From education to code: A focus on versatility at BE-terna

How did you experience your change of career in the IT industry, and what educational knowledge did you bring to your current job at BE-terna?

The fact that I ended up in the IT industry after my studies was not planned and more of a coincidence. I wanted to start working as soon as possible and found the job description exciting.
Working with software also fascinated me. An ERP system is a huge playground where many wheels mesh together so that in the end the mapped process is right for the customers. You don't have to be a born IT professional, but I think it's important that you enjoy working with software and have a certain interest in it. The rest is learned on the job.
I soon saw that in ERP consulting it's not only the technical know-how that counts, but also the pedagogical level in combination that is essential. This includes things like customer training, holding workshops, but also dealing with conflicts and dissatisfaction. That's where my studies helped me a lot. Pedagogy is also referred to as the science of teaching and learning. As a teacher, I think about how I prepare, structure and convey my content so that learners can understand and process it well.

Thanks to your many years of experience in various areas, you are working in both consulting and presales. How do you benefit from this broad experience in your projects?

After several years in consulting, I had the opportunity to present our ERP system Infor M3 to a prospective customer. This subsequently led me to take on more tasks in presales. In presales, you accompany people who are interested in our software. We present the system and discuss requirements, processes, and challenges and how we would map and solve them in the software. If everything goes well, they end up choosing us rather than a competitor.
The exciting thing is that in this presales phase you get questions/challenges about the entire process chain, whereas in project consulting you cover a sub-area, but more in depth. I was already able to use a lot of knowledge from consulting in presales and also learned a lot through presales, which I was then able to use again in project consulting. It's a great challenge, from which I also benefit a lot and which I enjoy.

What aspects of your job at BE-terna do you particularly enjoy? How do challenges, responsibility and daily learning enrich your everyday work?

I receive tasks and challenges every day in my job, which I analyze and solve in relation to the ERP system Infor M3. This sense of achievement is great and simply fun. Of course, it doesn't always work out equally well, but you always learn something new.
The second aspect is working with colleagues and customers. Many of the tasks and challenges I just mentioned can only be solved through teamwork. The ongoing exchange is very valuable. Contact with customers brings a lot of variety and responsibility. These are as different as people can be. Adjusting to this and creating an environment of good cooperation is also part of the job.
The third aspect I would like to mention is independence and personal responsibility. I organize my time myself and spend my working hours at home, in the office or on site with customers.

In this job, you have a very strong "sense of effectiveness". I make a difference as a person through my actions and can help drive a project forward significantly through my work.

A real highlight for me is also the insights we get as consultants into many companies from different industries. These are meetings about the challenges in certain departments, but also visits to production halls and warehouses.

How would you describe the corporate culture at BE-terna, and how does it influence your collaboration with your colleagues?

We have great cohesion in our team in the Infor Business Line and support each other. In the office, we meet in the coffee kitchen and go out for lunch. There are also regular events where we come together as a team.
The bond in our team is strong. This helps us to implement and master the projects together. I also appreciate the individual freedom that is granted in our work. This trust and flexibility is an additional source of motivation for us to do our best.

What role do your hobbies play in your life, and how do they influence your approach to tasks and problems in your working life?

I started juggling as a hobby when I was 17, and it took me several years to finally make it with 5 balls. For me, this is a good example that you can achieve a lot with patience and perseverance. Applied to my work, this means that I don't have to achieve all my goals overnight. Every working day brings me a small step further. With patience and perseverance, I can go wherever I want.