Devoteam Futures – Process Excellence at RTL

Half a year ago, I joined the Devoteam Futures as a Process Excellence Future. Being new to the IT business, the first few weeks of the program were filled with epiphanies and ‘is-this-how-this-works’-moments. I dove straight into materials provided by the Devoteam Academy, and within only weeks, I passed several exams, covering topics such as SQL, XML, and Python.

“On a daily basis, I could discuss issues with the other Futures, as we were all present in the The Hague office in our own corner (‘The Shire’).”

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Former colleague
Devoteam Futures

Devoteam Futures: learn & practice

In my third week, I was allowed to join a training day focused on the Phoenix Project. During this training, several Devoteam colleagues and I were challenged to go through the processes of the business. In several intervals, we tried to get the entire ‘company’ to work together and put a process in place that made sure the Phoenix Project could be deployed. It gave me a feeling of how IT companies generally work, and how many different teams are part of the process. Not only did I learn many relevant lessons this day, but I also got to practice and improve the teamwork with new colleagues.

Life at the Devoteam Futures

Since the track focused on process excellence (PE), I continued with studying Business Analysis topics, as well as Scrum and Lean IT. Even though I was the only Future in the PE track, I enjoyed my first months at Devoteam mainly because all the colleagues were very willing to provide help and insights when needed. On a daily basis, I could discuss issues with the other Futures, as we were all present in the The Hague office in our own corner (‘The Shire’). If needed, there were senior consultants more than willing to help out. This was especially educational for the challenges that I was given. These were mostly based on real assignments within Devoteam, and provided me with a realistic case to practice my newly acquired knowledge on.

Starting at RTL as Requirements Analyst

While I was still working towards more certifications, one of my Devoteam colleagues at RTL realized that it would be a great place for me to get practical experience. Starting as a Requirements Analyst, it was my job to elicit the non-functional requirements for the new software that RTL will be employing internally. This assignment fit perfectly within my Future Program, as I had just completed the examinations regarding Business Analysis and Requirements Engineering.

With the theory in mind, I started interviewing the key users at RTL. This was a great opportunity to get to know the people involved with the project and the workings of RTL in general. I was given the freedom to plan meetings with whom I saw fit, and was trusted to get the job done in my own way. Being given this responsibility without being held by the hand allowed me to test my knowledge and experience where my skills and pitfalls lie. Following this task, my assignment was shifted to the Finance process and I was free to pick up issues within the project that I thought needed addressing.

Devoteam Consultants at RTL

Key Learnings on my first project as Devoteam Consultant

This is what I learned the most from, both by applying theory and developing soft skills. It was a great combination for a young professional, the freedom to find tasks and having the backup of Devoteam colleagues to help out and push me in the right direction when needed. At RTL, colleagues from several other units were also part of the project team, and this made it the perfect environment for me to work and learn. The project at RTL will continue for some months, and I am looking forward to learning as much as possible there, and in other future projects with Devoteam!