People, process, and AI: Marijke's success formula
A few years ago, Marijke Kerkhove made a remarkable career switch: from manager in healthcare and childcare to the world of Microsoft at Axelio in Veenendaal. She is now an indispensable Business Consultant for Platform and D365 CE in complex implementation projects, where she combines her background in process management and adoption with the latest innovations in AI. As a pioneer within the organization, she ensures that technology simply makes work more enjoyable and easier for colleagues and clients.
The common thread
As a Business Consultant focused on pre-sales, Marijke is involved from the first customer contact to well after the go-live. "I often serve as the common thread in a project," Marijke explains. She advises clients on the use of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement (CE) and the Power Platform.
Her goal is clear: "Ultimately, the customer should be happy with the solution and be able to work with it more easily and enjoyably. If that is the case, my mission is accomplished."
An tireless assistant
At the branch in Veenendaal, AI plays a significant role. Marijke uses AI daily to make her own work more efficient, for example, by having transcripts of customer conversations developed into structured documents.
"I really see AI as a tireless assistant," she says. "It extracts details from conversations that you might miss after long discussions. This gives me more time for the essence: thinking about what is truly important for the customer."
Sharing knowledge with Axelio
At Axelio, Marijke has the space and time to continuously delve into the rapid developments in AI. Every five weeks, the team in Veenendaal comes together for an 'in-house day', where tips, tricks, and new AI tools are shared.
Marijke: "What wasn't there yesterday suddenly is today. You have to stay on top of it to not miss the boat." She shares this knowledge not only with clients but also with her colleagues to make the entire chain work smarter.
"Technology can take over a lot, but personal contact remains the most important added value."
A down-to-earth culture without 'nonsense'
Although the IT sector is often seen as a male-dominated field, Marijke does not experience this as a hindrance at Axelio at all. "I enjoy working among the men; it's much more direct than I was used to in healthcare," she laughs.
What gives her the most job satisfaction? The open atmosphere and the safety to discuss everything.
"We have a nice, flat organization with an open culture where you are truly listened to and where we can laugh a lot together."
The next step
Marijke expects that the various Microsoft applications will increasingly merge in the coming years. "I think we are moving towards one smart layer where everything is linked together, and the user won't even notice which application the information is coming from."
At Axelio, she is ready to shape that future together with her clients and colleagues.