In an attic room in Bergschenhoek, around the corner from Rotterdam, is Willem-Jan Versteegh's workplace. From here, the seasoned EPM expert maintains - as we speak - Oracle Hyperion (HFM) for a major player in the grain trade. A few days a week, he jumps on his bike to work on location there.

What drives this experienced independent partner of Bart & Partners? How does he experience his work? And how does he combine the EPM profession with other things he finds important? A fascinating conversation with Willem-Jan...

When did you take your first steps into the EPM world?

That was in 2006 at a consulting firm in Utrecht. Bart van Velzen was also there at the time. We did projects there together, at ING among others. In 2011, the company was sold to one of the big 5 consulting firms. That's when I left to work for myself as a freelance EPM consultant.

Did that go well for you?

Yes. Through Bart van Velzen, who had moved on, I immediately got a great assignment at Douwe Egberts. Very nice of course if you're just starting out for yourself. Later I in turn introduced Bart to another client. So we had helped each other before.

What is your specialty?

First of all, Hyperion Financial Management (HFM), Oracle's consolidation tool. I've been working with that since 2006. Another specialty is FDMEE. That is an integration tool to link local source systems to HFM via mapping tables.

You're an independent partner at Bart & Partners. How did that come about?

After spending time at AkzoNobel, among others, and at a company in concrete construction, Bart called me. That was over two years ago. He had a nice job in Rotterdam, near Bergschenhoek where I live. This company was doing a carve-out and I went to help with that.

You're still with this client. What are you currently doing there?

I am on the HFM support team. That means I provide support during monthly closings, among other things. I am also working with others on a new FDMEE project. In the current situation, SAP data is first loaded via SAP BW and only then to FDMEE. This intermediate step will now disappear; we want to simplify the process and automate it more.

Could you get assignments like this as a one-pitter?

As an independent freelancer, you don't just get in with such large clients. After all, those companies want to contract with certain partners and not loose individuals.

Why did you choose Bart & Partners and not another?

Unlike most agencies, Bart & Partners really focuses on EPM (Enterprise Performance Management). That's why I want to be a part of that. They do exactly what is in my area of expertise. Moreover, they have a broad network and large client portfolio. So should my current assignment end, I do not expect to have to wait long for a new assignment.

For you, what is the essence of your profession?

Customer satisfaction. That may sound like a cliché, but no less true. If I can solve problems for my clients quickly and they are satisfied with the solution, that gives me real satisfaction. Especially during a critical period such as a month-end closing in which quick action is required.

And then what is the secret to getting that done?

First, the knowledge you must have of the system. Then if there are problems, you know exactly where it could be and you can quickly come up with an appropriate solution. In addition, I monitor all open tickets via my mobile phone so that I can move quickly if issues come in. Even if it's in the evening, that doesn't matter much to me.

As a consultant, you are always with a client, on-site or remote. Do you have contact with your colleagues at Bart & Partners?

Coincidentally, we are sitting with two more colleagues from Bart & Partners, so I talk to them daily. They are Ágnes Törös and Michael van Woudenberg.

Indeed, you don't see the others very often. Everyone is with their own client, all over the country, working on their own project. We do have an app group, where we help each other if someone runs into trouble. Sometimes others call me because of my experience with certain things.

Once in a while we also get together, either digitally or in real life. The other day we attended a presentation at Oracle and then we all have dinner together afterwards. Soon the Christmas dinner will be on the agenda again. And so they regularly come up with something fun to see each other again.

So you don't feel that you are a lone self-employed person?

Not at all, I really feel that I have colleagues and that I belong to a team. I find that very important. That you don't just sit in an attic, but that you do something fun together once in a while.

If everyone is scattered among clients, can you experience a corporate culture at Bart & Partners?

Definitely. And if I had to describe that culture, I would say Smart, Simple, Solid. They exude that and they are. If we have an event, we don't go to a Michelin restaurant in a tight suit. We prefer to keep it looser. Also towards the customer. No fuss. Just act normal and do a good job. That also suits me well.

Does that have to do with your character?

Well, I'm just a hands-on type. I like to come up with beautiful solutions that I then want to build myself. Sometimes I find it hard to hand things over. But in the FDMEE project team, which I am also part of, everyone has their own specialism. This in turn results in the best solution for the customer, which in turn gives me satisfaction.

Doing something to the best of your ability, is that what drives you?

Yes, absolutely. Building something that is absolutely right and fits perfectly. I get a lot of satisfaction from that. For example, if I have built complex mappings in FDMEE and you see that the data is a perfect match, yes, that is nice. Then you know that you have built those mappings well. That does give a kind of kick. That may sound a bit "geeky," but it is true, haha.

At home I am also a handyman. There is always something that needs to be adjusted or replaced and I prefer to do it myself. And is the result not to my liking? Then I just redo it.

It's actually the same with my work. Then I have delivered something, but sometimes I think: couldn't it be simpler or better? Then I make some changes anyway. Even if it's late at night. That makes me feel better.

A bit of a perfectionist I am at times. And I know that's a pitfall. Sometimes it drives me crazy too, haha.

You're a bit of a perfectionist, you say. How do you ensure a good work-life balance?

By working 4 days a week. This is a conscious choice. Since the birth of our daughter, 6 years ago, I have been off on Wednesdays. I think it's important to also do fun things with the family. I am very happy with my current work-life balance. It works very well.

I also experience it as a great advantage that I no longer have travel times. In my time at Akzo, I spent almost 3 hours a day in the car. I went out at 6 a.m. and didn't get home until 7:30 in the evening. So I only saw my daughter in the evening when she was in bed. Now I take her to school and pick her up from school in the afternoon. So I'm kind of glad I don't have to drive those distances every day anymore.