Our colleague Susanne Torpus has been part of our Hamburg ALVARA subsidiary IT Kompetenz since June 2005. However, it was hardly foreseeable at first that IT would one day determine her professional life. Her studies in musicology initially suggested a completely different career path. Once she had set foot in the company, it was clear: her heart beats for practical software solutions. Susanne has thus dedicated herself entirely to information and communication technology and now supports the ALVARA | Digital Solutions team as a project manager.
Dear Susanne, tell us a little bit about how you joined the ALVARA team?
The story begins during my studies. When I was writing my master's thesis in musicology, I came to IT Kompetenz GmbH in Hamburg through an acquaintance, as is so often the case. At that time, I thought that my work here would only be temporary. I was mistaken. Initially, I was responsible for maintaining manuals and first-level support. My desire to learn new things repeatedly led to different tasks, for example, I worked in marketing for a long time.
I've been in project management for a good two years now. A varied position that arose from the acquisition of IT Kompetenz by the ALVARA group. Under the ALVARA | Digital Solutions brand, IT Kompetenz strengthens the corporate group as a developer of secure and innovative software systems in the areas of cash processing and valuables logistics. The collaboration with the Leipzig colleagues brought fresh air to the work and many new exciting tasks. What can I say: I found my calling here.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
As you can find out from my resume: I appreciate getting to know new things and covering diverse tasks. In project management at ALVARA, this is the case every day. With versatile projects on the agenda for me here. I particularly appreciate the customer contact. A special rapport develops with one or other customers, and at best we receive positive feedback for our work at the end of the day. That feels great. For me, the motto is: Nothing beats personal contact. That's why I also like to go on business trips.
Of course, product development never sleeps. Currently, I am responsible for our latest solution Pecunia 7, the development to the web solution of the previous one. This opens up new international paths. On the one hand, this is associated with a lot of work. On the other hand, it is at least as much fun to work on the new possibilities. So it never gets boring.
Do you have a favorite project or a favorite task?
Every customer is different. The processes differ, sometimes only minimally. That's why every project is just as unique. It's impossible for me to choose a favorite. I would almost say, it's the challenge itself, finding the optimal solution for integration and configuration in the software for the various customer requests that brings me the most joy in my job.
Projects are known not to always go smoothly. How do you deal with any problems that arise?
Quite simply: Talk! There is always a colleague who can support and help further and has an idea for a new approach. The fact that the two companies – IT Kompetenz and ALVARA – have become a large family helps a lot here. Whether colleagues in Hamburg or Leipzig, everyone is there for each other.
But of course, you can also talk well with our customers. In most cases, one encounters understanding when a path that has already been taken turns out to be misguided. For individual project implementations, there is simply no one royal road. That's why it's only understandable that teams have to once adjust timing or look for alternative solutions – and find them together.
You have the last word!
Exciting products, interesting customers, and a diverse range of tasks are just three aspects that count for me – and make my job so interesting. Team spirit, appreciation, a great working atmosphere, and flexibility also make the other side of the IT competence coin shine brightly.
Therefore, an appeal to everyone out there: If you are currently looking for a job, need an internship, or want to gain experience as a student, then get informed with us. At ALVARA | Digital Solutions, we are always looking for new team members. Our solutions may seem complex at first glance, and it takes some time to get acclimated. But it is precisely this challenge that brings me joy every day anew.