First month: Stefan Siegle

My first months at ERNI: Stefan Siegle

My first five months at ERNI were exciting and I learned a lot. Officially, I started my journey at ERNI (Germany) on the 2nd of November 2021. But I was given the chance to accompany our Managing Director and my people unit leader to a sales/get to know talk with a new customer even a couple of days early. As the recruiting process took place mostly online because of the COV-SARS II Pandemic, it was the first time I met our MD and the second time I met my people unit leader – right before we entered the customer’s office. I was excited and nervous, but they made me feel like part of the team from the start. We had a great appointment and I got extensive and appreciative feedback.

Stefan Siegle

Stefan Siegle
ERNI Germany

 

During my first days, I was shown the whole internal infrastructure and met a lot of team members for little one-on-one coffee breaks. Everyone was interested in me and my story and gave me a warm welcome. Even colleagues from ERNI Switzerland, ERNI Slovakia, ERNI Romania and ERNI Philippines treated me as a longtime coworker in the company. I was impressed – and overwhelmed – by all the resources, processes and tools that are used by ERNIans in their everyday work. But I got used to it over the following weeks. As I was able to see the slides from the last events and townhall meetings, my view of the company was rounded off: very open, very transparent, but also very objective and target-oriented. In addition, I got a mentor for the first weeks that helped me to understand project structures, showed me the work of different people units and also told me about the best places for lunch and coffee in the area around the Munich office.

My first consulting task was taking part in several bid processes. Here I contributed specific business expertise and planned the development of a greenfield B2B eCommerce project together with my colleagues. We had workshops with our customer to clarify the scope of the project, estimated the work packages and created a proper roadmap with our ERNI Software Delivery Life Cycle. In addition, I took over the role of Product Owner for a business intelligence project about enterprise resource monitoring.

Employee development is a big topic at ERNI. There are big international events, certifications, LinkedIn Learning full access, internal online training, experience sharing and learning circles and your superior is planning your future development together with you directly from the start. ERNI Germany is a fast-growing subsidiary of the ERNI group and goals and management decisions are communicated and discussed with the whole team.

From the very beginning, my people unit leader encouraged me to deepen my knowledge in agile development and requirements processes and additionally aim for certifications for my skills Instantly, I was sent to a preparation course and then passed my official certificate as a certified professional for user experience (ISO 9241). So besides my mandate, I am responsible for one of our internal learning circles and I am part of a newly established practice area where we share trends, best practices and knowledge among people of different business units.

It feels great that there is almost no “newbie” phase in the company and you get integrated very quickly.

The Munich office is modern, chic and very well equipped. No one has an assigned desk but takes a seat in a room that fits the needs for the day. Because of the pandemic, only a few colleagues were coming to the office in my first months and everyone was encouraged to work from home. The equipment and infrastructure provided make it possible to work from anywhere in the world. Most important are the needs of our customers but besides that, ERNIans are very free in organizing their work, their holidays and personal development.

I was able to get insights into projects of colleagues even from other people units: From smaller consulting projects for small but also very big companies, to software development projects where bigger ERNI teams are engaged to create a whole shoring centre for a customer in Slovakia. This helped me a lot in understanding our services and self-image and becoming a representative of our company to our customers but also to my friends, my family and my business network.

At that point after my first months at ERNI, I have to say thank you. Thank you for the warm welcome, for the trust, the respect, the support and the enthusiasm. What is next? I am really looking forward to the coming year: finalization of my first projects, new mandates, further personal development, and a really good time with my colleagues. I am excited and want the company and myself to grow, and I am keen on visiting other ERNI locations, domestic and international, maybe even on other continents? I can’t imagine that I will become bored one day.

News from ERNI

In our newsroom, you find all our articles, blogs and series entries in one place.

  • 27.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Unveiling the power of data: Part III – Navigating challenges and harnessing insights in data-driven projects

    Transforming an idea into a successful machine learning (ML)-based product involves navigating various challenges. In this final part of our series, we delve into two crucial aspects: ensuring 24/7 operation of the product and prioritising user experience (UX).

  • 13.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Exploring Language Models: An overview of LLMs and their practical implementation

    Generative AI models have recently amazed with unprecedented outputs, such as hyper-realistic images, diverse music, coherent texts, and synthetic videos, sparking excitement. Despite this progress, addressing ethical and societal concerns is crucial for responsible and beneficial utilization, guarding against issues like misinformation and manipulation in this AI-powered creative era.

  • 01.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Peter Zuber becomes the new Managing Director of ERNI Switzerland

    ERNI is setting an agenda for growth and innovation with the appointment of Peter Zuber as Managing Director of the Swiss business unit. With his previous experience and expertise, he will further expand the positioning of ERNI Switzerland, as a leading consulting firm for software development and digital innovation.

  • data230.08.2023.
    Newsroom

    Unveiling the power of data: Part II – Navigating challenges and harnessing insights in data-driven projects

    The second article from the series on data-driven projects, explores common challenges that arise during their execution. To illustrate these concepts, we will focus on one of ERNI’s latest project called GeoML. This second article focuses on the second part of the GeoML project: Idea2Proof.

  • 16.08.2023.
    Newsroom

    Unveiling the power of data: Part I – Navigating challenges and harnessing insights in data-driven projects

    In this series of articles (three in total), we look at data-driven projects and explore seven common challenges that arise during their execution. To illustrate these concepts, we will focus on one of ERNI’s latest project – GeoML, dealing with the development of a machine learning algorithm capable of assessing road accident risks more accurately than an individual relying solely on their years of personal experience as a road user, despite limited resources and data availability.

     

  • 09.08.2023.
    Newsroom

    Collaborative robots revolutionising the future of work

    The future of work involves collaboration between robots and humans. After many years of integrating technology into work dynamics, the arrival of collaborative robots, or cobots, is a reality, boosting not only safety in the workplace but also productivity and efficiency in companies.

  • 19.07.2023.
    Newsroom

    When the lid doesn’t fit the container: User Experience Design as risk minimisation

    Struggling with a difficult software application is like forcing a lid onto a poorly fitting container. This article explores the significance of user experience (UX) in software development. Discover how prioritising UX improves efficiency and customer satisfaction and reduces risks and costs. Join us as we uncover the key to successful software applications through user-centric design.

  • 21.06.2023.
    Newsroom

    How does application security impact your business?

    With the rise of cyber threats and the growing dependence on technology, businesses must recognize the significance of application security as a fundamental pillar for protecting sensitive information and preserving operational resilience.