TechLead-Story: Marco Heinrichs, Lead Digital Solutions at APA-OTS Originaltext-Service GmbH

TechLeadStory

Marco Heinrichs

Team

Size and Roles: The Digital Solutions Team currently consists of four members: a Team Lead with development responsibilities, a Backend Developer, a Frontend Developer, and a Project Manager who also serves as a liaison to APA-IT.

Organization and Structure: While there is a distinction between Frontend and Backend, the team tends towards a Full-Stack approach due to diverse requirements. Kanban is utilized to provide high transparency, and Work In Progress (WIP) limits optimize throughput. Stand-ups and retrospectives help maintain cohesion, especially since the team is somewhat spatially distributed.

Distinctive Aspect - Collaborative Culture: The team operates on a level playing field, fostering open discussions where every opinion is heard. Knowledge and information silos are actively avoided, and the team embraces creative techniques and prototyping. Flexibility is promoted through options like home-office days.

Recruiting

Integration in Recruiting Process: The entire Dev team actively participates in the recruitment process. Interviews are preferably conducted by at least two team members, and the assessment process is developed collaboratively.

Onboarding Procedure: A strong emphasis is placed on effective onboarding. On the first day, the workspace is set up, and the development environment is configured with the assistance of a colleague. New members are introduced to internal structures, and colleagues from other departments schedule meetings in advance to explain their areas of work. This approach is extended to interns as well.

Comprehensive documentation and an onboarding page on Confluence provide essential information. Practical introduction involves direct involvement in meaningful projects to ensure quick integration and the ability to take on projects independently.

Qualities Beyond Technical Skills: Given the small and familial size of the APA-OTS team, cultural fit is considered as important as technical expertise. In the current competitive job market, candidates with potential, even if lacking extensive experience, are considered. Key qualities include the ability to work independently, think critically, have a broad perspective, and ask the right questions.

Technologies

Technical Challenges: The use of APA-PowerSearch, a database technology for rapid searches across millions of documents, necessitates constant collaboration with APA-IT. Keeping up with emerging web technologies requires continuous evaluation for suitability.

Current Technologies: The development is primarily PHP-focused, with ongoing testing of Laravel for suitability. Angular is employed for Frontend development, and WordPress installations are used for simplicity in numerous portals. Physical Kanban boards, along with JIRA and Confluence, are integral to their workflow.

Evolution of Technology Since Inception: While PHP has been a historical focus, recent trends show an orientation towards new technologies. The team actively experiments and tests before adopting what fits their needs.