Traceability Experts in Germany

Assignment focus: Leading digital restructuring in a highly regulated Defence and Aerospace environment. Focus areas: improving data flows and data quality, introducing paperless data collection in production, integrating machine data for automatic SPC calculation and process control, as well as cybersecurity analyses.

Main objectives:

• Analyze, structure and improve data flows and data quality in production
• Introduce paperless data collection in manufacturing areas
• Integrate machine data for automatic SPC data calculation and process control
• Implement digital restructuring while meeting regulatory requirements in the Defence environment

Measures and results:

• Analyzed and structured existing production data flows as a basis for control and reporting
• Established mechanisms to ensure data quality and availability across manufacturing areas
• Introduced paperless data collection in production — replacing manual and paper-based processes
• Integrated machine data for automatic SPC data calculation (control charts, Cp/Cpk) and real-time process control
• Conducted cybersecurity analyses in the production and IT environments

Area of responsibility: Project management for digital restructuring, paperless production, data management and data quality in a highly regulated Defence and Aerospace environment.

Conceptualization, founding and development of a non-profit organization for international future and development partnerships. Development of the basic organizational and legal structures, governance and internal processes, as well as development of the organization’s external profile and institutional networks. Coordination of the founding and registration process, development of initial project and subject areas, and establishment of contacts with policymakers, public administration, funding institutions, academia and other cooperation partners. Development of funding and financing approaches and external representation of the organization. Result: Establishment of a legally capable organization recognized as a non-profit, with defined governance and working structures, an independent external profile and initial institutional networks. Establishment of FIZE as an organizational structure for international projects and initiatives, including MICT UA.

• Functional requirements management for DIVID, the Umweltbundesamt platform for administering the single-use plastics fund. Focus: entitled parties, sub-entitled parties, and benefit reports.
• Consolidation and analysis of specifications, Jira, Confluence, functional concepts, and UX designs. Independent structuring and delimitation of requirements, as well as identification of contradictions, gaps, and dependencies.
• Creation and quality assurance of implementable user stories with clear, testable acceptance criteria. Preparation of decision alternatives and coordination with business, development, UX, and QA through team refinement.
• Conducting manual and technically assisted accessibility tests. Coordinating findings with QA and the Product Owner for further planning and implementation.
• Result: more consistent requirements, clearly defined processes and stories, and transparent open decisions. Separation of assumptions from confirmed requirements; better basis for implementation, refinements, and QA test cases.

Tools used: Jira, Confluence

• Requirements management, process planning, interface function, ISMS setup, and documentation
• Setup and establishment of an ISMS according to ISO 27001 and establishment of emergency management / ITSCM
• Coordination of the circumstances with the public-sector IT service provider
• Consideration of KRITIS relevance within the scope and implementation of a B3S
• Development of requirements for document control and the continuous improvement process
• Preparation of relevant project documents
• Analysis of existing processes and preparation of guidelines
• Requirements gathering for ISMS and ITSCM and coordination with the IT service provider, including definition of interfaces
• Analysis of communication processes and escalation paths
• Review of documents for risk management, ISMS, emergency preparedness, and emergency response
• Redesign of the complete documentation and preparation of new relevant documents
• Development of necessary rules, policies, and concepts
• Interface between customer and service provider to ensure document quality
• Coordination of protection needs with specialist departments, particularly regarding KRITIS relevance, and planning of resulting measures
• Development of preventive measures to minimize the risk of data center outages in scenarios such as pandemics or ransomware attacks
• Definition of the test strategy for IT emergency exercises
• Initiation of necessary awareness training measures for specialist departments
• External Information Security Officer
• Introduction of document control

Design and implementation of a „unified-commerce“ platform for SMEs to sell and deliver multi-product bundles

Achievements: On-time design, delivery and customer acceptance of a 100% functional, CPQ-based „buy flow“ process for configuring and selling multi-product bundles within the specified timeframe of 90 days. Successfully tested integration of various interface services for the areas of: customer search, enrichment of customer data, address validation, service qualification, phone number validation, credit check, appointment selection and Quote-to-Order Transition.

Responsibilities:

• Strategic goal implementation: Derivation and implementation of strategic customer goals (e.g. release content, business value).
• Backlog Management: Creation and elaboration of backlog items (Initiatives, Epics, User Stories, Defects) in close coordination with the project team and customer.
• Prioritisation & Releases: Responsibility for prioritising the Product Backlog and implementing defined release goals.
• Deliverable Tracking: Tracking work results on the supplier and customer sides.
• Roadmap & Release Planning: Development and implementation of roadmaps and release plans together with the customer.
• Scope Responsibility: Responsibility for the contractually agreed scope of services.
• Claim Management: Active claim and change management towards the customer.
• Team Coordination: Management and coordination of the development team.
• Use of Synergies: Use of synergies between customer projects and product development.
• Proposal Preparation: Preparation of proposals (with supervision) and presentations on site at customer and partner locations.

Skills: Development, communication and implementation of product visions; Product Backlog Management; Stakeholder Management; Regular reporting to management and Steering Committees; Requirements analysis & Engineering; Conducting and documenting workshops; Functional leadership and coordination of (distributed) project teams and external service providers; Epic Management; User Story specifications; Creation of Use Cases, support with software testing and User Acceptance Testing (UAT); Release Management and Sprint Planning; Design of TO-BE processes; Process optimisation; Planning, design and specification of interfaces to existing and new systems; Identification, assessment and management of project risks; Active claim and change management; Facilitation of Sprint Planning and Reviews; Data migration; Scrum; Kanban; REST API; JSON; XML; BPMN; UML; Jira; Confluence

AI-supported document processing and inventory management integration

Design and development of an AI-supported application for the automated processing of delivery and invoice documents, connected to SelectLine ERP. Documents are analyzed using AI, matched with orders and line items, and prepared for posting goods receipts.

IMPACT:

• Automated extraction of structured order, delivery and invoice data from PDF and image documents
• Automatic and manual mapping of documents to orders and order line items
• Integration with SelectLine ERP for order import, status synchronization and goods receipt postings
• Traceable processing through separate analysis, mapping and posting processes as well as technical logging
• Development of a containerized end-to-end architecture with AI analysis, workflow automation and relational data storage

KEYWORDS: AI, document analysis, OpenAI, n8n, SelectLine ERP, FastAPI, Python, JavaScript, MariaDB, Docker, REST API, PDF, OCR, mapping, inventory management, goods receipt, workflow automation

• Led the hardware development and validation of a safety-critical 400-V battery management system (BMS) for the TOGG SUV program; performed system architecture reviews, schematic validations, EMC and reliability tests, and root cause analyses in compliance with relevant automotive standards (ECE-R10, CISPR25, ISO-26262). Coordinated cross-country EU engineering teams, customer reviews, and technical documentation to deliver a production-ready, validated system.

• Architected and integrated 22 state-of-the-art ADAS validation vehicles for BMW ADCAM and LIDAR programs at Magna Electronics; synchronized up to 26 heterogeneous sensors (LIDAR, RADAR, cameras, GNSS/INS) using PTP-based timing architectures. Defined the system architecture, HW/SW interfaces for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) rework, sensor integration strategies, and data acquisition frameworks. This enabled scalable vehicle-level validation, improved validation efficiency by 25%, and reduced project costs by €1.45 million.

• End-to-end validation and integration of automotive radar platforms for a Daimler project at Continental. Developed automated open-loop hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments to accurately test target tracking KPIs, field-of-view limits, and thermal and voltage-related ECU state machines. Skilled use of a highly complex toolchain consisting of CANoe, Lauterbach Trace32, RADAR target simulators, and EMC shielding chambers for RF and system validation. Synchronized global, interdisciplinary teams to speed up troubleshooting and close critical technical gaps.

• Reconstructed and validated the product architecture of an electromechanical e-bike by integrating and troubleshooting critical subsystems (BMS, motor control, sensors, HMI, electronic locking systems). Built a comprehensive system-level test bench for functional testing, fault reproduction, and performance analysis; coordinated suppliers and implemented corrective actions to improve reliability and traceability.

• Defined the system architecture and validation strategy for a LIDAR platform developed in cooperation with Elmos Semiconductor; evaluated optical measurement concepts, SPAD detector integration, and system requirements, and created technical recommendations for product development and verification.

• Developed LabVIEW-based automation and verification software for a high-precision hydraulic and electromechanical test system for FTE Automotive; integrated NI DAQ hardware for high-frequency real-time capture of physical measurements. Developed automated test sequences, programmable endurance tests, troubleshooting routines, data logging, and analysis tools to improve test efficiency and traceability.

• Successfully delivered full engineering life cycles for well-known industrial customers (Magna, Continental, Farasis, FTE Automotive, BMW, Daimler, TOGG) – from requirements engineering and proof of concept to system integration and validation, technical documentation, supplier coordination, and user training.

Transformation assignment: IT Operating Model and Governance

• Management of the operationalization of a new IT operating model for a service- and customer-oriented organization in the managed services and Microsoft 365 environment.
• Translation of the target organizational model into concrete roles, responsibilities, organizational elements, decision-making paths and collaboration principles.
• Design and operationalization of a layered model with autonomous delivery teams, supporting units and clearly defined governance functions.
• Design of governance for Service Delivery Management, People Leads, Global Service Owners (GSO), operational teams, clusters and management committees.
• Structuring of the transformation rollout into ramp-up, implementation, hardening and operations, as well as development of kick-off, communication and feedback formats.
• Further development of PMO and office structures as well as portfolio and workforce management to create transparency around resources, risks, dependencies and decision requirements.
• Facilitation of cross-functional workshops and decision-making meetings, and translation of different stakeholder interests into actionable principles, rules and measures.

Interim assignment: IT Service and Operations Management

• Assumption of operational responsibility for Citrix and AD/Access, including incident, escalation, transition and quality management in day-to-day operations.
• Clarification of operational interfaces and clear separation of responsibilities between internal units, Service Delivery Management and external service providers.
• Conduct of structured GAP analyses of existing service descriptions, preparation of make-or-buy decisions and clarification of roles with KPI integration.
• Management of conflicting objectives, dependencies and escalations in complex customer, operations and transformation situations.

Selected results

• The transformation target model was translated into directly applicable roles, governance rules, organizational elements and rollout formats.
• Decision-making paths, responsibilities and interfaces between operational delivery, supporting functions and management were described transparently and bindingly.
• The foundations for self-organized teams, standardized service descriptions and reliable portfolio, resource and management transparency were established.

Methods: Operating Model Design, Governance Design, RACI, GAP Analysis, Stakeholder Analysis, Workshop Facilitation, Change Communication, Risk and Escalation Management, KPI and Service Management

Stabilization of an Azure/.NET landscape in live operation.

• Architecture, DevOps, and operational readiness; technical decisions under time pressure
• Azure DevOps, monitoring, ETL/ELT, cloud security, FinOps, and data-mesh-related topics

Technologies: Azure DevOps, .NET, CI/CD, monitoring, FinOps

The program supports the comprehensive realignment of the German Consumer Panel Services business. It combines a significant panel boost with the reprocessing of historical data and the integration of new receipt data. By significantly expanding and stabilizing the panel with the involvement of external partners, the aim is to improve the validity of the data base and create a reliable foundation for methodology, weighting and customer reporting. At the same time, historically grown processes for data delivery, OCR, matching, item QC, methodology and reporting are being harmonized, further developed technologically and reorganized. The goal is a scalable end-to-end landscape with higher data quality, clear responsibilities, reliable governance and sustainably manageable operational processes.

• Overall management of the restatement program, including the integrated roadmap as well as milestones, dependencies, risks and management decisions.
• Coordination of the panel boost and alignment of the required data deliveries, quality requirements and prerequisites for methodology, weighting and reporting.
• Alignment of business, product, data science, technology, operations and external partners around a shared target picture, aligned priorities and an integrated approach.
• Design of the organizational change triggered by the fundamental realignment of the data base, methodology and management logic, which has a lasting impact on established decision-making and collaboration patterns.
• Establishment and further development of governance, reporting and escalation structures as well as program-wide monitoring and operational processes for reliable management and sustainable handover.
• Management of critical data, technology and provider dependencies, including reprocessing, OCR transition and the timely synchronization of delivery, testing, methodology and reporting.
• Orchestration of international collaboration with teams and stakeholders in Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Romania, as well as with external suppliers in Germany and Austria.

Impact Areas and Expertise: Program & Delivery Leadership, Business & Technology Alignment, Organization & Transformation, Governance & Sustainable Operations, Strategy & Target, Methodic Leadership, Transformation & Change Leadership, Executive Advisory

• Worked as freelance Senior DevOps Consultant on-site for IBM at a European Union Agency, operating in a highly secure, air-gapped environment managing classified systems.
• Led automation and DevOps initiatives for a large-scale OpenShift platform (>400 nodes), driving deployment efficiency, GitOps adoption, and operational automation using Ansible, Python, and Bash while ensuring compliance with security requirements.
• Spearheaded automation of release and deployment workflows in a private cloud environment hosting 400+ OpenShift nodes, significantly improving deployment speed and reliability.
• Migrated existing playbooks, roles, and templates from Ansible Tower to Ansible Automation Platform (AAP), ensuring full compliance with fully-qualified collection names (FQCN) and preparing custom Execution Environments (EE) for containerized automation.
• Implemented GitOps Agent for AAP Controller Configuration as Code, enabling automated synchronization (CRUD) of Ansible Controller objects based on repository-stored configuration definitions using GitHub webhooks.
• Designed and automated complex multi-step operational workflows including environment cleanup, Helix cluster component re-creation, Kafka topic management, and OpenShift object lifecycle management across ~100 environments.
• Achieved a reduction of multi-day manual operations to under a few hours through automation improvements spanning multiple AAP clusters and OpenShift environments.
• Integrated Ansible Automation Platform with Thycotic (Delinea) Secret Server via lookup plugin to enhance secure credential management in automated processes.
• Managed deployment tasks, platform troubleshooting, and Istio network configurations while adhering to stringent EU PSC security and compliance standards.
• Collaborated with infrastructure and application teams to refine deployment procedures, develop naming conventions, and continuously improve automation coverage in an air-gapped, classified environment.

VALUE ADDED:

The structured analysis and further development of business requirements and processes is driving the modernization of contract administration in a focused manner. Complex business matters and dependencies are made transparent, optimization potential is identified, and transferred into scalable solution approaches that enable as much straight-through processing as possible. This creates clearer and more efficient processes as well as reliable decision-making and implementation foundations for business departments, architecture, and development.

• Development of business requirements and processes for the further development and modernization of contract administration
• Creation and further development of business concepts, process descriptions, and decision-making documents for implementing new and optimized processes
• Analysis of existing processes and identification of optimization potential to simplify and scale processes
• Structuring of complex business matters in a dynamic project environment to ensure transparency and traceability for all involved
• Identification and clarification of business dependencies and interfaces, especially in interaction with adjacent systems and departments
• Contribution to business target models and development of solution approaches for new, scalable processes that also enable straight-through processing
• Leadership and moderation of business workshops to coordinate and further develop requirements with internal stakeholders from business departments, architecture, and development
• Prioritization of business topics and requirements for targeted implementation
• Support with testing, reviews, and quality assurance, including the creation and coordination of business test cases to verify the implemented solutions
• Use of SharePoint and Kanban to document and manage tasks

• Independent HR consulting with a focus on remote and project-based collaboration
• Support across HR Business Partnering, HR Operations and Recruiting
• Advice and support on operational HR topics throughout the employee lifecycle
• Support for managers with people-related and HR matters
• Flexible, pragmatic support for companies and HR teams requiring additional capacity
• Conceptualisation and implementation of digital brand presences, including the development and launch of two websites within a short timeframe using AI-supported tools – from structure and content to implementation and publication

To achieve savings and optimize compliance, apps were restructured in line with the mappings in identity management, restrictions were defined and, above all, costs resulting from overuse were reduced. Communication with stakeholders, validation of authorizations with users and technical implementation in the SAP FI/CO and Sourcing & Procurement modules created significant added value for the group. This also included the corresponding documentation for the auditors.