Meet the consultant… Tim Powlson

1. Describe what you do in a few sentences

Put simply, I help organisations to improve how they operate. This involves understanding the organisation’s end goal and then helping to tackle the obstacles standing in the way in order to deliver positive change.

2. How did you decide that business consultancy was for you?

You could say that I fell into it. I‘ve always been drawn to technology and started my career training people in how to use software, before moving on to implement IT systems for a software company.

I got my first taste of consultancy work when I started a role supporting the outsourced IT service at Birmingham City Council, where I was responsible for software quality assurance. This is where I first met Entec Si’s co-founders, Eman Al-Hillawi and Peter Marsden on the Library of Birmingham project. Five years on, I’ve come to realise that consultancy is the perfect fit for me. I love the variety of being involved in so many different, interesting projects and the buzz of working in such a fast-paced environment.

3. What are some of the tricks of the trade?

I think one of the most important tricks of the trade is always keeping the end goal in mind, regardless of the size or type of project you’re working on. When delivering a project, it’s really easy to get lost in the detail and become narrow-sighted, but remembering that there is a bigger objective is key. You need to keep popping up to scan the horizon every now and again – sort of like a meercat!

That being said, collaboration is also a vital skill. Digital tools such as SharePoint and Microsoft Teams have shone a spotlight on the importance of this during the pandemic. However, we must remember that collaboration is a behaviour not a platform.

4. The most challenging and best parts of your job?

The need to juggle multiple clients and projects is the hardest part of my role and is something that took me a while to get the hang of and remains a day-to-day challenge. On the other hand, this is also what makes my job so interesting.

While it might sound clichéd, the best part of my job are those ‘gold nugget’ moments when you’re able to deliver real value to a client, for example, I recently created an ICT dashboard for an organisation. It wasn’t hugely onerous but made a big difference to how they pictured their operation.

5. What makes Entec Si such a unique place to work?

It’s the culture and the people that set Entec Si apart. Everyone has been carefully selected, not just because they have the right skills to do the job, but because they fit into the Entec Si family. We are likeminded and believe that to succeed, we need to put people at the core of every decision we make.

This approach doesn’t stop with just our employees – we’re also careful about who we work with. From our clients to our partners in business, we all care about bringing our best to everything that we do.

6. What has been your top Entec Si experience to date?

My stand-out project has been working with Birmingham Airport, where we successfully implemented a project management office from scratch. The fact that it’s such a key part of their infrastructure today is a real source of pride for me.

As a Birmingham business, Entec Si also cares about giving back to the local community, so we get involved in a lot of charity projects. One of my favourite initiatives was helping to spruce up the garden of Birmingham charity, Thrive. Being able to bring about positive change for people with learning disabilities and ill health through gardening was a really rewarding experience.

7. What are your biggest passions in life?

It sounds a bit cheesy, but I’d have to say that my wife and children are my biggest passion in life and we’ve made some great memories from going on fun outdoor adventures. For example, I recently spent a day canoeing round the beautiful Devon coastline with them and I’d love to do more exploring as a family soon.