#PlayInTheTopLeague
“I'm off then . . .”
Nicole Kietzmann, Controller & Team Lead Controlling Services
"December 1, 2019, was a cold, gray morning. Our colleague had left the company, and all her tasks in production controlling had been transferred to me. A team consisting of 2.5 FTEs and me — that was the new setup. The handover was brief. I learned the most important things in a crash course. Now I was faced with the challenge of independently developing a proposal for standard cost accounting. Time was pressing: the concept had to be ready by January 1, 2020. In between, there was the plant inventory, the Christmas holidays, and the preparations for the annual financial statements.
A new concept is needed
So: roll up your sleeves and get started! At first glance, the concept seemed familiar. But the more I familiarized myself with it, the more I felt that it was no longer suitable. The cost distribution was not optimal. And the system no longer seemed up to date. It quickly became clear to me that I couldn't continue working like this. So, within just 14 days, I developed a new structure for distributing product costs. I implemented the concept in the SAP system, calculated the new values, and ran my first calculation. It was an intensive process involving a lot of interface coordination, queries, and adjustments. But in the end, I had a system that was understandable and sustainable.
Growing with the challenge
The final presentation to the management and production management was crucial. Would my concept be convincing? The result: approval across the board. Today, my new concept still forms the basis on which we continue to build. I laid the foundation. Looking back, it was a challenge that demanded a lot from me, but also an experience that allowed me to grow enormously.”