Innovative Integration: the ‘underdog’ of IT

Rob Hofman started working at delaware in August 2019. One of our newbies! “That’s right,” Rob says. “I was looking to develop my business skills in addition to the technical knowledge I’ve gained through college.” Rob studied New Media & Communication Technology – NMCT for the acronym fans – and obtained a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering (ICT). “I wanted to work at delaware because I really enjoyed the open way of communicating with employees, the great helpful attitude between colleagues and the possibility to choose a career path that best fits my goals.”

Rob has a real passion for everything IT, even though most kids in his hometown De Pinte know him as their gymnastics trainer and summer camp leader. “Cool gadgets, electronics – and just technology in general – make my heart beat a little faster,” Rob admits. So what exactly does a tech-savvy Business Analyst do at delaware? 

Best Possible Engineering

“I’m part of the SAP Integration team,” says Rob. This team makes sure that the various business units at our customers can communicate with each other using software platforms. “Basically,” Rob explains, “integration is making two (or more) solutions – that were developed without knowing about each other's existence – play nice together in a structured way!” 

The migration from an old to a new software system requires a lot of insight into how these systems are built. A well-structured integration solution is key. “To achieve seamless integration, you’ll need to cast a critical eye on the many ways to implement software, and even think of new ways,” Rob explains. Now that’s engineering from A to Z!

From hospitals to cookie factories

So what does Rob like the most about his job as an integrator? “I love it when there’s an entirely new integration opportunity. In that case we’re given the freedom to decide which technologies we’re going to use and we’re able to join in the customer’s thought process on how to tackle this implementation.” 

At delaware, variety is guaranteed. “You’ll find yourself embracing wildly different company cultures, from hospitals and key players in the steel industry to a local cookie factory!” Rob laughs. This also means that your tasks and responsibilities will differ from one customer to another. “We want to make sure everyone is in their element, reaching both professional and personal goals.” That’s also the key message of our Best Possible You program.

Top-notch integration

delaware actually has one of the biggest integration teams in the country: “Some of my senior colleagues rank really high in the Belgian field of integration,” Rob says. “There’s no way we’ll settle for a half-hearted integration job!” 

Once you’re in the groove, you’ll notice how crucial a well-functioning integration platform is to a company’s daily activities. “I kind of like being ‘the underdog’, proving to customers what great influence integration can have on their business processes. That’s what drew me to the Integration team in the first place,” Rob says.  

To conclude, Rob wanted to give future Integration consultants some advice:

1. Always look at the bigger picture when you’re asked to implement something;
2. Take a few steps back and make sure your solution fits the larger whole of business processes;
3. Look beyond the technical solution; and don’t be afraid to try something new! 

Convinced that you'd like to join our Integration team? Check out our vacancies or find more information about software development at delaware here.