Tiina Friman

Tiina unexpectedly ended up in an exciting job as a NetSuite Consultant

Who: Tiina Friman, Senior NetSuite Consultant

I am Tiina Friman, a Senior NetSuite Consultant at Staria. I found my current job through employment training in the autumn of 2016. In the past, I worked at a port operator for ten years as, for example, a development director, after which I tried a career as an entrepreneur alongside my job, becoming unemployed a few months before coming to Staria. I am a graduate engineer in industrial economics. My new job came as a bit of a surprise even to myself, because I had never thought I’d end up as a consultant. However, subconsciously I applied for training and jobs near customers, and at Staria I did find a truly exciting job after six months of training. I’ve been working at Staria’s Turku office since 2016, and I feel I am in exactly in the right place.

Customer meetings, demos, and tea

"Due to my work, I tend to travel around Finland quite a bit, but regardless of the location I’ve always got a teacup next to me whilst working."

I work in the NetSuite team as an operational consultant. In the NetSuite implementation project, I work with the customer to determine their needs and implement the appropriate settings, data transfer, and small customizations. If scripting is required, I specify the development needs to our team who specializes in scripting. My job also involves sales support, and I create demos for potential future customers to show them how the system would work in their processes. My work week usually consists of multiple customer meetings on the topic of definition, project status, or training. Weeks also include preparing demos and presenting them to customers, as well as solving customer support requests for existing systems.

Along with the basic NetSuite training, I’ve also studied the functionality of the Advance Manufacturing additional module in England, and SuiteSuccess in Finland. Through my work experience and studies, I’ve gained more confidence and mastered more NetSuite modules. In the future, I’d like to grow my NetSuite expertise even deeper on the production module side and improve further in my role as an expert. The good thing about this job is that you learn something new every day.

Customer meetings bring energy and teach new things

I always get excited when a customer meeting goes well. Indeed, one thing I appreciate about my work is that I get to be in contact with different people and companies. I’m constantly learning more about various processes, products, and functions.

"In my work, I’m truly able to help our customers by optimizing their processes."

With the new system, manual work is reduced and the customer has much more time for anticipating and planning their business. The powerful system delivers functional metrics and reliable reporting in real time, which helps improve profitability.

My work environment is like family or friends. Everyone’s chatting to each other, asking for advice or opinion, and genuinely appreciate each other. At Staria, everyone is on the same level as employees, and the company has no place for old-fashioned senior management hierarchy. I think Staria as a workplace is best suited for people who are active and can take initiative. The work is always done for the customer, so customer service-oriented people and developer types get to fulfill themselves here.

Six chickens and a rooster

To counterbalance my work, I like to do CrossFit and spend time outside with the family and dogs. The latest comers to the family, six chickens, and a rooster, also brighten up the day and wake you up in time even if the alarm clock isn’t working. My employer also encourages me in my sporting activities, as Staria has a sports and culture benefit along with a lunch benefit. My commute is quite long, but remote days make my days easier. Remote work can always be done at Staria when it suits your work situation. Working from home is a nice change of pace from travelling, which I also do a lot because of the customer meetings. I also get extra energy from my colleagues, who are easy to talk to about whatever comes to mind.

"I can say I am working at my dream job, so I am very satisfied with my job situation. I’m really looking forward to new customer projects and meetings."

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