also taught me to analyze data, generate reports, and visualize trends. I learned to dive into data, explore its intricacies, and interpret it to extract valuable insights. Using various tools like charts, graphs, and visualizations can help present more compelling and understandable data.

The sessions gave me a mindset of streamlining workflows. I learned how to eliminate unnecessary steps and improve overall efficiency. By integrating data from various sources, I acquired the ability to centralize information and create a more comprehensive view for informed decision-making.

The Philippine construction industry is generally traditional, and innovations are always welcome to keep a competitive advantage against industry players. One of the key aspects I envision integrating into our Techglomerate aspiration is leveraging the power of low-code/no-code development platforms like Google Appsheet. These platforms enable rapid application development without extensive coding knowledge, allowing for quicker deployment of solutions and empowering teams to create their apps tailored to specific business needs. This approach aligns well with Aboitiz Group's ambition to foster a culture of innovation and agility across its diverse portfolio of businesses.

Moreover, the workshop emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making. By implementing robust data collection, analysis, and visualization techniques, we can enable our SBUs to make more informed strategic choices. This aligns with our Techglomerate vision by harnessing the power of technology and data to drive growth, efficiency, and customer-centricity across various sectors.

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