Semcon StoriesLife Science
We’ll make it work!
“What do I do at work? I talk to people!”, says Elin Sins with a laugh. She works as an Area Manager for Uppsala and Stockholm at Semcon. In her role, building relationships is crucial, and communication with customers, colleagues and consultants are key to the business development of Project Excellence.
Many people think that you only have to follow a model or the project manager in order to carry out a project. But in our collective experience, we understand that the success of a project depends on more than that. If any of our customers have an inefficient business project, we could potentially fix it by making specific changes to a role. But more often than not, what is needed is a change in the organization. Projects are always conducted by contextual factors; they must fit with the resources of the line operations, and decisions must be made by people at the top of the organizational chain. Therefore, it is important to have consensus and structure throughout the organization and not just in terms of a project manager or project group.
Maturity analysis, portfolio management, training, project reviews, process and change management and coaching are services that we offer to our customers. Customers do not tend to know what they specifically need to solve a problem. For instance, we never hear our customers say: “We need a maturity analysis of our project organization”. Instead, we work together to analyze the individual situation and customize a solution. It is a challenging task, but thoroughly enjoyable. In the initial dialogue with a customer, I often ask open-ended questions to get the customer to think and reflect on their current situation, which is the first step in the process of working efficiently going forward.
The methodology, XLPM, is the hub. You could say this is what all our thinking is based on. I call XLPM Online a digital project manual, full of templates, descriptions, and support for successful projects, programs, and portfolio management. It is of course supported by ISO and PMI standards and is used by many of our customers.
It is worth pointing out that the methodology is adaptable. We have regions, large groups, and even smaller companies that all have very different operations – but that successfully use XLPM. The scalability and support for agile methods also mean that smaller companies can implement and benefit from it early on, and then have a methodology to grow on.
We will solve it! I am sure of that. We have a core group of experts, who deliver training and coaching, and we also have skilled Life-Science consultants, who work with Change Management or Project Management. Being able to deliver all these services with a methodology that feels unique to us, you could say that we have a great management system in place – one that I am very proud of.
Time flies when you are having fun, and this is my ninth year at Semcon. My Semcon journey started in my previous workplaces, where I was in contact with Semcon consultants and got a very good impression. I understood that the company culture is welcoming and that people are appreciated and seen. Today, having seen the company culture from the inside, my first impression is confirmed. There are many doors open for you to get where you want to be. I feel that ideas and inputs are welcomed, and that everyone; customers, consultants, and managers, are allowed to have their say. It is a great joy to be able to follow old and new acquaintances and to see the success of our customers. Because what we deliver within Project Excellence, yes, it works indeed!
Our evaluations show complete customer satisfaction for Project Excellence, and that is amazing! A pat on the back to our consultants and a feather in the cap for Semcon; we are on the right track, and the key to our success is certainly our customer communication. When we can pinpoint what the customer needs, match it with a competent consultant or customize a successful workshop – it almost makes me euphoric!
About Elin
Title: Area Manager for Uppsala / Stockholm.
Education: Master of Science in Chemical Engineering
Employed at Semcon since: February 2013
I have the most fun at work when: When I find the perfect fit for my customer, and we create a strong relationship that leads to great trust and a thriving business together!
