“Lots of room for personal development”
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Wout Loenen about his role as a solutions engineer
Can you do well in an IT position while having an economics degree? Wout Loenen proves you can. Our solutions engineer is an important figure in the development and maintenance of our IT systems.
“I studied economics, but have always been interested in IT. After my studies, I was keen to make my way into it. At Van den Bosch, I was given the opportunity to fill a challenging vacancy in the ICT & Data department. I’ve been working there for five years now, and still no two days are the same.”
Still human work
“My work mainly concerns developing, maintaining and optimising IT systems, so as to make the work of my colleagues easier or more efficient. A good example is Quintiq, the software package that helps us to plan our loading units and trucks as efficiently as possible. And the optimiser that we are currently developing is going to automatically allocate the deliveries to the available trucks. But even though the software performs a lot of smart calculations, the planner himself is still in control, for example to keep an eye on customer-specific wishes. And so this forms a powerful combination of people and technology.”
Pleasant dynamics
“I enjoy my work and its challenges. But I don't see myself as a die-hard IT guy, only interested in processes and systems. On the contrary! Of course, I often get immersed in complex challenges of software, but consulting with colleagues is always important. After all, the software has to support the planner, the company and the system. The variety creates pleasant dynamics in my job.”
Personal development
“I think Van den Bosch is a great employer. To start with, because of the atmosphere - it's friendly and informal. Of course, we work hard, but never in a cold, purely performance-oriented atmosphere. There’s also a lot of room for personal development, because the company aims to maximise the qualities and abilities of its people. For me, for example, this led to an active role in a great project on a smart track-and-trace system for our containers. I keep finding more depth and scope in my work, which makes that it never gets boring and is always challenging.”
