Tag: Meet the team

3Squared ‘Meet the team’ – Stewart Wells, Senior Project Manager at FabDigital

Posted on September 28, 2023 by - 3Squared Team

Meet the team_Stewart Wells_FabDigital

This month’s ‘Meet the team’ features Stewart Wells, Senior Project Manager at FabDigital. Acquired by 3Squared’s parent company the Velociti Group earlier this year, FabDigital provide a range of high-quality software products to the rail sector, which you can read more about here.

Find out more about the organisation’s growing relationship with 3Squared and Stewart’s role at FabDigital, in this month’s ‘Meet the team’ below:

Hi Stewart, thanks for taking the time to speak to us. It has been an exciting time for 3Squared to join forces with FabDigital as part of the Velociti Group family. How long have you been part of the FabDigital team?

I have been with FabDigital for around 18 months now, however I first joined the rail industry 20 years ago.

Was it the challenge of the software or the rail industry that drew you in to the sector?

I’ve had the privilege to have experienced a wide range of disciplines within the railway and have always looked at the tools available with an eye to how they can be improved. There is a wealth of different systems and information sources in the industry, however many of them aren’t widely understood and they are often very disjointed.

I have always enjoyed finding novel ways to use existing information to do new things. After doing so from within a train operating company (TOC) for several years, I felt that with FabDigital, I had found a team who felt the same way. I feel we have made a difference, and I look forward to continuing to do so.

What are you most proud of in your career so far?

Seeing the dynamic route project through from inception through to the current state, where it is being used by seven different TOCs, RDG and Network Rail, has hundreds of thousands of hits per week and has won or is nominated for several national rail awards is something I feel proud to have been part of. It was a true collaboration between us and our customers, which continues to develop.

Can you tell us more about the rail software products FabDigital provides, and how they will integrate with 3Squared?

FabDigital has worked predominantly in the rail passenger sector, primarily on customer-facing solutions, which meshes nicely with 3Squared’s offering that is largely in the freight or operational sectors. I’m also excited to see how some of the systems that the two companies have developed can be applied to each other’s projects.

What are the main responsibilities in your role and how will these change when you become part of 3Squared/Velociti?

I have built a career by being difficult to pigeonhole into one role. My role currently consists of a mixture of customer liaison, product development, rail industry data consultation, and pretty much anything else that comes my way. I enjoy variety, so I suspect that my responsibilities will remain somewhat diverse!

How will being a part of 3Squared/Velociti benefit the FabDigital team?

I think the sharing of knowledge and ideas will help to enhance the projects that both FabDigital and 3Squared are working on. The relationships with other potential customers that 3Squared have will also open new opportunities.

How will the partnership between 3Squared/Velociti and FabDigital benefit customers?

The cross-pollination of ideas and the wider experience base of the two organisations, combined with the greater support network of the two organisations, will bring new products and allow us to offer new and innovative solutions to the issues posed to us by our customers.

I look forward to working with you all and exploring the possibilities that our new alliance will present.

Thanks for giving us a great insight into life at FabDigital and its future with 3Squared/Velociti, Stewart. If you would be interested in learning more about how you could join the 3Squared team, visit our careers page here or get in touch via [email protected]

Meet the Team | Claire Booth, Head of Customer Support

Posted on July 7, 2023 by - 3Squared Team

Graphic with photo of Claire Booth.

In this month’s ‘Meet the team’ feature, we caught up with Claire Booth, Head of Customer Support at 3Squared, to discuss all things customer service and the intrinsic part it plays within the wider business, interconnecting across all departments. Read more on Claire’s insight into life at 3Squared, below:

What is your favourite aspect of working at 3Squared?

“The people, the culture and the software are really interesting. It also turns out I’m a bit of a train enthusiast!”

Claire Booth, Head of Customer Support

Can you tell us about your day-to-day as Head of Customer Support?

“I always start the day with two cups of coffee! I work with a team of second- and third-line Software Support Analysts to solve customer business-as-usual issues, relating to the suite of products and services 3Squared provides. This involves engaging and co-ordinating with our Customer Success Team and with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Delivery/Project Managers and Development and QA teams.

“I manage and monitor the team’s work and tickets in our helpdesk system assisting them with anything that I can, and leading them to resolve customer issues, be they useability or data related problems. There is also the occasional software bug that we replicate and send to our development team for resolution.

“I work with the rest of the Senior Management Team to manage the business and coordinate the work between all the teams in 3Squared and the wider Velociti Group.

“I also work on continual improvement within the team and alongside colleagues to enhance the services we provide to our customers, exploring ways that work the best for them.”

Since joining 3Squared in 2021, do you have any highlights that have stood out?

“Winning the Encouraging Word Award for 2022 at our Christmas celebration was definitely an honour. I have also enjoyed the introduction of Choo-Chew Tuesdays, where we all bring in food items for a big “picnic” in the kitchen every month.

“Encouraging the business to arrange Lunch and Learn Sessions, which I was involved with in a previous company, has also been a particular highlight. These are now a regular feature with a big attendance in the office (drawn in by the free food!) and a range of interesting guests and discussion topics.”

What have you learnt since joining 3Squared?

“I’ve learnt that I’m not quite the same as all the rest and that’s a good thing. I’m in my own world, but it’s OK, they all know me here!

“I’ve also learnt to be a better delegator than I was before I came to 3Squared, making sure I’m not a barrier to things getting done. Whilst we have a small team, we all have a good understanding of what we have going on. I make sure everything is documented so that our knowledge is shared, and this gives us more time to become more proactive and operate effectively as a team.”

Do you have advice for those looking to follow a similar career path?

“Don’t be afraid to learn new things. Try and learn something new every day.

“Make sure you enjoy working with people and treat them with respect, even if they don’t like you or the message you have to convey. This goes for the well-being and management of your team and looking after customers alike.

“Learn to write and speak in a way that is not patronising – finding ways to explain things or ask questions that makes the receiver feel knowledgeable is a required skill. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know, however, I can find out for you”. Customers prefer honesty in all things.”

You’re involved in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge. Can you tell us why diversity is important and what this means to you?

“Across both the software and rail industries, diversity is a challenge. It is important that we encourage people of all ages, faiths, ethnicities, and genders to become part of these largely male-dominated industries (sorry guys!) as the work is interesting and challenging no matter who you are. The better the blend of people, the more interesting everyone’s work life is.

“I’m a 54-year-old woman – so I know that the Big Rail Diversity Challenge is going to be challenging and push me out of my comfort zone. I am looking forward to hopefully bringing a prize home for 3Squared.”

Thanks for sharing your insight into life at 3Squared, Claire. If you would be interested in learning more information about how you could join the 3Squared team, visit our careers page here.

Meet the Team | Jake Minor, Associate Software Engineer

Posted on May 11, 2023 by - 3Squared Team, Sheffield

This month’s ‘Meet the team’ features Jake Minor, Associate Software Engineer, who initially joined the team on his placement year whilst studying at Sheffield Hallam University, and who returned to the team as a graduate last year.

 

Hi Jake, can you tell us about your favourite thing about working at 3Squared?

 “My favourite things about working at 3Squared is the amount of opportunity for growth which is present at the company.

“Since returning to the company after graduating 8 months ago – I’ve been able to take on responsibilities such as leading development on RailSmart Path Planner and our internal UI package, enhance the company’s relationship with Sheffield Hallam by getting the business involved in the Scrum project, contributing towards key decisions around the companies process whilst feeling supported by more senior members of the team. By having this responsibility, it had helped me to feel like I’m really contributing to the business and allowed me to improve my technical and non-technical skills as a Software Engineer in a structured and well supported environment.

“Another thing which contributes to the opportunity of growth is down to the talented and passionate individuals which 3Squared employs. Working alongside these people who have different passions and skills about their area of expertise has helped me continue growing as a Software Engineer and a Professional as everyone is very friendly and willing to teach you something which they know about!”

 

What initially drew you to the role and working for 3Squared?

“Whilst looking for placement opportunities during my second year of university, 3Squared came to Sheffield Hallam and delivered a talk on what it was like to work at the company. The talk covered topics around the Rail industry, the company’s culture and the technologies stack. The talk was very laid back however insightful and the employees who were involved it genuinely seemed like they enjoyed delivering it and were passionate about the work which they were doing. Off the back of this presentation, I was exposed to how enjoyable the culture is and how interesting the work is at 3Squared!

“Once I had finished my placement with 3Squared, members of staff I’d been working with or had become close to kept in touch and the company continued to invite me to different socials which they were hosting. This really made me feel as if I was part of the team and in conjunction with my extremely positive placement experience drew me back to the company after graduating.”

 

What excites you about the industry and the world of rail technology?

 “The main thing which excites me about the world of rail technology, especially the technology which we develop at 3Squared, is that I know the work which we do is making a serious difference to the Rail Industry. Knowing that people are using the solutions which I contribute towards and get genuine value out of them to make their job easier which in turn improves the efficiency of the Rail Industry is very exciting!”

  

Can you tell us more about the project with students at Sheffield Hallam that you’ve been involved with?

“During the second year of the Software Engineering and Computer Science degree, students are required to complete the Scrum Project. The Scrum Project requires the students to interact with real clients to gather requirements, design and develop a solution and effectively manage a project.

“The Scrum project is a great opportunity for Students to get real life experience with clients and an understanding of how to run a project effectively and successfully. It also allows them to explore the different roles required to create quality software and how each of those roles interact with each other across the Software Development Lifecycle. My experience of doing the project propelled my learning and allowed me to apply my knowledge around managing and contributing towards a software project to my university assignments and my Placement interview at 3Squared!

“From 3Squared’s perspective, getting involved in the project allows us as a business to provide an opportunity for students to gain an understanding over what we do at 3Squared and potentially spark an interest in Rail Technology. It also allows 3Squared to find some potential placement or graduates which could effectively contribute to the business.

“The process started off with myself getting in touch with Sheffield Hallam on behalf of 3Squared and expressing interest about getting involved in the Scrum Project. Once we had confirmation from Sheffield Hallam that we were on board, they required us to write a project specification which the Students could develop in a 2 week period.

“After brainstorming potential project ideas with some of the senior members of the 3Squared development team. We decided to challenge the students to create a National Map. As an MVP, we asked the students to display the movements of active trains which were happening across the UK. Once we had an idea of the MVP, I started to write up the specification which explained: key terms which the student may come across during project, a suggestion of technologies that the students could use; these were based on the technologies we use at 3Squared, what the deliverable should look like and a range of screenshots of our solution.

“Once the specification had been reviewed by a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam, the project was put forward to the students and our project gained interest from 11 students in total with one remoting in from Australia! Once the teams had been formed, we went down to Sheffield Hallam to introduce ourselves and answer any questions the students had about the project specification. During the visit, I also gave a demonstration of BulkSmart’s National Map to give the students a clearer understanding of what we were expecting them to create and to allow them to ask questions about our implementation.

“On the 13th February, the first Sprint week commenced and on the 17th February a Senior Developer and I went down to Hallam to review what the students had made during the week. During the visit, the two teams gave a demonstration of what they had created in the week and we were really happy with what the students had achieved! Both teams had managed to achieve the MVP for the project within a week and had spoken about plans to further enhance their solution during the next sprint based on their own ideas and our feedback.

“The final review for the students project is on the 31st March and we’re really excited to see the teams final implementations and we’re hoping to get them up to the 3Squared office to demonstrate what they’ve done to the wider team!”

 

Thanks for giving us an insight into life at 3Squared, Jake. If you would be interested in learning more about how you could join the 3Squared team, visit our careers page here or get in touch via [email protected]

 

3Squared ‘Meet the team’ – Marie Hanby, Marketing Manager

Posted on April 7, 2023 by - 3Squared Team

Graphic with photo of Marie Hanby, Marketing Manager.

This month’s ‘Meet the team’ features Marie Hanby, our Marketing Manager who joined our team late last year. We chatted about the swanky 3Squared office, what initially drew her to the role, and how important communications is.

Photo of Marie Hanby, Marketing Manager.

Marie Hanby, Marketing Manager.

Hi Marie, can you give us an insight into your role and day-to-day at 3Squared?

As with any new job, there is lots to do.  Our team is currently implementing an exciting new marketing plan. As Marketing Manager, I’m balancing a number of different key aspects from digital to print, whilst aligning these with our sales and customer success teams.

What’s your favourite thing about working at 3Squared?

For me, I have to say the 3Squared office! The central city location means it’s great for lunch time – whether that’s for food or shopping.  The office itself is also really swanky, with a great coffee machine, not to mention a fantastic team of people.

 

What initially drew you to the role and working for 3Squared?

The role itself ticked all the boxes for me and was a great match for my skillset. Plus, joining this industry presented an exciting new challenge in my marketing career. The recruitment process was weirdly enjoyable! Everything was just a great fit, and it was an easy yes when they offered me the position.

 

How have you harnessed your experience from other industries and previous roles?

I have worked in a marketing capacity for 25 years in different industries. It’s great to be able to bring that wide range of cross-sector experience to 3Squared. Coming into a new role with a fresh perspective and unique experience can be helpful in itself, and I’ve enjoyed bringing this to 3Squared.

 

How important is communications for 3Squared?

Very. We have a range of innovative, digital solutions that can help transform the railway and make a real difference, from safety to efficient operations. Communications plays a central role in reaching the right people who we can help, whether that’s posting on LinkedIn or meeting new people at events.

 

What excites you about the industry and the world of rail technology?

3Squared have technologies and innovations that provide solutions to key industry challenges and enable positive change. There are a multitude of opportunities where technology can play a key role in making the industry not only more efficient, but also greener. It’s great to be part of the 3Squared team who are making a difference and to play a part in communicating this message to the rail industry and beyond.

 

Thanks for giving us an insight into your role, Marie. If you would be interested in learning more about how you could join the 3Squared team, visit our careers page here or get in touch via [email protected]

Meet the Team | Jason Greig, Sales and Account Manager

Posted on January 27, 2023 by - 3Squared Team

Photo of 3Squared Sales and Account Manager Jason Greig

3Squared Sales and Account Manager Jason Greig

In our first ‘Meet the team’ instalment of 2023, we spoke to Jason Greig, Sales and Account Manager, on the power that engagement and collaboration have in his role, what drew him to a career in rail and how technology can overcome a diverse range of customer issues:  

Hi Jason, what are your main roles and responsibilities at 3Squared?  

My main role is to ensure that we are the go-to business for technology solutions within the rail sector. This means building relationships within the sector, so I can advise where 3Squared can offer support in resolving customer issues. 

What drew you to your role at 3Squared?  

I moved back to Sheffield and was looking for a forward-thinking company to work for. My role at 3Squared was suggested by a colleague who works for the parent company, EPM Group. Having viewed some of the information on the company, it was a no-brainer that this was the right company for me. 

Can you provide us with an overview of your experience to date and what drew you down your career path?  

I have been in tech sales for 20 years, predominantly in the Apprenticeship/Education sector. I don’t think anyone ever chooses sales as a career path, but I soon discovered I was good at it, and that I enjoy the challenge and satisfaction of supporting customers in successfully solving their issues. I have limited rail experience; however, this is growing daily, and I do know how to solve customer issues through harnessing technology.  

What excites you about the world of rail technology?  

Rail technology is fascinating, and I never knew there was so much brilliant technology being used in the sector. That said, there are still some old-fashioned ways of working taking place, where the introduction of tech could make such positive differences if it’s adopted in the right way- not just from a process perspective, but also time, money, and risk. 

Having family in the rail sector gives me an insight into the day-to-day processes and challenges that you may not always get visibility of in a B2B conversation. A combination of this and discussions with our customers and prospects, leads me to believe that there is still a long way to go with getting tech embedded in some areas of the sector, something that I think 3Squared can play an integral role in.  

How integral are collaboration and engagement to the world of rail?  

Quite simply, massive. 

What do you enjoy about the working culture at 3Squared?  

Since joining 3Squared, I have been made to feel very welcome. There is lots to do internally which will make us more efficient and enable us to have more impact externally.   

I have very little doubt that the 3Squared team will pull on each other’s strengths to ensure that we are successful. This winning culture is one of the reasons I was attracted to the company. 

Being new to the rail industry I am currently building my network so please watch out for my call, email, or LinkedIn connection request. I am sure that we have solutions that will be able to help most companies in the rail sector and look forward to forging connections and relationships in 2023.  

Thanks for giving us an insight into your role, Jason. If you would be interested in learning more about how you could join the 3Squared team, visit our careers page here or get in touch via [email protected]