Christian Röding has been responsible for the application developers as team lead since autumn 2023 and enjoys the mix of technical topics and team development.
Christian Röding
Teamlead Software Development
Software development: the day-to-day work of an application developer
Optimising existing software solutions, implementing new customer requirements and not giving up when the third solution doesn’t work and a fourth has to be found: This is the varied daily routine in the Software Development team. Christian Röding has been responsible for the Software Developers as Team Lead since autumn 2023 and enjoys the mix of specialist topics and team development.
What does a typical working day as Team Lead Software Development look like?
The days may start identically, but then they usually develop in completely different directions – this is how Christian Röding, Team Lead Software Development, laughingly describes his working day. Over a cup of tea, he checks his e-mails and sees what has come up late in the evening or during the night. His team is not only responsible for application development, but also takes care of third-level support. There are usually not many issues that arise overnight, but if there is a problem, it is urgent and needs to be addressed immediately. This could be customer requirements that need to be implemented quickly, for example, or performance problems – in which case it is important to get organised as quickly as possible and obtain the necessary background information. The solution to the problem in question is usually found within a day.
If there are no urgent issues or they have already been dealt with, the first meetings are usually already on the agenda. At these meetings, Christian Röding talks to product management or internally with his own team in order to monitor the progress of the project. But what tasks and projects are actually assigned to the Software Development team?
What tasks does the Software Development team perform?
As the name suggests, application development is mainly concerned with the development of software. This means that new customer features and requirements are implemented. Sometimes the optimisation of existing solutions is also on the agenda. The further development of existing applications and work on a completely new product roughly balance each other out. Although development projects are more frequent, they usually take less time than the development of software for a new customer.
Also important: analyses that the application developers perform for the project management team. The aim here is to carry out feasibility studies in order to better assess how much effort is involved in a software project, which features can be implemented and where a different approach should perhaps be sought.
The internal development technology of EIKONA Logistics also falls within the remit of the Software Development Team. This involves, for example, installing updates on all internal computers via deployment services.
How does an application development project work?
If an application is to be newly developed or improved, the first discussions take place between the customer and the project managers. This is where the technical requirements for the product are clarified. The software developers are only brought in later when it comes to the specific technical requirements.
These technical requirements are then divided into individual steps so that the project goes through various degrees of completion (sprints). The development duration always depends heavily on the scope: New customer projects tend to take longer than those carried out for existing customers. If there is an additional requirement for a tool, it may well be completed in a fortnight. However, a project duration of up to six months is not uncommon, especially when dealing with a new customer. Once the development of the application has been completed, the baton is passed back to the project managers, who take care of the implementation of the software at the customer’s site.
Of course, we work on more than one project at a time: There are usually around three to four large projects running in parallel with a few smaller ones. Between two and five software developers are involved in a larger project, but sometimes one person is enough for smaller tasks.
What are the opportunities for further development in the area of software development?
If you start as an apprentice in Software Development, you have many development opportunities: Next come the “Junior Developer” and “Senior Developer” levels. It is always possible to specialise thematically depending on your interests, for example in the direction of back-end or front-end. At some point, the first project management roles follow, before the final step on the career ladder is that of team lead.
EIKONA Logistics places particular emphasis on the topic of further training. There is a large internal training platform with many videos that all development teams have access to. Christian Röding’s team also organises a meeting every fortnight in which everyone updates each other on current topics. For example, the question of the extent to which AI techniques can be used in development work is currently very popular. External training courses can also be booked if required, but there is so much exciting practical experience and diverse expertise in the teams that the internal exchange of ideas is valuable for everyone.
Who is suitable for a job in Software Development?
As a beginner, you don’t need to bring a lot to the table to train as a software developer – you can learn all the technical details, so you don’t necessarily need to know the tech stack from the beginning. Basically, it is important to have an interest in solving problems and getting programmes up and running. Not everything always goes according to plan – so sometimes it is necessary to look for a second or third alternative solution. A low frustration threshold is therefore not ideal.
In general, it is important that the human element is right. In the Software Development team, the atmosphere is always good, there is lively exchange, and of course a good dose of humour is also a must. The preconception that developers are all “basement dwellers” is long outdated – if you enjoy trusting teamwork, application development is the right place for you.
Fazit
Teamwork in the search for solutions: application development is pure variety
Whether it’s a major new customer project, a new feature that needs to be implemented in existing software or a support issue that came in overnight: There is always something going on in the Software Development team, the motto is “pure variety”. Contrary to prevailing prejudices, work in the development team is very communicative and characterised by teamwork. The Software Development team liaises closely with the respective project managers. Enjoying application design and solution-orientated thinking are important in the work: if ideas one to three have not worked, a new approach must be sought.
Customers can be confident that not only their projects will be realised by experienced application developers, but that the support will also be of the same high standard. If there is a serious system error, the people in IT support problem who are most familiar with the software will deal with the. As a team, the software developers find a solution for every problem.
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