We sat down with newly appointed Senior Dynamics 365 Functional Consultant at DigiOutsource, Etienne Reynecke, to chat about his experience so far.

1.    Give us some background on your career in the Dynamics 365 space so far?

I’ve been doing what I’m doing now for the last 20 years. I’ve worked for multiple Microsoft partners as a consultant. I’ve also worked for customers across various industries. I don’t just have a consulting background, but I also have on-the-ground product experience.

2.    What do you like most about this industry?

It’s the first time I got involved in the online gambling & betting Industry, so I didn’t know anything about this amazing industry prior to joining. I immediately realised that it is heavily regulated and just how much control there is. There are so many things to watch out for when it comes to finance, operations, systems, etc.

You really need to know what you’re doing and make sure you follow all the rules. In many other companies they don’t always follow the rules, get into trouble and then in hindsight try to implement steps to follow the rules. Here at DigiOutsource it’s the other way around and completely proactive.

3.    What where you looking for when applying for this role?

For me was about a long-term relationship. I don’t like to move around. I like to get to know the company I’m working for and their systems. I’m passionate about training people and I want to make sure people, not just the end users but those who support other people, know the technology and what it’s all about.

4.    What made you apply for this role at DigiOutsource?

I was eager to find a company based in Cape Town. I’m from Gauteng and wanted to make a move down here. Then also finding out more about the industry and the scale at which we are using Dynamics. In terms of the scale, of all the other companies I’ve worked for and clients I’ve assisted, there have only been 2 other companies that were bigger than DOS. The volume, size and depths of which Dynamics that have been implemented here was a key interest for me.

5.    How did the Digi induction prepare you for your new role?

I haven’t been through many inductions in my life, but this has by far been the most in-depth one. It’s usually just one or two hours and the fact that we did induction here for three whole days was great. By the time it was done and having heard from the presenters from all the different departments, I knew more-or-less how the company operates and was comfortable and confident to join my team and start my training.

6.    What are your goals in your first 100 days in the tech space at Digi?

My first goal in knowing how the business works so that I can be sure that the product I support is doing everything it is supposed to do. Also integrating into the team and learning what everyone is supposed to do, what their capabilities are, how I can enrich them and how can they enrich me. Just being in a Senior position does not mean I can’t learn from others.

Then also if there is anything I realise has not been done to the best of the products abilities, finding out how we can improve it. Not just throwing out a list of improvements but going through them and saying, “how do I add value and how does it improves my skill so the company can benefit”.

I believe the goals are attainable as the structure is quite deep. The people in the reporting structure are diligent and focused and if I’m not able to find an answers, they will feed it up to a person, until we get a clear answer and can move forward. At a group level, the structure is extremely well thought-out so there is never a point when I feel “what am I supposed to be doing?”. If I need an answer or instruction there is always someone who can point me in the right direction.

7.    What do you think of Digi’s ERP/Dynamics environment?

Firstly, I think the security is amazing. At most companies’ security is the last thing they think about. Here I can see the security is done very well and is very strict. The volume of incidents here is much larger than most companies. Most other companies have one or two tenants whereas here there are multiple tenants, spanning multiple continents in multiple sections. I think the way its implemented is quite impressive given how huge the scale of Dynamics as the ERP system is here.  

8.    How would you describe the culture at DigiOutsource?

I can retire here. From a culture perspective, everyone is friendly, and everyone wants to help. I think this culture was bred here and not just based on instruction coming down from people at the top. From what I have seen and based on what I have heard from the people I spoke too, they live the Digi-way and its not just something that exists only on paper, it’s something that people believe in, it’s something people talk about.

You also get a sense of this being a safe environment. Stuff won’t go missing and people don’t get harassed as there is a zero-tolerance policy on harassment that people believe in and adhere too.  

9.    What has been the highlight of your new role here?

Apart from the daily free meal and fantastic quality of the food, I think the work environment is great and there is a lot of room for growth. I’m not going to be stuck in one position. If I need to move there will be opportunities. Even though I prefer to stick to my skill and my trade and won’t look for a move anytime soon, I’ve heard many stories of people joining and working themselves up from a ground level. There are so many success stories of people that started in lower-end roles and worked their way up to senior roles. It gives you piece of mind too that the opportunity to grow in your career exists within the company.

10. What about Digi would you recommend to other Dynamics professionals?

Firstly, we’d like to have more. We want to have more people joining, who are skilled, are passionate about the product and don’t just come to work because they need a salary, but rather find fulfilment in the work they do. If you have that passion then here you will be able to implement your skills, speak to people who need problems solved and you’ll see the results of the work you put in. We are looking for people to come and “live the product”.

Apply at DigiOutsource and find a place where you can reach your full potential.