"We are VIER!" Today: Jan Sandberger, VIER Product Owner Quality Management
Hello Jan, since when have you been part of VIER?
I joined Lindenbaum in April 2010 - the part of VIER that covers the voice platform and conference solutions. So all in all, I've been part of it for 12 years now.
You are a VIER Product Owner Quality Management - what do you take care of?
With my team, I check whether our software actually does what it is supposed to do, so we do what is called testing. Since testing is much more successful if you do it continuously, we try to automate as much as possible. Once such a test for a feature has been written into code, it is automatically executed every night and we know the next morning that all our products actually still work as we and our customers expect. Of course, good software quality also includes corresponding processes, which I help to shape.
What do you particularly like about your job?
Through automation, I always try to make myself redundant, so to speak. And that's good, because it's the only way I can continuously tackle new projects and try out new things without having to spend too much time on repetitive activities. I like that. I also have an intermediary function in which I have points of contact with development, the operations team, colleagues from service management and, last but not least, the leadership team. That makes the work varied and always opens up new horizons.
What experience or skills from previous jobs help you in your work?
Before joining VIER, I worked in product support for a software company. In retrospect, this is a good experience for any employee in the field of quality assurance! On the one hand, it shows you which problems actually occur in practice. On the other hand, you learn - sometimes quite painfully - how important good quality processes are in order to be able to deliver a stable product.
In April, three very rich men went into space for the equivalent of 50 million euros each - do you think it's worth the money?
Objection! Three very rich men bought themselves an adventure with a lot of money - they did not travel! I had the opportunity to travel part of this world in 2014. One experience I took away is: the more you become dependent on money and technology, the more you lose touch with the people and the country they live in. If I am driving in a convoy of jeeps fully equipped from one resort to the next, it is very unlikely that I will be invited for a cup of tea in one of the villages on the way. If you travel by bike, the situation is completely different. And even after a year of travelling, I would still have 99.999 percent of the 50 million euros left. And you would be richer by 1,000 ideas on how to use the money more wisely.
