Thanks to Business Analyst Charlotte, our shops keep running
Shop sensors measuring consumer behaviour, a busy webshop with thousands of products and countless innovations in front of and behind the scenes: before Charlotte Alejo applied at Etos, she had no idea how much IT a drugstore needs. Never thought about it. In February 2022, she joined us as a Business Analyst. What appeals to her most? ‘I see quick results from my work and have opportunities for growth. That suits me.’
Think before you act
‘At birthday parties, I often tell people that I’m the ‘work planner’ for the developers. That’s how you can best describe my job as a Business Analyst. Developers obviously can’t program haphazardly, they first want to know who, what, where. And above all: why. I start a conversation with employees of a department, such as a shop or a distribution centre. Together, we identify their wishes and the obstacles. My team then comes up with a number of concepts, which I in turn present to the department. They choose their favourite and then we can start building. This keeps the Etos distribution centres and shops running. If one process breaks down, the whole chain can go haywire and you won’t sell anything anymore. So as a techie – that’s what we call our IT people – you are indispensable.’
A new move
‘At an early age, I knew I wanted to work with computers. First I studied automotive engineering, but I was more interested in the computer in the car than the vehicle itself. So I switched to computer science. My previous employer, a company in the automotive sector, let me try out different roles and that’s how I became a Business Analyst. I love figuring things out and designing processes together with others as efficiently as possible. I enjoyed working there for many years, but unfortunately I didn’t have the opportunity to grow there. One day I got talking to an Ahold recruiter and not much later I had no less than two offers. At Ahold I could start working as an IT project manager, at Etos as a Business Analyst.’
Jack-of-all-trades
‘Eventually I chose Etos because the organisation is smaller, and therefore the results of your work are visible in no time. Besides, retail is a tremendously interesting industry. Sometimes we have to set up something completely new, like a solution for when a product is not available. For this, we devised a system that allows us to replenish the shelf in time with a comparable product. Sometimes we need to set up a specific component cleverly. The personal offers on etos.nl are a good example. We have now set it up in such a way that it fits the needs of each individual consumer even better. Now is a good time to get on board at Etos, because in the coming period we will replace or update a lot of old software. Plenty we techies can sink our teeth into.’
The numbers tell the tale
‘When you think of Etos and IT, you might think of a webshop full of mascara, deodorant and baby wipes. But our physical shops are also teeming with innovations. For instance, we have a store full of sensors that allow us to accurately measure consumer behaviour. Which item do they pick up, how do they stand in front of the shelf? Does someone step into the shop just to buy sunscreen, or do they walk around looking for inspiration? Based on this data, Etos makes new decisions, which products we do and do not offer, for example.’
Creating your own future
‘I don’t think I will run out of things to do at Etos any time soon, because the possibilities are endless. So many different departments, there’s always a project you want to dive into. And that’s exactly the intention: you decide for yourself how to further develop yourself. Together with your manager, you make an individual plan in which you describe the position you want to grow into and how you will achieve that. Which courses you can take and which colleagues you will work with. Etos is an organisation that really pays attention to your mental health. If you are struggling with something, there is a psychologist who is happy to think along with you. It’s your career, and you get all the space you need to show your potential.’
Just be yourself
‘Having drinks on Friday afternoons, going on ski trips together or watching Formula 1: here you are part of the team. We also develop as a group, like with the Hackaton we recently organised. In a short time, we worked out a huge number of ideas, and we are now building the winning concept. A sneak peek: it’s about connection and having a meal together. What I find very important at Etos is that I’m allowed to be who I am here, the full package. For example, I had a surprising experience when I first started working here. The management presented the new policy, but it lacked a clear IT vision. Whereas I like to work from objectives. When I told my manager this, he immediately went ahead and scheduled a meeting to present the new IT policy. You’re taken seriously, that makes this company special.’
