Dat Giel Swennen, the newest Business Analyst of Tricore, is eager to learn, as evidenced by his multiple diplomas. As the only non-IT person in an IT company, he immediately started teaching himself the programming language Python in his first weeks, just 'to be able to talk with the colleagues'. The 'work hard' mentality seems to be present already, and something tells me that the 'play hard' part is definitely there too.
Giel and I, Senne Snellings from Smeltpunt, sit down at the cozy Café Kerkhof for a chat about Giel's first weeks at Tricore, what he has already learned, and how he experiences the Tricore culture.
Hi Giel, tell me, how long have you been working at Tricore?
Giel: “I have been working at Tricore since October 4th. I was still working on a master's in Brussels, but I did not complete it. After completing the bachelor's in Business Management Allround at PXL and the Ba-na-ba Advanced Business Management at UCLL in Leuven, I felt it was time to start working.”
So you actually don't have an IT background?
Giel: "No, that's correct. I really still feel like a newbie when I hear everyone talking on the work floor." (laughs)
“I like to know what my colleagues are doing, sometimes I just ask Gert or Paul what they are working on so I can learn more about it.”
Have you learned a lot in terms of IT?
Giel: “The source code of Odoo, the software we offer with Tricore, is written in Python. I often heard Wouter and Arnaud talking about it, but I didn't understand anything. I found that frustrating, so I started to teach myself a bit. It's not the intention for me to program, but I think it's important that I understand what it's about.
Since I started working at Tricore, I am learning more and more about the infrastructure side. I like to know what my colleagues are doing, sometimes I just ask Gert or Paul what they are working on so I can learn more about it.”
Hats off. What exactly does your role entail?
Giel: “Mapping out the client's business processes and then translating that to Odoo. In my first weeks, I was mainly focused on e-learnings to get to know all the modules of Odoo. In the meantime, I have already been able to create a number of demos for (potential) clients. Such a demo is based on a basic Odoo environment, specifically for a certain sector. You then adjust configurations that align with the client's wishes.”
Have you also been able to go to clients yourself?
Giel: “Yes, a few times already. In practice, you see much better what is being taught in those courses. That makes the learning process more enjoyable and effective. For now, my contribution in those meetings is still limited to observing and learning as much as possible from Wouter.”
What was the most challenging for you in the past few weeks?
Giel: “I enjoy doing those demos for clients, there is a lot of variety in that. It wouldn’t be for me to do the same thing every day.”
Is there a specific project that stood out to you?
Giel: “I had to figure out a few functionalities in Odoo for a prospect in the hospitality industry. I have always worked in hospitality as a student, so it was interesting to see how those cash register systems are technically put together.”
What do you think is the main advantage of Odoo?
Giel: “It is more intuitive and accessible than, for example, SAP. Much easier to work with for people who do not necessarily come from the IT world.”
How do you introduce clients to Odoo?
Giel: “Once the entire project is implemented, we guide the client through training in the transition from their old system to Odoo by translating their business processes into the new way of working. We really take the time to show them how the main functionalities within Odoo are structured.”
How did the onboarding go for you?
Giel: “During my interview, they already indicated that I didn’t need to program and that those e-learnings were a priority in the first days. I found that really great, because I learn best by doing. Those videos are a good foundation for all future business analysts who are not yet familiar with Odoo.”
“I really enjoy working at Tricore, you can always chat with everyone about anything, everyone is equally friendly and approachable, regardless of the position they hold.”
How do you experience the culture within Tricore?
Giel: “I already knew Arnaud from Leuven, he had already told me how nice it was there. During my interview, Robin also said: 'It's not to convince you, but at the end of this month we are going with the whole team to Spain.’ A little later we received the teaser you made, that was really very nice. (laughs)
At first, it was still a bit of feeling out, you come to a new workplace and you don't know how familiar everyone is with each other. It helped that I already knew Arnaud, but even if you don't know anyone there, you would feel at home at Tricore very quickly. I really enjoy working at Tricore, you can always chat with everyone about anything, everyone is equally friendly and approachable, regardless of the position they hold.”
Then I have one important question left: a beer or would you prefer something refreshing after work?
Giel: “Beer.” (laughs)
So nothing but enthusiasm from Giel, but does that align with the opinion of Tricore? I asked Wouter Vanaken, head of the Business Solutions department.
Wouter: “Our new colleague Giel radiates drive and always fully commits to every assignment. He sees challenges as opportunities to grow and always takes an extra step to achieve the right result. This approach, combined with his eagerness to learn, makes him a valuable asset to our team.”
Do you have the ‘work hard, play hard’ mentality and are you passionate about software and carefully mapping out business processes? Then the position of Odoo Business Analyst at Tricore is tailor-made for you. You can apply via the button below. ⬇️