Preben started his career in technical user support in 1997, when he worked with both software and hardware for recognized brands such as Dell, HP and Compaq. Eventually, he also became involved in skills training and mentoring activities for new employees. Nevertheless, around 2010 he decided to take a new direction in his career and switch to the field he works in today. Although he was new to testing, he took several courses and built his confidence in the field. Since then, interest has only continued to grow.
When Preben joined TECHPROS, he was first taken on as a change coordinator at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. Before starting, Preben used the time to acquire certification in areas where he already had work experience. In a short time he obtained certifications in ITIL, Scrum Master, PRINCE2 and testing. These certifications came in handy in the job with the customer.
After five years with the Norwegian Road Administration, Preben began to look for new opportunities. He got a new project in TINE where he became test manager for two large logistics projects, where he worked until December 2022.
Preben has a diverse role in TECHPROS, where he contributes as a consultant in test management, project management, quality assurance and change management. As PMO (Project Management Officer), his aim is to help other subject managers to identify competence needs and further development opportunities for the various consultants.
As a link between the management team and the various professional groups, he also participates internally in projects within product development, looks at already concluded agreements to create a standardization of TECHPROS supplier agreements.
Test management and testing is an extensive subject area that requires thorough insight work. Preben emphasizes the importance of analyzing the requirements specification for a project and deciding which tests must be carried out to ensure the quality of the solution. He points out that many launches begin with mistakes, as it is important to get to market quickly.
As project manager, it is important for Preben to understand the purpose of the project and what is required to achieve success. He must assess the business potential and find out what sets the project apart from others. To achieve this, he must ensure that the right skills are present. He emphasizes the importance of trust in the team you work with.
Change management is a separate field that Preben also works with. It involves implementing changes in an organisation. Here he has contributed to the dissemination of best practice for projects and follow-up of the implementation.
He was involved in a demanding assignment at TINE where the coordination of several simultaneous initiatives within systems, data and goods flow took place. The projects were linked to the development of ordering tools for planning and production as well as a system for goods transport. The goal was to find solutions that created added value across all the dairies in TINE. The project involved optimizing the flow of goods and could result in significant annual cost savings.
Preben reflects on how much he has learned from creating personal relationships in working life. He places more emphasis on this than on the purely professional aspect of the projects. He acknowledges that adapting to other people and being good at communicating has been a valuable experience. It is important to ask others for their opinions and avoid taking over their work tasks without clarifying it in advance.
Finally, Preben mentions that he wants to gain more insight into business planning. He would like to update himself on new technologies such as cloud services and artificial intelligence. He sees these as important areas to be able to contribute to structuring and building up solutions within product development. He is aware that this will require further learning, but he is motivated to develop further and find new areas to explore in his career.
With his commitment, professional skill and ability to build relationships, Preben continues to thrive and grow as a valuable asset in TECHPROS. His cowboy hat will have to wait in the drawer, but with constantly new knowledge and experiences, he is ready to find new challenges and opportunities in his professional journey.
