As an IBM project manager, I was trained in the Global Services Method. This method not only covered project management but system development in the broadest sense, including business analysis, development, testing and DevOps. After the takeover of Rational in 2003, the Rational Unified Process (RUP) methodology was integrated into it. As a result, an incremental-iterative approach was anchored in the methodology; In no way do agile methods have the sole patent on them. Another important element in the methodology was tailoring; adapting the method to the respective project situation.

The PMI certification is a standard training for project managers at IBM. I successfully completed this in 2001.

I worked with CMMI during a project in 2005 for a large German insurance company as part of the implementation of new method framework for system development and project management

In 2007 I led a project for a Dutch bank. Since CMMI was standard here, a level 2 appraisal was carried out. My project got a score of 96%.

In the above-mentioned project in 2007, the Prince2 method was part of the daily routine. In particular, project management templates such as Project Initiation Document (PID), Project Status Report (PSR) and specifications for risk, issue and action management were part of this.

I’m used to working with Scrum since 2012, where we started using this method during a system development project for the migration of the Customer Self Service Portal. I’ve taken up roles as Scrum Master and Product owner since then.

An excellent tool for teamwork, with which I have been working regularly and very intensively since 2010. An elementary tool for sharing information. It's very intuitive and easy to use.

Just like with Confluence, I've been working regularly and intensively with Jira since 2010. Both tools show their strengths when combined, in particular.

Especially during my time at IBM I worked very intensively with MS Project. I use well-founded estimates for all work packages by the project architect / senior developer(s) in a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in Excel as a basis. Then transfer to MS-Project and enter all resources including their real availabilities. Then planning out the estimated work packages by assigning resources, taking into account their availability, as well as sensible utilization (neither over-planning nor substantial idle time) and of course taking into account the dependencies between the tasks. Such plans are maintained during implementation, in some cases also with registration of actual efforts.

An important tool in projects, also for project management. In particular, to create the aforementioned Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) using Excel. However, if there are no complex dependencies to be planned and maintained, a plan created in Excel is even sufficient.

One of the most widely used tools for project status reporting. I myself use Power Point very often to create project roadmaps. Sometimes in combination with Excel. Furthermore I use Powerpoint for project presentations and to create diagrams regarding processes, architecture and concepts of all kinds.

I have worked with SharePoint several times in the past, mostly in the banking sector. Especially because there was a very strong focus on MS Office documents at the time and “traceability” and “auditability” are traditionally important topics in the banking environment. Sharepoint's functionality for version management of documents offers certain advantages here.

A very helpful tool for brainstorming or to give structure to complex issues. Status reporting can also be done excellently via Mind Manager, because the different report categories (results, next steps, issues, risks) can be scaled as required depending on the situation without being hindered by the usual format restrictions (e.g. with Excel or PP-based templates).

Clarity is widely used in the banking sector. The Clarity Suite also includes Workbench, which was originally on the market under the name NIKU. I worked intensively with NIKU at a customer for almost 1.5 years. I worked with the Clarity Suite on a project at a Dutch bank for almost 1.5 years.