Day in the Life at Apps Associates – Chris
My career at Apps Associates started back in November of 2016. I had just graduated college and was looking for a job. A friend of mine was working at Apps and thought I would be a good fit. At the time, I knew a little about ERP systems thanks to my major in Computer Information Systems. This gave me a solid starting foundation, but my practical knowledge was limited. I knew that in order to succeed in the world of consulting, I was going to have to work hard, keep a positive attitude, and constantly ask questions. Fortunately for me, I was now working for a company with a workplace culture that put me in a position to do all of that.
Up to that point, I had worked a number of different jobs in my life, but never had I worked for a company that had a culture like the one I found at Apps. The employees I met all had a mutual respect and patience for each other that I had never encountered at any of my previous workplaces. I was able to learn what it’s like to work at a company where everyone buys in. It didn’t matter whether I was talking to the Practice Director or another Staff Consultant, they always took the time to answer my questions and help me through any areas where I might be struggling.
Over the next several years, I was able to gain an immense amount of experience thanks to the number of different projects to which I was assigned and the many coworkers and clients I was able to work with along the way. Learning to meet client expectations was an especially eye-opening experience. Many movies and television shows make you think that business meetings are strictly for business. However, there is a very human element to working with clients that often gets overlooked. Every client is different, and it’s important to build a rapport with each one by being genuine. If you fail to build a rapport with them, you’ll never gain their trust, and not gaining the trust of a client (or in some cases losing that trust) is one of the worst things that can happen on a project.
Working with all of these different clients meant I had to travel often. Throughout all the travel, my biggest break with Apps Associates came in Waltham, Massachusetts in 2017. I was working on a project that was giving me the opportunity to learn about the Supply Chain Management (SCM) modules in Oracle Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The SCM lead I was working with on the project would take the time to explain the different configurations and functionality to me. In return, I would help him out by using this new information I had learned to answer client questions and even lead workshops. The project was going smoothly until the SCM lead announced that he was going to be leaving the company. He recommended me as his replacement, and as there were no other available leads at the time, I was chosen to take his place.
This ended up being the defining moment of my career to date. It was a massive opportunity to prove myself, so I did everything I could to step up and succeed as an SCM lead. It was also the moment that really opened my eyes to the incredible culture that has taken hold at Apps Associates. The Director of the SCM Practice took me under his wing and made sure to fill in any gaps in my knowledge in order to better prepare me for the role. He met with me on-site nearly every day for months to review configurations, answer my questions, and ensure we were meeting client expectations. It showed me that no matter what your role was within the company, you were never too busy or too important to help a coworker.
The project ended up being a success and netted Apps a client that was happy to refer us to others. Since then, I’ve worked as an SCM lead on every project to which I’ve been assigned. Along the way, I’ve received two promotions and an employee of the quarter reward. I was also able to add a few certifications to my resume. I’m currently a certified implementation specialist for the Inventory, Cost, Manufacturing, and Procurement modules of Oracle Cloud.
Looking back on my career so far, I realize that all of my success is a tribute to the culture that has been built at Apps Associates. I’m grateful now to be in a position to pay it forward and help the next generation of employees who are feeling as green as I was on that first day.