TechLead-Story: Daniel Kombacher, Head of Infor ERP Practice at Flex

TechLeadStory

Daniel Kombacher

Team

Size and Roles: The Infor ERP Practice Team at Flex, responsible for solution management and development in the Infor ERP applications (Baan IV, Baan V, and Infor LN), consists of 36 business analysts, 45 software developers, 7 managers overseeing functional or cross-functional areas, and one department head. In Austria, there are 11 employees across Flex's locations in Althofen/Kärnten and Vienna.

Organization and Structure: The team is organized into functional areas such as Finance, Warehousing, Purchasing, Production, Planning, Order Management, and Application Practice. Each functional team, comprising business analysts and developers, is led by a Solution Manager. The adoption of a unified, monitored Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) prevents divergence in the approach to development projects.

Distinctive Aspects: The team stands out for its global distribution, working closely and in real-time despite geographical dispersion. Members possess not only strong technical knowledge but also in-depth business process expertise.

Recruiting

Integration in Recruiting Process: The team initiates the job posting by articulating the job scope and expected competencies. The posting is then refined by a recruiting specialist and published on relevant platforms. The specialist conducts an initial selection from applicants, and the team conducts interviews, making the final hiring decision.

Onboarding Procedure: A program guides new colleagues through their first weeks, introducing them to their functional team. After basic training, new colleagues quickly engage in their work.

Qualities Beyond Technical Skills: Emphasis is placed on a fundamental understanding of business processes in the ERP context. Proficiency in English and openness to different cultures are essential due to the team's global nature.

Technologies

Technical Challenges: The challenge lies in regularly required upgrades for Baan V, the ERP system with the largest footprint in Flex, based on proprietary technology. Upgrades of hardware, OS, and databases can significantly impact Baan V's ongoing operations, as newer versions are often inadequately supported.

Current Technologies: The team works with Baan/Infor LN, Oracle Database, Loftware, DeliveryWare, SAP Business Objects, Mule, Java, Linux, and UNIX.

Evolution of Technology Since Inception: Over the past two decades, both the technologies used and the approach to software development projects have undergone significant advancements. Key technological shifts include the introduction of Infor LN as a successor to Baan V, the adoption of Mule as an API development and management platform, the implementation of a workflow tool for managing the Software Development Lifecycle, and the incorporation of agile development methods and DevOps concepts.