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Meet Tom: Our solution finder, pixel perfectionist and Coke Zero fan.
Profile
- Greatest strength: customer communication.
- Weakness: His long-term memory.
- Trademark: A dark, North German voice, even though he is Swabian.
- Motto: It will go wrong. Most of the time it works.
I'm Tom, 30 years old and probably the only software developer in Germany who doesn't like coffee (laughs). My fuel is Coke Zero. Nothing works without it. That's why I walk eleven minutes to the office every morning. It's really good for me and gets me going. I've been working at S&P | Element Logic since 2018 and have headed up the Solution Development Automation team since fall 2024.
My plan was actuallydifferent. I studied game programming and wanted to develop video games. I briefly worked at an animation studio that worked on dragons for Game of Thrones. But it was a lot of work, little money and hardly any free time. I quickly realized that this was not my world. Developing games is a great hobby, but it's not a cool job.
After a brief detour to study business administration and a part-time job in an escape room - where I worked as a game master - I came across S&P | Element Logic by chance. Via the Truffls app, a kind of Tinder for jobs. I swiped right, was invited and got the job. Today, my team and I develop automation solutions - from shuttle warehouses to driverless transport systems and robots.
"It's a great feeling and excites me when an automatic system starts moving because our software makes it possible."
Yourday-to-day work?
I spend about a third of my time programming. The rest is filled by team management, organization and further development. I take part in a lot of design discussions and meetings about interfaces between software and systems. I gather information for my team and act as a bridge between technology, the customer and internal departments. It is important to me that tasks are clearly formulated. I want to understand why we are doing something. I don't want ready-made solutions, I want to help shape the design process. That's how the best ideas are created.
I also love talking to customers and making things work. If someone says: "That won't work", I think: "Yes, somehow it will." Then I have the craziest ideas (laughs). When a customer later says something like: "Thanks Tom, that was great" - I know that the effort was worth it. I want customers to say: "The people working at S&P | Element Logic are really cool and committed. I feel well looked after here."
"The logistics sector is extremely diverse. No two customers are the same. Every warehouse has different requirements. That's what makes the job so exciting."
A littleanecdote: A customer had problems commissioning his conveyor system for months. I was often on site - even though our software wasn't the cause. Nevertheless, I looked for solutions and somehow always found one. At some point, they only called me when there was a problem. One day I was lying flat in bed. The customer called my home number - which was for emergencies. I said: "I'm sorry, I can't help you, I'm ill." A few days later, a package arrived - filled with everything you need to get well. It said: "Troubleshooter - The Brain". I laughed and was touched at the same time. This gesture showed me how appreciative the collaboration is.
What do you like about the company?
I never feel pigeonholed. I can have a say everywhere and contribute ideas - even across departmental boundaries. If I want to know something, I ask and get answers - from everyone, including the management. Everyone takes the time to help wherever they can. Even at two in the morning during my first week of maintenance. One colleague just said: "Give me 20 minutes and I'll help you." That's exactly what describes our culture. This cohesion and openness, despite the corporate structures, is something special.
"I think it's really nice that all the colleagues who started with me are still in the team. That shows that S&P | Element Logic is a damn good employer."
Important for your job?
You have to want to talk to people. Every situation is different, every challenge is unique. This requires empathy and the ability to see things from different perspectives. Enthusiasm for automation is part of it - as is the will to improve and simplify things. Pragmatism makes many things easier. I am convinced that anyone who thinks openly, works in a solution-oriented way and enjoys communicating will find the right environment with us.
What do you absolutely need to work?
A bit of background to this. My memory is miserable, especially my long-term memory or autobiographical memory (laughs). I know a lot of things, but rarely where from. If I watch a movie or read a book, everything is gone a few months later. Then I can practically re-read the book - with the occasional déjà vu (laughs). Fortunately, the most important things stick; my brain mercilessly deletes anything superfluous. That's why the "mark as unread" function in every tool is my most important tool.
Do you have a quirk?
Oh yes. I can't stand double or even worse, triple blank lines. It looks like a scratch in the paintwork to me. One blank line is okay, it provides structure. More than that makes no sense. Just as bad: if one box is a millimeter higher than the other, I have to correct it immediately. Or if all the arrows are parallel, but one is slightly crooked - my eye twitches immediately (laughs).
What do you do in your free time?
I'm currently doing a lot of work on artificial intelligence - I'm totally fascinated by the subject. I also love karaoke. There were times when I was on stage every weekend (laughs). My hobby is to constantly have new hobbies (laughs). For a while it was ice skating, then online role-playing games, now I go to the gym regularly - thanks to the company's Wellpass offer*.
I am definitely a nerd. Video games have been with me for as long as I can remember. At the moment, I've also caught pizza fever. I bake Neapolitan pizza all the time. My girlfriend has probably eaten 40 to 50 pizzas in the last few months (laughs). Besides all this, I'm also politically active. At some point, I'd like to learn to ski - simply because I can't do it yet.
What do the corporate values ofcourage, passion and reliabilitymean to you?
- For me, courage means questioning things and standing up for others.
- Passion means putting your heart and soul into your work - even when it gets exhausting.
- Reliability means taking responsibility. If a customer needs help, I'm there.
* EGYM Wellpass: We support the health of our employees with the company fitness program. This gives them access to over 10,000 sports and wellness offers, with a monthly contribution of €24.
