Fanxiang Chen’s start at cbs
Fanxiang Chen started her career at cbs as a trainee in April 2024 – today she is an SAP GTS Consultant in Heidelberg. Having grown up in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, the 27-year-old not only brings technical expertise with her, but also a special intercultural perspective: her family comes from China and she herself was born and raised in Germany.
After an internship in consulting and her Master’s degree in International Business Management at the Rijksuniversiteit in Groningen, it was clear to her that she wanted to start her career on a trainee program. This is how she came across cbs and found the ideal entry into the professional world.
Fanxiang had not originally planned to gain a foothold in the IT industry. So it was all the more exciting for her when she received an invitation to an interview at cbs. “I wanted to take on the challenge,” she recalls. During her studies in Ludwigshafen, her focus was not on IT – but a few courses had shown her how much she could enjoy the subject. SAP was not completely new territory for her and so her interest in diving deeper into the subject grew. Today, Fanxiang is part of cbs and shows that you don’t necessarily need a traditional IT background to be successful in IT consulting – curiosity, passion and the courage to break new ground can be just as crucial.
GTS – global, dynamic, exciting
Fanxiang was originally interested in Supply Chain, but the international focus of her degree program ultimately led her to Global Trade Services (GTS) – a decision she is very happy with today. After all, it is the international aspect that makes GTS particularly exciting for her.
Fanxiang particularly appreciates the versatility of her day-to-day work: every day brings new tasks and the requirements vary depending on the project phase. She answers technical customer queries, provides support with adjustments to the system or prepares workshops to explain the use of SAP Fiori, for example. This dynamic ensures that it never gets boring. Even though you sometimes face challenges, you grow with every new task, which provides variety and makes it consistently interesting, she explains.
Fanxiang particularly remembers the four-month trainee program. The close team spirit with the other trainees made her start at cbs much easier.
Growth through challenges
Another milestone in her journey at cbs so far: her first go-live. There were some challenges at the beginning, as a colleague dropped out and there were rescheduling changes right up to the last moment. But thanks to open communication and team support, the project was successfully completed. In addition, this was a new specialist area in which Fanxiang did not yet have much experience. However, she was not discouraged and her team was always on hand to answer her questions and she was never left alone when problems arose.
She felt a lot of trust, which showed her that she could do things on her own, she says looking back.
Of course, there are also difficult moments – for example, when customer problems are initially unclear and require in-depth analysis. But it is precisely these challenges that offer learning opportunities. When she finds the cause and can solve the problem, it is a real sense of achievement, she reports. She always knows that she can rely on her team.
That’s what makes the “Power of Orange” so special for her. For Fanxiang, the “Power of Orange” means that communication is always open and at eye level. She appreciates the good teamwork and the willingness of her colleagues to support each other.
