Christoph, you’ve been with WINPACCS for a long time now. How has support at WINPACCS changed over the last 20 years?
That’s a great question, because a lot has really happened in this area. Back then, for example, we didn’t have a centralised ticketing system; instead, we had to process incoming support cases via email and keep track of them. This was very laborious. Back then, there were also no remote solutions such as TeamViewer to view situations and problems directly on users’ computers and resolve them together.
Fortunately, today we have plenty of excellent tools and options to help our user community directly and very quickly. What’s more, our team has grown significantly over the years and our workflows have become more efficient. This enables us to provide support to our WINPACCS users much more quickly and, in doing so, to delight them.
Furthermore, our applications have, of course, undergone massive technical development over the years; on the one hand, they have grown in scale, and on the other, they have become more robust, making them less prone to on-site faults. Particularly in the field of development cooperation, robust and secure technology is vital and decisive.
And what else forms part of WINPACCS’ support strategy?
Our aim in support has actually always been the same: we want our users to need as little support as possible. That’s why, in development, we focus on intuitive, self-explanatory solutions. In addition, we support this through our Academy, the online help within WINPACCS and other tools, so that our user community is as well-equipped and empowered as possible to help themselves. Ultimately, this enables us to keep the support workload as low as possible for both sides.
If you had to choose a song title that sums up your motto in your role as Head of Support, which one would it be?
That’s a difficult question, as there are so many songs that would be suitable. Based on the song titles, I’d go for a combination of ‘Help (I need somebody)’ and ‘You’ll never walk alone’. Because, on the one hand, there’s someone who needs help. On the other hand, there’s our support team, which doesn’t leave that person on their own, but works with them to find a solution.
For me, this idea and choice of songs apply not only to our support team, but also to the work of our users. In development cooperation, ‘helping people to help themselves’ is a key guiding principle. Just as we support our users in finding solutions within WINPACCS themselves, they in turn empower people in need through their local projects, so that self-help becomes possible there too.
Which three words best describe your support team and why?
Helpful: Support requires a high level of helpfulness, as one’s own concerns and tasks must take a back seat in order to help others instead. I’ve put together a great team here who are happy to do this and take on this task to help our users, as well as WINPACCS staff.
Energetic: To ensure that problems and queries aren’t left unresolved for long, a high level of energy and proactivity is needed. This, combined with the determination to resolve a problem to the users’ satisfaction, is one of our team’s absolute strengths.
Brilliant: Because I simply think my team is brilliant and I really enjoy working with everyone! It’s always a pleasure for me when we find a solution together and can help someone!
If the WINPACCS team were a football team: in which position would you, as Head of Support, feature in the line-up and why?
That’s definitely the ‘number six’ (central defensive midfielder)!
The ‘six’ dictates the pace and flow of the game with his style of play. He also slides in to intercept when the defence is under threat. As Head of Support, I’m responsible for ensuring that processes run smoothly so that we can help our users quickly. If unexpected problems arise, I sometimes have to step in and help out or ‘slide in to intercept’. So the position suits me quite well.
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