Beyond First Impressions – PGS Software’s Xperience with Xebia

Every relationship starts with a rosy-eyed view of the other half, and when the old honeymoon phase subsides, the rosy glasses come off and we’re left with naked truths. With some time now having passed since our companies have joined forces, we thought we’d ask some of our people how they’re experiencing the post-honeymoon phase of our cooperation. Here’s what they had to say.

Culture and Communication

Before we actually got to know our new colleagues, I anticipated that our differing cultures and norms might make communicating with one another more difficult than it should be.

But now that I had the opportunity to meet everyone, I know that this is not at all the case. We spoke in a common language all along – the language of technology! Our knowledge, which we ultimately express in our language every day, is what connects us and allows us to cooperate and thrive beyond any cultural and geographical barriers.

We’ve already worked together on joint offerings, project drafts and technical discovery projects, and in these processes, our input was accepted openly and challenged when deemed necessary – just as we know and like it. Working with the people at Xebia is like working with colleagues I’ve known for a long time.

Our accents may differ – but that only goes skin deep. In matters concerning operations, architecture and DevOps, any barriers are overcome by the ubiquitous engineering mindset both our companies have been fostering.

Jerzy Dörfler, Chief Solutions Architect

Organization

To me, being part of the Xebia family is all about forging new relationships with the clever people that work here. We didn’t waste any time to start nurturing these connections either, and some promising concepts have been born already. There were many productive exchanges, and during two virtual and two live days of connecting with our data friends at Xebia, we birthed the idea of the Data Chapter, an internal group that combines the data capacities of all our entities. Our aim here is twofold: to develop our in-house skills and become the data authority on the market.

I see a huge synergy potential, with many directions already defined on paper.
For example, we defined three clear steps to achieve our goal: develop skills in our data teams, create common solutions for our clients and create joint go-to-market strategies.

With 90 people in Europe and 250 in APAC, MEA and the Americas, we have an immense pool of data expertise to draw on – and I for one can’t wait to see what we’ll make of it.

Andrzej Rygol, Head of Innovation Lab

People

One of the expectations people have when it comes to acquisitions is that they’ll be told what to do by strangers. This couldn’t be further from what my experience has been so far. The touchpoints with my new colleagues have been really organic and the exchange of ideas right on eye level.

In the talks I had with my marketing counterparts, we learned that our approaches to marketing differ, as we at PGS Software focus more on lead generation and revenue contribution, while Xebia primarily focuses on raising brand awareness. But different approaches always harbor creativity and innovation, because new perspectives open up new possibilities.

And so, I’m really excited to continue our work and create common frameworks to address our markets with – together.

Tomasz Brzakala, Marketing Manager

Value for Clients

A song sounds good when the interplay between Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass is both dynamic and coherent. This is what we’re starting to achieve in our cooperation with the data experts at Xebia – a symbiosis that sees diverse roles in an increasingly coherent whole, combining consultation and implementation through the complementary strengths of our data teams.

This is not only valuable for us in terms of sharing knowledge and reinforcing our capacities, but also sends a strong signal to our clients: that we are ready to tackle any data challenge, and to do so with expertise and authority.

Krzysztof Kąkol, Chief of Data Engineering

Prospects

Business development is a multi-faceted activity that comes in many shapes and forms, but underneath it all always lies a story. During my visit to Xebia in the Netherlands, I noticed that everyone, without exception, knew Xebia’s story and how to tell it – to themselves and to the world. This consistency in identity, anchored not just in a firm belief in company values, but also a drive by people to incorporate them in every step of the way, is what makes a great culture worth working in.

The experience of meeting everyone and the knowledge exchange was truly rewarding and inspiring. And perhaps inspiration is the word that best describes my impression thus far: we inspire each other to tell our stories and create even better value for our people – and our clients.

Bartosz Jabłoński, Chief Growth Officer

Conclusion

Turns out you don’t need love goggles to be delighted about your other half! If it clicks, it genuinely clicks – there’s no two ways about it. The basis of any good relationship is the chemistry, and this part is visibly a given in the story of Xebia and PGS Software. I for one am curious to see what kind of brainchildren will be born out of it.