In the fast-evolving world of IT services, managing complex projects can often feel like navigating through a labyrinth. For channel partners, value-added resellers, and systems integrators, effective project management is pivotal to ensuring successful outcomes.
Our project managers at Westcon-Comstor are the unsung heroes, steering intricate projects from inception to completion. Today, we share their insights and experiences to highlight the importance of project management in handling complex IT services projects.
Westcon-Comstor’s project managers: Your insurance for successful project delivery
Our project managers are your insurance against project delivery failures, providing a reliable safety net to navigate the complexities of IT projects. Acting as a single point of contact, they:
- Ensure robust project governance
- Maintain a regular meeting cadence
- Oversee risk and issue mitigation
- Manage quality assurance on deliverables and in-scope activities
- Handle change request management, milestone-based billing, and acceptance sign-off
- Expertly balance the diverse needs of end users, resellers, vendors, and internal account managers, each with their own goals and targets
Just as you wouldn't drive a car without insurance, embarking on a project without the assurance of our skilled project managers is a risk not worth taking. They are the essential layer of protection ensuring your project's safe and successful journey to completion.
Now, let’s meet the team…
- Tim O'Toole, Director of Project Management, UK
- Samuel (Sam) Hermon, Senior Project Manager, UK
- Megan Currie, Project Manager, UK
- James Franklin, Project Manager, UK
- Brecht Grieten, Project Manager, UK
- Tomasz Iwaniec, Senior Project Manager, Germany
- Daniel Uwazie, Project Manager, Germany
- Cathleen Herzog, Project Manager, Germany
- Tetiana Hunchak, Project Manager, Germany
- Roberto Gonzalez Jimenez, Project Manager, Spain
The dynamic role and core functions of our project management team
At Westcon-Comstor, our project managers thrive on the diversity and challenges that each day brings. This dynamic nature keeps them engaged and continually learning, ultimately benefiting their projects and clients.
As the backbone of our operations, our project management teams ensure seamless execution of various tasks. Whether it's managing global hardware rollouts, supporting complex configurations, or conducting site surveys, our teams are equipped to handle it all. They act as the glue that holds the project together, coordinating between different stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes.
| Adapting to challenges and uncertainties | Comprehensive solutions through smooth execution | Building strong relationships |
|---|---|---|
| Adaptability and flexibility are essential traits for project managers. The ability to pivot and adapt is crucial, especially in the fast-paced world of IT services where unforeseen challenges can arise at any moment. | We provide comprehensive, tailored solutions to meet client needs. Our project managers keep projects on schedule and within budget, ensuring they meet or exceed expectations. | Building strong relationships with clients and stakeholders is a key component of successful project management. These relationships foster trust and collaboration, which are essential for navigating the complexities of IT projects. |
| The thrill of high-stakes projects | The joy of collaboration | Innovative solutions in action |
| Our project managers excel in high-stakes projects with tight deadlines and complex requirements. They showcase their expertise through meticulous planning, risk assessment, and task allocation. | Collaborating with people of different mindsets, from different parts of the world is not only enriching but also essential for the success of global projects that require diverse skill sets and perspectives. | One of the most exciting and innovative projects our project managers delivered was an onsite cloud migration from IBM to AWS, which provided valuable cloud insights and required close collaboration with the customer to ensure success. |
| Global reach and impact | The satisfaction of successful outcomes | Continuous learning and growth |
| Our project management teams handle global projects, impacting businesses everywhere. Collaboration with customers, partners, and colleagues worldwide shows our services' global reach and impact. | Our project managers are dedicated to completing projects. A client with specific technical requirements commended our clear and predictable process, underscoring the effectiveness of our project management. | IT services evolve constantly. Our project managers commit to continuous learning and growth, ensuring our teams have the latest skills to tackle new challenges. |
A day in the life of a Westcon-Comstor project manager
What does a typical day look like for you?
Tetiana Hunchak: My team’s focus is driving projects from start to finish, making sure everything runs smoothly and stays within budget, schedule, and other constraints to successfully resolve clients' network challenges and improvements.
How do you manage ongoing communication with stakeholders?
Megan Currie : For one of my favourite projects so far – a system update for an emergency service, I got to meet the partner and customer face to face and got to build up relationships over the project. Working closely with our internal engineers and our customers enabled us to ensure the project came to a successful completion.
Sam Hermon: For an onsite cloud migration from IBM to AWS, we spent 2 days on the customer site which allowed us to build close relations with the end customer. This helped us achieve team synergy and drove the project in the right direction from initiation to closure.
What challenges do you face, and how do you tackle them?
Tomasz Iwaniec: For one of our projects, we needed to support our partner in delivering a completely new and fully integrated WLAN solution for a luxury department store in 3 main locations within the UK.
Due to a very tight deadline and high complexity, it was obvious from the start that our planning, risk assessment, and task allocation needed to be on point to ensure our team of expert-level engineers located across countries can deliver the project on time, on budget, and within the highest quality. The key is to be fully focused and adaptive throughout the project.
How does collaboration fit into your daily routine and projects?
James Franklin: When we were working with a global company delivering BAU (onsite installations) and ITAD (HW destruction and recycling), we established effective collaboration between the customer, partners, and colleagues from around the world to ensure project success.
Megan Currie: A big part of the job and what I like about being a project manager is being able to collaborate with interesting customers from all around the world, build relationships, find out about the behind-the-scenes elements of their businesses, and share different working ideas.
Tetiana Hunchak: Collaboration is at the heart of my day. Whether I’m brainstorming with colleagues or working with partners across different regions, I love the diversity of perspectives that come into play. We often use collaborative tools to share insights and keep track of progress.
What brings you the most satisfaction in your role?
Brecht Grieten: Each project has its unique properties, environment, and technology. We get to utilise an extensive skillset allowing us to really use what we already know and further expand on that.
Megan Currie: The most satisfying part is seeing a project reach successful completion. When all our planning and teamwork culminate in a happy client, it’s incredibly rewarding. Knowing we’ve made their vision a reality is what drives me every day.
Tomasz Iwaniec: The role demands adaptability and flexibility, which keeps me on my toes. Navigating through changes and uncertainties and still steering the project towards success is a thrilling challenge.
Partnering for success
Our project managers at Westcon-Comstor bring a wealth of experience, adaptability, and a collaborative spirit to every project they undertake. By understanding stakeholders’ needs, managing risks, and fostering strong relationships, they ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.
If you're looking to leverage expert project management for your next IT services project, Westcon-Comstor is here to bring the best of the best to you. Our dedicated teams are ready to help you achieve success and drive your business forward.
Have any questions? Please contact us at services@westcon.com
