Consultant Profiles

Rob, Principal Consultant BSc Computer Science, University of Nottingham "The training at Customer Systems is extremely comprehensive; it covers everything you need to get started on your first project. But it doesn’t stop there, as you continue learning throughout the projects you work on. My first few assignments were on fairly short, small projects, which meant that I had to take on lots of responsibility straight away. If you’re the only person in the team you are not only providing all the technical input and application knowledge, you’re also the person who is liaising with the client and end users. You pick up a broad range of knowledge very quickly. I am currently on a larger project with 8 or 9 people in the team. In my 18 months there my role has changed and I now have my own area of responsibility within the project. At Customer Systems there is a lot of hard work, but effort is recognised and you are encouraged to make what you want of each assignment. I set myself some goals when I first joined the company, and I had met them all within my first two years. My goals now are less to do with technical expertise and more to do with managing projects. Customer Systems is good at ensuring that people who want to take on more responsibility are enabled to do so. And, of course, there is always more to learn."

Mark, Managing Consultant BEng Computer Science, University of York "My first assignment with Customer Systems was with a large public sector organisation. Although I was in the same place for two years, I worked on several different systems. I am now working with a very large private company, and in the consumer goods market, so it’s been very varied. Our application is being rolled out globally from a UK HQ, so I have been visiting regional teams across Europe, US and Australia to look after the data migration and ensure that all the country-specific requirements have been met. It’s been the most interesting part of the project, getting closer to the business and seeing how the application is being used. I have particularly enjoyed being involved with a project from start to finish. If you’re there at the beginning you can make sure that you are scoping the project to best help the customer and can influence their expectations of the application. And it’s very satisfying at the end of the project to see how the system is making an impact on the customer’s business. It makes it worthwhile, helping them make more sales, and making people’s work easier. My job is probably 80% technical and 20% business analysis, but it’s the business analysis that adds 80% of the value. Customer Systems’ clients like us to be on-site and proactive, getting the job done and doing it well."