How long have you been at collaboration Factory and why did you join the company?
My journey at collaboration Factory started back in May 2016. I knew the CEO and HR manager from my previous job, and when they showed me cplace – at that time it was in its earliest stages - I was fascinated by the product. That fascination lasts until today – I still strongly believe in the power of cplace. That’s why I joined the company and started working in general project management consulting.
We then quickly realized that we needed to bring product development and consulting closer together as our customers not only needed the software, but also full-stack cplace consulting services. And that’s what we did and still do today: As cplace consultants, we work very closely with our product and clients. When you believe in the product and the great people you are working with, you know you have joined the right company.
What are your core responsibilities as a cplace consultant?
Consulting is a very broad term that describes the nature of the job perfectly as the areas of responsibility are similarly widespread. The main three dimensions, for which a cplace consultant is responsible, are „projects“, „customers“ and „cplace as a product portfolio“.
As a consultant, I strive to ensure a successful cplace project life cycle: from accompanying the customer during the implementation of cplace to ensuring a regular feedback process from field operations back to our product management. This way, we are able to continuously improve cplace as a software platform. Consulting, therefore, includes many tasks and responsibilities, so every day is different for a cplace consultant.
How does your regular working day at collaboration Factory look like?
There is no day like the other which makes it so exciting and sometimes also challenging. Normally, I arrive around 8:30 am and start with a chat and a coffee with colleagues in our kitchen. In my role as team and project lead, my regular day is mostly packed with meetings and deadlines of every kind. To give a few examples: 1:1s, team meetings, sessions with (prospective) customers, sprint reviews, recruiting interviews, project and opportunity management tasks as well as different activities regarding the development of our consulting organization.
You lead a team of ten consultants in Munich. How important is team play for you and how does it work in your team?
Team play is our DNA and one of our five company values. We are definitely team players and every success is based on team effort. Of course, people are different and working in teams can initially lead to communication overhead and the need for additional processes – but in the long run, team play leads to better results and processes, more knowledge and also more fun. I highly appreciate team spirit. The same is true for our value ‘collaboration’ which is omnipresent for us. I am certain that both values are key factors to our success and make us and our product strong and sustainable, even in tough project situations.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your role? And what’s the most rewarding aspect?
Since we are growing quite fast in terms of client base, projects, and team members, it is very important for us to be able to scale up and improve our operative processes. This is done through standardization and by turning lessons learned into an increase of efficiency while staying agile, flexible and lean.
As a team, we have many projects to manage, client needs to satisfy and new colleagues to onboard – within this magical triangle it is not always easy to prioritize and keep things rolling, especially if you want to make every stakeholder happy and ensure project success. But when everything works out, it’s an amazing feeling!
For people looking to join us in your team, which tips do you have?
Just do it, be a team player, think out of the box, share your knowledge, be creative, have the courage to ask for help if you need and vice versa, appreciate the challenges, stay focused and hey, don’t miss our legendary parties!
You seem to have very busy working days. How do you find balance between work and private life?
Let me start with another perspective: balance already starts in your work life. I really like my job, the company and working with my colleagues – that is what’s keeping me motivated every day and makes work so joyful. I appreciate what I am experiencing here at collaboration Factory. In terms of working conditions, one important factor is the flexibility of working time and place that our company offers in order to enable a better work-life balance.
Another important thing for me is doing sports regularly, before or after the working day. I have a small gym at home and sometimes I drive to the office by bike. Since I studied in Munich and have family here, I do have many friends around me who enrich my life. And last but not least – I enjoy traveling whenever possible.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
This is such a difficult question since there are so many cool superpowers. I think I would choose healing, because with healing you cannot only help yourself but also others. This way, you could really make a difference and have true happiness in your life.
