“It is hard NOT to fall for the fantastic opportunity that Unicus provides!”

Futur Pension is an insurance company that caters to both companies and private individuals. Their products process large amounts of information, and testing is important for their product development. As part of this investment, Futur Pension has chosen to hire a consultant from Unicus.

Henrik Blixt works in the IT department as a Business Analyst. He is also the WorkBuddy to Unicus’ consultant. They both work with requirements and tests, but in different ways:

– She complements me when it comes to software testing. In our group, we work with exploratory testing and more structural testing for bigger projects. We also run ongoing, smaller system tests. Above all, we are now focused on getting automated tests up and running for several central functions, says Henrik.

They work with complex products and services that contain many conditions and dependencies. Henrik explains that it is difficult to become knowledgeable about the insurance industry, and on top of that, operating under strict regulations. He really appreciates the attention to detail that Unicus’ consultant brings to the team.

– She is good with details, which is not always my strength. You can trust that the job will be done properly, says Henrik.

He explains that different strengths within the team are essential to all work in development. Managing and developing IT solutions requires teamwork, where each individual contributes with their abilities. That is why it is important to create an environment where everyone can work in their own way.

What makes Unicus different from other consulting companies?

Every day, the team gets together for a stand-up meeting according to the SCRUM methodology. That is where we meet Jonas Andersson, team manager for two of the company’s development teams. He has worked at Futur Pension since it was founded in 1999, and he has been involved in developing large parts of the company’s systems.

He tells me that the IT department has changed in the last year by introducing a more team-based structure. One other important investment has been to work more with automated testing. The consultant from Unicus had the right skills with knowledge in both programming and testing.

– When she started to test our systems, she naturally found things that didn’t work, says Jonas. That’s when she had to write a number of bug reports, for which she has received a lot of praise. Her reports have made the developers work a lot easier.

Jonas has worked with many consulting companies over the years. I ask if there is something in particular that distinguishes Unicus. He explains that they didn’t have to adapt the way they work, but adds that good communication among the team members certainly helps. He has also been in contact with the consulting manager from Unicus, which he describes as a closer and more open dialogue compared to traditional consulting companies:

– It works very well and it’s always a pleasure to talk to Sara. She has such incredible energy!

When talking about their workplace, both Henrik and Jonas emphasize the family atmosphere. As we speak, they receive a message from another colleague telling what a great job the Unicus consultant is doing, hoping she enjoys being a part of the team. It almost sounds too good to be true, so where did it all start?

A Unicus consultant always on site

The story begins with Mattias Forsberg, the CIO at Futur Pension. He got in touch with Unicus at his previous workplace, when they needed a consultant to work in testing. Mattias immediately knew that Unicus was a company he wanted to work with:

– It is hard NOT to fall for the fantastic opportunity that Unicus provides!

Mattias has collaborated with Unicus in multiple ways at three different workplaces. He explains that modern system development is complex, and needs to be looked at from many perspectives.

– At all my previous workplaces, we understood the potential of bringing in consultants from Unicus. They are super talented individuals who are extremely good at what they do. So when I started at Futur, I asked my new colleagues if we should opt for Unicus. It turned out to be a very good idea, Mattias says and smiles.

He describes Unicus as an accessible and insightful partner. Being a consulting company, there is nothing different about the collaboration, in fact, the structure and start-up process are very well planned. Proper on-boarding and appointing of a WorkBuddy are important steps for success:

– One important aspect is that the consultant from Unicus works closely with the WorkBuddy building their confidence along the way, Mattias says.  Before we started our collaboration with Unicus, we had a manager and a WorkBuddy who wanted to be part of this journey. Having that internal support is all you need. Working with a consultant from Unicus is like working with anyone else.

What Does a WorkBuddy Do?

When a new consultant starts, an employee from the client company is appointed to be a WorkBuddy. That person acts like a mentor for the consultant when it comes to practical questions and the daily work. Usually, the WorkBuddy is most vital during the first weeks, when planning and prioritizing various tasks.

About Futur Pension

Futur Pension is a Swedish insurance company that offers individuals and companies comprehensive solutions within workplace pensions, endowment insurance, private pensions, and life insurance. The company was founded in 1999 and is owned by Acathia Capital and Polaris.

Image caption

Mattias Forsberg – CIO, Jonas Andersson – Team Lead and Henrik Blixt – WorkBuddy