We’ve said it before, and we will say it again: digital transformation is people business. Of course, the focus of any IT project is on delivering functionality that allows people to work more efficiently. But to deliver on that promise, it is essential to understand the data used as well as the business of the people who work with it. This is where people like Hans Nickisch come into the picture.
When Hans started his job as data management consultant at Kapernikov in January 2017, at first sight it may not appear to have been the most obvious choice for either of the parties. Hans came from a human sciences background and from there had been working a variety of jobs that, frankly, had nothing to do with IT, while Kapernikov was looking for a data manager. But Hans loves to keep learning, and Kapernikov has that attitude high on its employee characteristics wish list, so they hit it off quite easily.
Working with the people behind the data
Since he came in, Hans has been working as part of the team that has been running the data collection campaign at Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel. In that capacity, he was working together closely with business users to upgrade their asset data for migration to Infrabel’s new ERP system. A huge task indeed, that would not always be described as a consultant’s dream job.
“The pure data management work that we do certainly has a monotonous nature, no doubt about that,” says Hans, “but I enjoy digging deeper. What are these data about, and how do the users work with them? What would be a more efficient way? I actually appreciate combining the routine of the repetitive tasks with the depth of business analysis. Talking to the people behind the data is what ensures higher data quality, it contributes to the overall success of the project.”
And so what was an unlikely match at first sight proves to bring a lot of value to the world of IT.
Openness is key
Openness is what makes both people and businesses thrive. It is one of the core values at Kapernikov that makes Hans happy to work here. “We work together in a relaxed atmosphere that allows for transparency, participation and growth. Everyone is given the freedom to organize their work autonomously and take their careers in their own hands, and we all have a say in how we see the best way forward for the company.”