A good Team Leader must have knowledge. Interview with Grzegorz from the Customer Implementation team
From implementer to the leader. Get to know the story of Grzesiek, who climbed the career ladder in AUCTANE in a short time. What did the change of positions give him and what challenges does he face now? Find out.
Tell us first what the Customer Implementation department does exactly.
Customer Implementation is a department of implementation specialists. We mainly deal with the implementation of solutions for the clients that we create at AUCTANE. More precisely, we integrate courier modules so that the customer can use them. Our work is based on cooperation with the client and couriers.
Are you an independent department or do you also work with other teams in the company?
Interdepartmental cooperation is important in this job – without it, we would not be able to achieve anything. We work with Solution Architects on a daily basis, this department collects requirements from the client and designs solutions that we ultimately implement. We work closely with Project Managers, who support us in contact with key clients, and determine the scope of the project, thanks to which we can focus on the implementation of the agreed requirements. We also work indirectly with Development, because they are the ones who prepare various solutions on our platform along with courier modules, the requirements of which, in consultation with couriers, are developed by the Requirement Analyst department. We also have to mention the Support team, which supports our clients in case of any problems.
Each department is therefore a piece of the puzzle, without which we could not effectively fulfil our duties.
Also read: Carriers Team at AUCTANE – what does it do and what it needs to know?
You are one of the leaders of your department, so you are also responsible for its work. What is the biggest challenge for your team from your point of view?
Working with clients, definitely. This can be a challenge because there are different customers, more and less impulsive. Sometimes it’s harder to make contact, other times it’s easier. Clients come from different countries, so they have different work cultures and approaches, and on top of that, there is also a language barrier. Customer service is a challenging task.
Is this a stressful job?
Working with a client is certainly quite stressful. We usually work under time pressure, because we have timelines and deadlines that must be met. Sometimes it’s not easy, because a lot of tasks are happening in parallel and not always everything goes smoothly. The fact that any production error can stop the delivery of tens of thousands of parcels, generating millions of losses for the customer, is not optimistic.
So we have to make sure that all implementations are burdened with as few errors as possible. We try to cover all integrations with thorough tests to detect every possible detail. In this aspect, we take it very seriously to meet the requirements as best as possible. For us, the customer is always in the first place, therefore, we do everything to meet their requirements and increase their satisfaction at every step.
You have been working at AUCTANE for 5 years. Tell us about your career path.
From the very beginning, I have been working for the Customer Implementation department. I started my adventure as a Customer Implementation Analyst, where I was responsible for implementing solutions for clients. After a few months, I was promoted to the position of Test Leader, where, in addition to implementations, I was also responsible for all kinds of design and implementation of tests. After a year, I was promoted and became a Team Leader. Currently, for about three years, I have been managing a team that is responsible for cooperation with the company’s key client. I coordinate it so that the cooperation is trouble-free and fruitful, and at the same time, I try to make the team members feel satisfied and happy with the work they do.
Also read: Analysts are on the front line. The story of Maciej
In just 5 years, you had the opportunity to prove yourself in different positions and with various duties. What conclusions have you drawn from these experiences? What is important to you now as a Team Leader?
One of the most important issues is the ability to work with people. Every person is different, every person has different needs. The leader’s task is not only to get to know all the people and build a good atmosphere in the team but also to take care of each of these people individually. The ability to listen, learn about the needs of people, motivate them and support them is extremely important. Everyone wants to develop skills and the leader’s task is to open the way to this. In addition to the ability to work with people, it is important that the person in a leadership position has practical and technical knowledge of what the team does and what the individual tasks consist of. With this knowledge, it is much easier to manage the work of the team.
I am extremely happy that I had the opportunity to walk this path from the very beginning and gradually climb up. I think that thanks to this I am able to approach my duties more professionally and to better coordinate work in the team.
Working as a Team Leader is certainly full of surprises. This results in gaining more and more experience, which, in addition to technical skills, also develops soft skills. Without a doubt, there is no boredom in this position. New experiences are great fun, and thanks to them, after three years of work as a Team Leader, I am still learning and developing 😉.
