“My dream is to run a farm on my own one day.”

…and we continue with our interview series as part of our section „About OTRS“. This time in talk: Our COO Christopher Kuhn. Enjoy reading!

You’re a confirmed software expert. What makes the field so appealing to you?

There is simply an endless range of fields of activity. IT regularly reinvents itself. So it never gets boring. You are forced to remain innovative and up to date.

What were the biggest technical changes you’ve experienced in your career?

The most sustainable change has actually been the triumph of cloud-based solutions. Initially, many colleagues didn’t take this development seriously, and for too long they relied on running their own data centers.
Today, cloud technology has arrived in business and it’s hard to imagine life without it.

The cloud is on the advance. Will there still be on-premises in 50 years?

On-premises systems will hold their own for several years to come, but I am firmly convinced that the availability of data will be the most important issue in 50 years’ time. Nobody will ask the question about the concrete operator model and the technology used.

What are the biggest challenges you face with OTRS customers?

With concern I observe a progressive deterioration of the IT-knowledge with administrators. Sometimes we are dealing with very conservative IT experts who do not always embrace questions of modern IT operations. Some try to defend the territory of IT, solutions and technologies. In my opinion, it is much more important to face the role of the business enabler and thus deliver a significant added value in the company.

In addition, the lack of skilled personnel leads to a large number of lateral entrants, who in many cases require longer training periods.

What is your favorite feature in OTRS?

My favorite feature is definitely process management. Recurring processes can be easily mapped and tracked. This saves a lot of time and nerves, for example when onboarding new employees. A process can also be changed or recreated at any time.

Since its introduction, it has been the optimal solution for all possible use cases at OTRS Group, it has been strengthened and with every further project that we successfully complete, we get to know more use cases. Process Management is therefore a pool of unlimited application scenarios.

What do you do in your spare time to switch off?

My dream is still to one day run a farm as my own breadwinner, which will enable me to provide for myself and my family.
On a small scale I live this dream a little bit already today and enjoy spending my free time working with my animals and machines on the “Hacienda Kuhn”.

What is your wish for the future?

I would really like to see a little more peace and quiet, both professionally and privately. The last 14 years have been marked by many changes and challenges. Sometimes I would like to shift down a gear in order to spend a little more time for my private life.

Who is your role model and why?

I don’t like the idea of having an idol. There are several people who inspire me and make me think, but in fact I am too critical (“Burn your Idols”) to want to see even one of them as an idol.