BEHIND THE SCENES: THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR BUSINESS LINES
Are you curious to know how things work in a consultancy? ITDS has five different business lines in finance consultancy: Data Management, Digital Business; Risk Management; Implementation; and Pensions. In this article we ask questions of some of the ITDS people who work in these five business lines. What are they doing at the moment, for example? What’s happening in their business line? What does the future hold? And what are they most proud of? The answers come from the business line manager and associate business consultant from each of the five business lines.
The Data Management business line: growing and getting better, together
Michiel van der Lans and Francis van der Giessen provide the answers.
Data in order
Francis: For the past few months I’ve been part of the Data Team. Having studied Data Science, I feel completely at home here. In this business line we’re busy expanding our knowledge. Currently, we’re being trained to master Microsoft Azure. The training takes place both online and physically in the office, and a certificate is awarded on completion.
Michiel: I’m proud that our team has such a strong foundation and keeps on getting stronger. Colleagues in the business line seek each other out and we really have that team feeling. We have a good mix of seniors and juniors. The seniors are getting stronger and the juniors do their best to emulate them. We can all learn a great deal from one another.
Francis: After my traineeship I started working on a project at a financial advisor. Together with another colleague, we are migrating all inactive policies to an information-management system. Since then, I have taken over the role of my colleague and I hope to successfully complete my first migrations soon. I’m already looking forward to my next challenge!
Michiel: Despite becoming increasingly important, data is still not taken seriously enough in the market. We have some great data projects running at the moment.
The Digital Business business line: taking great strides, fantastic assignments, partnerships, training, and more
Danielle Clemens and Robin van Gemeren explain.
Everything falling into place
Robin: I’ve already been with the Digital business line for a few months. As trainees, we were very well received in it and the support we enjoy is excellent. We were immediately assigned a buddy, who provides the necessary guidance. The transition from the traineeship to the YPP was very gradual and smooth.
Danielle: It’s been over two years since I joined ITDS and during that time we’ve achieved a lot. I hope people feel that they belong here, are engaged in interesting and fun assignments, are learning together and from one another, and are developing together as a team. Alongside younger members, our team also has a few seniors. More and more pieces are falling into place, we have a solid foundation and we’re ready to take the next step.
Robin: I’m currently on an assignment with a Dutch bank. We are developing a data warehouse, which is quite a big and important project for this bank. I originally started as a PMO, but after three weeks I was asked if I’d be willing to be a scrum master. They have confidence in me and I’m given a lot of responsibility. I hope to acquire as much knowledge as possible this year so that I can develop myself further.
Danielle: ITDS presents itself as a no-nonsense go-getter. And that’s not an empty promise; it really is true. We have large assignments on-the-go, for which we need more and more people. I’m also hugely proud of our collaboration with Sofico. In addition to giving us the opportunity to be involved in big projects, ITDS is also a great place for trainees to start their career.
Robin: In this business line we can follow several training courses and obtain the applicable certificates. I am so much looking forward to further developing myself and I’m really pleased and proud to be part of Digital.
The Risk Management business line: personal development and and the development of the client are key
Pim Hagelstein and Frederik Kappers share their experiences.
Going that extra mile
Frederik: After my traineeship I was allowed to join the Risk business line. There, I was given an assignment at a pension provider to draw up a risk profile on the quality of data within its organisation. With effective research and the support of my Risk colleagues, after just a few months I was able to deliver a good product. It was quite a challenging assignment, but I’m very proud of what I achieved. I have been able to prove myself in a matter of just a few months.
Pim: In addition to all the great projects that are currently ongoing, I’m also proud of the efforts that people have invested in the Risk Traineeship. Expectations are high, but we all want to live up to them. Preparations have been carried out to the minutest detail. We are also doing well in the area of proposition development. Our consultants always pull out all the stops to deliver something worthwhile. And in their own time too! They really go that extra mile.
Frederik: In addition to working for the client, I also really enjoy being involved in the development of propositions. As a team, we ensure that our business line commands a strong position in the market. The working atmosphere is also good in Risk and we are taking some huge strides. Risk wants to grow and we all want to play our respective parts in that growth.
Pim: I definitely agree. We are a close-knit group and as a business line we are very transparent and honest.
The Implementation business line: a self-managing team
Rick van der Helm and Saartje Steins Bisschop tell it like it is.
Self-managing team
Saartje: I’m proud to have been part of the first Implementation Traineeship and now working in its business line. We are a really good group and we were all assigned to projects straight away. It’s nice to see everyone else progress.
Rick: I too am proud of the Implementation Traineeship, as well as the great implementation processes that we carry out. The ITDS people in our team really make all the difference for the client. We deliver quality and expertise, a fact that is regularly endorsed by the client. Trainees from the very first Implementation Traineeship really hit the ground running with clients and quickly grew in stature. They are stars, every last one of them, and very driven too.
Saartje: I’m currently doing an assignment and hope to find a further challenge on another one soon. What’s more, together with a group of colleagues, I’m trying to make ITDS more sustainable, with initiatives like more vegetarian options at lunch, or offering more electric transport options. We’ve already made good progress too. Thanks to the introduction of a new mobility policy, for example, we can now opt for an e-bike. But we can, and must, do even better.
Rick: What I like about the Implementation business line is that we genuinely work as a team. It’s a real strength of ours. We also have a good working environment, one in which people can truly thrive. This is something I’m extremely proud of. The managers here provide a sound basis, so if I’m not available everything just continues as normal. We are a self-managing team. Looking ahead, I’d like to further expand the business line. I’d also like to move forward with the Competence Centre Axon, which is one of our coolest projects.
The Pensions business line: a lot going on
Katja Hulzebos, Fiona Hau and Alva van Bokkum elucidate.
Going for it, together
Katja: Due to developments surrounding the new Pension Agreement here in the Netherlands, there is of course a lot going on in the Pensions business line. Our main ambition for the year ahead is to carry out more implementations in the area of pensions. We work well together in this business line and we always seek each other out when it comes to social drinks, or at the office. We also try to be all together in the office on Wednesdays.
Fiona: We are able to deploy a significant part of the team on implementation assignments, but we’d also like to do more in the area of software advice. We now have sufficient capacity to really go for it!
Alva: After completing the ITDS traineeship, I was welcomed with open arms to the Pensions business line. I too started working on an implementation assignment at an insurer, a project that had been ongoing for a while. The insurer’s existing policy-administration system is being replaced by Salesforce. Aided and abetted by another ITDS employee, as well as colleagues at ARAG, I have been able to learn a lot quickly. Naturally, there will always be room for improvement, but I hope to develop myself even further at ITDS.
Would you like to be part of an organisation in which your personal development and that of the client are key? Are you keen to fast-track your career, or perhaps ready to take the next step in it? If your answer to any of these question is “yes”, then it’s time to check out our situations vacant. From traineeships to senior positions – we can offer a variety of career-furthering opportunities. Why not drop by for a chat and a coffee?
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