Ivar Kunst: “Every client is a challenge”
“All too often companies tell themselves that they ‘must store data’, whereas they should be thinking along the lines of: ‘we’d like to store data’. I’d like to change that mindset. It has to be made clear that data can allow companies to obtain more insight, work more efficiently or offer their customers better service.” So says Ivar Kunst, Management Consultant at ITDS.
Ivar was promoted within six months of joining ITDS. “With my previous employer, my responsibilities shifted from development towards more client projects. Consequently, you get a better idea of how you can really help the client, which also makes it more fun to develop the necessary systems. After eight very enjoyable years, I was open to a new challenge when ITDS came along and hired me as a Management Consultant. After six months, the dynamics of my team shifted and this gave me the opportunity to become team manager of data analytics. It was a fantastic opportunity, which I seized with both hands. ITDS runs a training programme for upcoming managers and offers intensive support, all of which really helped me a lot, and still does.”
BONDING
“As a manager, I think it’s important that people complement one another. I also like it when people request training courses that have never been given at ITDS, but are a good fit with them so they can differentiate themselves and thus strengthen the team. Furthermore, in addition to hard work I also think it’s important to set aside some time for doing fun things. Fortunately, ITDS is of the same opinion and skiing holidays, social drinks and company outings are all part and parcel of this. In addition to being hosted at the ITDS office, we also hold team meetings at the beach. And it’s not unknown for me to organise a barbecue in my own back garden! It’s important to bond with your people and with the company.”
SURMOUNTING BARRIERS
“Following my promotion, the onus was on me to get the most out of data analytics. I therefore started to orientate on market developments and the specific issues faced by our clients. Data offers companies so many opportunities, and by using new technologies organisations can function quicker and more consistently. All too often, companies tell themselves that they ‘must store data’, rather than ‘we’d like to store data’, and that’s such a shame. Providing it’s used properly, data can give an organisation so much insight. Some clients have made more inroads into this area than others, which makes it all the more challenging and every assignment so different too. Sometimes, a company is already convinced of the power of data, while other times there’s a barrier to be surmounted. We often start in companies with small-scale projects and gradually expand them.”
HIGH-QUALITY RESULT
“After that period of orientation we carried out a few pilots. This had a positive effect because at the end of last year we were awarded a major assignment to map out an entire process for a client. And that’s when the ball really started rolling, because other people in the organisation are now also seeking us out to see whether we are in a position to help them too. I think it’s mainly our way of working that ensures we can quickly achieve results. Internal knowledge sharing – inside and outside our team – alongside excellent cooperation with our partner, are what underscore our high-quality result.”
Ivar Kunst has worked at ITDS since 2016 and is now team manager working with data analytics. He’s currently implementing a customer data project with a Dutch bank.
