A Significant Repositioning

An important aspect for Simon as a developer was the repositioning of the company’s IT department. The Technology Solution Center was formerly known as the Shared Service Center. The division transformed into a Technology Solution Center that delivers a complete package of solutions. “This approach also makes it interesting for me as a developer when it comes to planning and implementing long-term projects,” explains Simon.

                                                                                             ^{Technology Service Center, Nanjing (China)}

“I am particularly proud when I was able to proactively use the different time zones to my advantage. When working with one customer from the USA, there was a communication gap with a lot of questions and answers,” say Simon. “In stepping up to the challenge, I worked proactively to determine what the customer wanted based on our experience, technology, and skills.” So rather than sending that customer a long list of questions and then having to wait for a reply (which could take a long time, due to the time difference), Simon acted based on his past experience. He delivered a solution to see if this implementation was what the customer wanted. “In this case, it was a direct hit,” says Simon. “The customer informed me that this was exactly what they wanted — and we saved a whole day.”

A Fun, Engaging Work Environment

Simon likes the DB Schenker workplace atmosphere, where camaraderie among team members is high and office politics is kept to a minimum. “We all like to joke around and have fun with each other,” he says, “and all while we focus on finishing our tasks on time and accurately.”

He also enjoys the work-life balance that his position at DB Schenker offers him — something that’s not always easy to attain in the IT development environment.

“Chinese IT companies typically have the ‘9-9-6’ working code (9:00AM to 9:00PM, six days a week),” Simon explains. “It's actually amazing that we only work until 5:00-5:30PM at the Technical Service Center. It’s been great for my private life because I also have time for my family and my young child.”

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