Pouline Hjortkær joined Maconomy from a position as Project Coordinator and now works as a Business Consultant, implementing Maconomy at our Danish customers. She spends more than half of her time at customer sites, mostly agencies, and is an expert within the Maconomy Agency Solution and particularly CRM.
How does a typical work day look to you?
A typical day for me often starts at the office where I read my e-mails and my appointments for the day while having some coffee and bread from the canteen. Most likely I will have various tasks for various customers. Some of it can be done from the office via dial-in to the customer. If not, I will go to the customer and work on-site. I work mostly with agencies and they all are located in an area of a few kilometres, so they can be reached by bike from Maconomy’s office in Copenhagen.
On other days I am booked for the full day, for many days or even for weeks at the customer site, usually to implement Maconomy or upgrade existing customers. Then my tasks include everything from technical stuff, setting up the system according to working procedures at the customer or teaching the users how to use the system. In these situations you become very attached to your customers as a consultant, and you almost tend to forget who you are actually working for.
What skills and competencies are important to you to do your job professionally?
A financial understanding is very useful. However, you do not have to be an expert. If you know anything about ERP systems, that is a big help. But the most important skill to have is the ability to communicate both with customers and with your colleagues. You should not be afraid to ask your colleagues for help. It is critical that the customers have confidence in you and the system, and that confidence comes from communicating professionally.
How would you describe Maconomy’s DNA/culture?
What I like the most is the way we communicate with each other. It is very informal, and I never have the feeling of being alone with a project. There is a good atmosphere around the office. We can have fun one moment and five minutes later we are deeply focused on solving a complex work task. Furthermore, the barrier between employees and our managers is non-existent. We all work to achieve the same goals, beyond the goals we have ourselves.
Another thing I like about Maconomy is the number of employees. It is large enough to make me feel secure (it will not close down over night) and small enough for me to feel that I have a direct influence on the results of the company. Furthermore, one way or the other, you know all your colleagues and who to contact when you need help on a specific task. Ultimately, that makes it much easier to do a good job.
How would you describe the development that Maconomy is currently undertaking with Roadmap for Growth I & II?
I believe in Maconomy’s strategy, mission and direction. Since I started here, a lot of new initiatives and adjustments have been made in Maconomy, and things have only improved and will continue to do so. I have a clear perception that everybody knows, including me, the direction in which Maconomy is heading, and I truly believe we will succeed in achieving our goals. Maconomy is a very dynamic company in constant development, which makes it a very interesting organisation to work for.
What would your advice be to future employees to become successful at Maconomy?
Be open and prepared. Things will happen fast and loads of information will come to you with high speed. Remember that we all started as beginners, and everybody remembers how it was to be new. Use your colleagues.