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Stefan, you have been working as a consultant in the field of technical communication for many years now. What are the main tasks of a consultant at PANTOPIX?
In my role as a consultant, I work closely with our clients to develop operational and strategic goals. It is important to look beyond the scope of the project to observe what parallel initiatives exist in the respective company. Once the strategic and operational goals have been defined, we analyze the as-is situation through interviews, i.e. how processes and workflows currently function in the company. We then define the To-Be process and develop a short, medium and long-term implementation plan. I work closely with all of the customer’s stakeholders and with our Technical Consultant, who is responsible for implementation. We often work as a consultant twin for the customer and our experience with this has been very good. 

Can you outline a typical customer project?
Ideally, we start with a vision workshop at the customer’s premises, so we can immediately get an overview of all aspects of the project, accurately assess the customer’s needs and provide ideas for the department’s content strategy. Our projects always focus on the customer’s wishes, so it is important to listen carefully at the beginning and, of course, during the course of the project. Based on the analyzed current situation, we can define concrete measures to achieve the target image. Our projects include, for example, the introduction of a CCMS, the migration of data, the development of a metadata model for product-oriented information creation or a knowledge graph-based solution for providing information with the support of language models. Our customers are in particular departments such as technical editing or service, so we provide support in both pre- and after-sales.

We build long-term customer relationships. Our projects often last several years, as further tasks often develop from the initial project. Joint further development is of crucial importance. Together with our customers, we are building the information world of the future.

What challenges do consultants often face? How can they be overcome?
It is often necessary to convince the customer that it makes sense to look beyond their own project. And that the best solution should be considered for the company as a whole and not just for the department. 

In cross-departmental projects, it is crucial to synchronize the various interests in order to achieve common goals effectively. My many years of experience as a consultant make it possible to identify the drivers and motivators in teams. I approach my tasks openly, hold respectful discussions and build a basis of trust with my contacts, which is my foundation for successful projects.

Do you have a favorite project from your working life so far?  
I have to think of my first big project. There were no content management systems back then. Our tech team,doku-team and the consulting team worked closely together to realize a global rollout with a home-made CCMS. Everything was developed in-house and the hands-on mentality of everyone involved drove the project forward. We complemented each other perfectly in an international team.

What does a working day look like for you?
I either work on site at the customer’s premises or in the office in Lindau. A typical day for me involves supporting different clients at the same time. Traveling from workshop to workshop and working on several projects at the same time is what makes the work so exciting and fulfilling.