Today, we are excited to welcome Roman Shmyhelskyi, a seasoned Software Engineering Manager at Hitachi Vantara. With over three years at Hitachi Vantara, Roman has driven significant advancements in web-based applications, spearheading projects that enhance metadata discovery and optimise performance. His expertise in technologies like JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Angular, and Node has enabled him to implement effective architectural decisions and streamline processes, resulting in a 25% faster time to resolution and a 45% increase in productivity.
Roman’s leadership skills and strategic planning have fostered a culture of accountability and ownership within his team, consistently delivering high-impact results. Prior to his current role, Roman held key positions at SapientPro, Io-Tahoe, AMC Bridge, and Datawiz.io, showcasing a consistent track record of innovation and excellence in software development.
You’ve been with Hitachi Vantara for over three years, progressing from Senior Full-Stack Developer to Software Engineering Manager. Can you walk us through your career progression and highlight some key milestones?
I joined a start-up company as a Senior Full-Stack Developer over three years ago. When the company was acquired by Hitachi Vantara, I continued to focus on developing robust web applications. After one year at Hitachi, I was promoted to Software Engineering Manager. In this role, I shifted my attention to generating architectural solutions, growing our team, and making strategic decisions to drive our projects forward.
One of your significant responsibilities was managing the integration of different data catalog products. What challenges did you face during this integration process, and how did you address them?
One significant challenge during the integration of different data catalog products was ensuring compatibility between various systems. This was compounded by the difficulties in collaboration, as different parties often had varying opinions on the integration approach. To address these issues, we held regular cross-functional meetings and maintained clear communication channels. These efforts helped align expectations for all stakeholders and created a safe environment to discuss technical challenges and collaboratively find the best solutions.
Your role involves managing a global team of software engineers. What strategies do you use to ensure effective communication and high performance across different regions?
The main challenge of managing a global team is maintaining a sense of belonging to one cohesive team. To overcome this, I ensure we have regular team meetings during common hours, and I organize activities that unite the team, such as brainstorming sessions and code reviews. To prevent miscommunication, we have clearly defined communication channels, ensuring that everyone is aware of where to find important information, keeping it concentrated in one place rather than scattered across different chats. These strategies help foster a unified team environment and ensure effective communication across different regions.
In your current role, you’ve achieved notable improvements in productivity and resolution times. Can you share the technical strategies or innovations that contributed to these improvements?
There isn’t a single silver bullet for increasing productivity, but several factors have contributed to our improvements. Optimizing and standardizing processes allowed us to reduce the time spent on various tasks. Implementing code and architecture changes enabled us to write new features faster by reusing existing components and microservices. Additionally, ensuring more precise preparation before actual implementation helped us clarify all requirements and create detailed plans, preventing redundant work. These combined efforts have significantly boosted our productivity and reduced resolution times.
You have extensive experience in improving software development quality. How do you determine the key metrics to track, and what approaches do you use to enhance performance and quality?
We track key metrics such as defect density, automated test execution, and bug counts. Additionally, we regularly measure the performance of key features before each release to ensure there are no regressions. To enhance performance and quality, I recommend a combination of approaches: adhering to best practices in coding and code reviews, implementing automated tests, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing. These strategies help us maintain high standards and continually improve our development processes.
You’re currently working on a project to reshape a critical data catalog. What inspired this initiative, and how do you foresee it transforming your company’s data management capabilities?
Continuous product requirements push us to keep improving our technology. We aim to make our software faster, more reliable, and secure. To achieve this, we regularly review our architectural decisions to ensure we’re on the right track. Through our continuous enhancement process, we improve our data management, enhance data quality, and streamline processes. This helps us make better decisions and supports future innovations.
Throughout your career, you’ve worked on projects involving cloud-native architecture and data security. How have these fields evolved, and what exciting developments do you anticipate in the future?
Initially, cloud-native architecture was about basic scalability and flexibility. Now, it includes advanced tools like Kubernetes for container management and serverless computing. Data security has moved from basic defenses to more comprehensive strategies like zero trust models and advanced encryption. Looking ahead, I see exciting developments. In cloud-native architecture, edge computing will become more common, speeding up data processing by bringing it closer to the source. For data security, AI and machine learning will improve threat detection and automated responses.
Balancing innovation with security and compliance is crucial in software development. How do you manage this balance in your projects?
Balancing innovation with security and compliance is crucial in software development. We manage this by conducting regular audits and compliance reviews to stay aligned with industry standards. We also use software to analyze our solutions for potential vulnerabilities and prioritize fixing them. Additionally, we encourage a culture of continuous learning and innovation, where team members stay updated on the latest security practices and technologies while also exploring new ideas and solutions. This approach ensures we can innovate safely and effectively.
Continuous improvement is a recurring theme in your work. What is your approach to driving ongoing enhancements in software development and team management?
Continuous improvement is central to my work, but changes for the sake of change are counterproductive. To ensure changes lead to actual improvements, I set up metrics and feedback loops to identify problems and confirm that changes effectively solve these issues. Fostering open communication and a collaborative culture within and across teams is key, as it helps identify and communicate problems, find the right solutions, and implement them. This approach not only aids in finding and implementing the right solutions but also enhances team learning through the research and implementation process.
How do the data and development needs differ across the industries you worked in? What best practices have you transferred from one sector to the other?
Data and development needs vary across industries, which can create challenges with security, consistency, data location, etc. However, some best practices apply everywhere. It’s important to keep data secure with encryption and regular audits. Fast data processing and clear reports help us understand insights quickly. Additionally, customizing solutions to fit each industry’s needs ensures they are effective and relevant, helping us maintain high standards while addressing specific challenges.
