Stronger together: Raoef on collective and personal growth

Different expertise, one recommendation 

“At myBrand Conclusion, we help clients build and host their ERP environment in SAP,” Raoef says. “SAP is never the only brick in the wall. There are always multiple processes, systems and applications involved that are interwoven with one another. The trick is to see the connections in the wall, and this requires objectivity in your observations. I mainly view things from the SAP point of view which means I can’t do it alone. This is when I rely on the assistance of colleagues from the ecosystem. Since everyone examines a client’s problem based on their own expertise, we arrive at an objective recommendation.” 

Some of the connections in the ecosystem are structural in nature, such as the Conclusion Architecture Board, in which Raoef takes part. “As Conclusion employees, we seek each other out within this knowledge cluster,” Raoef says. “The goal is to learn from and help each other. We discuss market trends, share knowledge with each other and think about complex issues. Take an organization with over 20,000 employees and thousands of systems, processes and applications for example. Where do you start when it comes to developing a cloud vision? This is precisely the ecosystem’s strength. Different experts with different visions come together and we examine how to best advise the client. We view the wall as a single entity instead of loose bricks here and there. After all, you can’t turn a knob without this setting off an effect somewhere else.”

Connecting with Conclusion colleagues 

It doesn’t end here for Raoef, however. As a naturally sociable person, he always finds ways to make contact with his colleagues at Conclusion. “Fundamentally, our work might involve IT, but in the end, it’s really all about people,” he explains. “We can draw up contracts with clients that stipulate all kinds of agreements, but if people don’t want to actually implement them, nothing will happen. There are clients for whom we provide mission-critical services. This includes agreements that provide for the restoration of service within a few minutes in the event of downtime. This demands a lot from us as an organization, but it’s more than this; if the connection between people isn’t right, then we can’t make good on our promise. We can’t shift gears fast unless there’s a high degree of connection between people.” 

MyBrand Conclusion works with Conclusion Mission Critical for SAP hosting activities. “If there’s an escalation, I just pick up the phone and call the person I need to talk to,” Raoef continues. “Behind the scenes, a ticket is of course raised, and the incident problem management process is initiated, but a phone call is always faster. Everyone is immediately aware of the urgency and can drop everything to fix it right away.” 

Better advice for clients 

The connection with various colleagues at Conclusion also offers Raoef many personal benefits. “In the past, I could only advise clients through the SAP perspective. I can look far beyond this now, bringing me closer to what motivates me personally: coming up with an excellent solution for a client. Now I don’t just see separate bricks but an entire wall. I am much better able to offer clients a future-proof, stable and robust solution. And this is ultimately why I do it all.”