A leader in IT training

Mr Daillac, can you tell us how your career began and what led you to become an IT trainer and course designer?

My professional career began rather prematurely. Due to difficult circumstances and a break with the French school system, I completed my military service in the French Navy ahead of schedule (at the time, military service was compulsory in France), serving as a submariner for two years. This experience allowed me to regain confidence in my ability to develop professionally. It was also my first encounter with a cutting-edge industrial environment, where discipline is a vital necessity and the values of fairness and fraternity are not empty words. This is also where my experience in office automation began. I then returned to education, obtaining a diploma in automotive mechanics, equivalent to a CFC (Certificate of Professional Competence). After a few years of odd jobs and temporary work, I went back to school to specialise, obtaining a diploma in engine testing, equivalent to a vocational baccalaureate. Shortly afterwards, I was hired by Peugeot-Citroën (PSA SA at the time) in Research and Development. I spent 10 years at this company, where, with the experience I had gained, I began to create and lead professional training courses (diagnostics, analysers and test benches, development, etc.), significantly optimising my work, writing processes and procedures in accordance with ISO standards, participating in technical and organisational projects, joining crisis teams, and progressing from skilled worker to supervisor. At the same time, I also took an external BTS (Higher Technical Certificate) in Internal Combustion Engines, equivalent to a Federal Certificate. I also significantly increased my level of expertise in office automation, especially in Excel, using VBA and complex mathematical formulas to automate calculations from tests, or the organisation of physical measurement services and the management of equipment and consumables. As a result, I also began training colleagues in office automation tools.

You worked at Tesla Motors as a Delivery Experience Specialist and Diagnostician. What key lessons did you learn from this experience, particularly in terms of managing Lean-Agile workshop flows and training technicians?

 About a year before I left PSA SA, I was contacted by TESLA to join their team as a diagnostician in Satigny. The proposed mission was appealing: to set up the service structure, with other somewhat atypical profiles like me. TESLA is an automotive company managed like an IT company, which is quite clever because TESLA cars are essentially computers on wheels. So I joined TESLA in August 2014, which coincided with my arrival in the region 10 years ago. Everything is moving very quickly, and after several training courses, I am now certified on all systems, including batteries and infotainment. I am starting to train mechanics in German-speaking Switzerland, where I have been several times to provide support, as well as at the end of the line at the Tilburg factory in the Netherlands, for post-production diagnostics. Diagnostics are systematically documented by creating tickets in Jira, and on Confluence (Atlassian products used mainly in IT projects), we create articles when troubleshooting that will help colleagues around the world. Together with my colleagues from the early days, we implemented Lean-Agile workshop flow management to optimise activity with a system derived from production, which led to improvements and the identification of bottlenecks (sources of slowdowns throughout the process), resulting in increased customer satisfaction through improved operational efficiency.

You have extensive experience in project management. Can you give us a concrete example of a project you have successfully completed at Alloa Informatique, in particular the IT security project based on the ISO 27000 standard?

It was indeed an interesting project in more ways than one. Having already led ISO standard projects at PSA SA, I already had the necessary experience to successfully structure the IT security process in accordance with the specifications issued by SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) for a public unemployment fund, a client of ALLOA Informatique. After precisely redefining the elements required in preparation for the IT security audit, I defined and wrote the entire process, retaining and revising the existing Level 3 procedures (work instructions for a single person or entity) to structure Levels 2 (processes involving several parties and containing Level 3 procedures) and 1 (the organisational process, containing all Level 2 processes). The aim was not only to structure existing practices, but also to implement robust and recognised tools for continuous improvement, in accordance with the requirements of ISO-27001 and 2. 

A classic Gantt chart was used to monitor the project. Although I am more familiar with Agile methods, especially the SAFe framework, being both the project manager and the main resource, it was easier and more straightforward to proceed with a traditional method. On the other hand, I was able to put my business analysis knowledge into practice to conduct stakeholder elicitation upstream of the project.

Can you share a project where you applied Lean and Agile methodologies, and how this improved the project's results?

Following my accident at TESLA and my dismissal due to incapacity, I was taken care of by the Disability Insurance of the Canton of Geneva (OCAS AI). As part of my retraining, I enrolled in a CAS in Agile Project Management at the Geneva School of Business and Management in Carouge. At the same time, I was fortunate enough this year to be able to take Business Analysis courses in addition to the core curriculum for both disciplines. It was a rational and logical choice, as I already had experience in project management in automotive R&D. I needed a long-term internship to put my newly acquired knowledge into practice. That's when I was welcomed by Mr Stanislas JACQUES, the owner of ALLOA Informatique. I led two projects: one for managing alarm equipment inventory, and one for creating a digital notice board service for property management companies. For the first project, a hybrid of Gantt and Lean Management was used, and for the second project, the SAFe framework was used, with Business Analysis and Value Analysis conducted beforehand. Various tools, such as MS Project and iceScrum, were implemented. Of course, the gains from these projects are to be found not in their implementation, which could have been achieved without ambitious project management, but in the strategic and economic choices made.

As a trainer, what strategies do you use to make technical training courses appealing and effective for your students, based on your experience as both an office automation and IT trainer?

This is an issue of utmost importance to me. Just as the human factor is paramount to the success of any project, regardless of its scale, the teacher-student relationship must be based on listening. There is so much to learn through training! My philosophy for adult education is to skilfully combine andragogical and heutagogical methods. To put it simply, traditional adult education, where the trainer imparts knowledge and the student deepens their knowledge through personal work, is andragogy. Heutagogy is based more on experimentation, individual research, and exchange between learners and with the trainer, which used to be called self-directed learning. Coming back to listening, it allows me to learn about the learner's interests and their profession. I have thus considerably enriched my general knowledge in training, science, medicine, machining, logistics, human resources, and many other sectors, but also in pet breeding, certain sports and leisure activities, which were previously unknown to me. Listening is the most powerful tool because it allows you to capture your audience's attention. They will feel that they are learning something new and difficult easily and permanently without straying too far from their comfort zone, as they will be able to associate it with something that deeply motivates them. It is also an opportunity for me to enrich myself and learn continuously.

In addition to listening, bringing your story to life with examples and anecdotes helps to captivate your audience. Using humour and animations in PowerPoint presentations is also a sure-fire way to get your main messages across to your audience and ensure that the knowledge sticks with your learners. And the least we can say is that the results and satisfaction are there, and it's not me saying that, but the learners and the representatives. 

Can you give us an example of how your training has had a significant impact on the career or skills of one of your students, particularly through your roles as coach and volunteer judge for Odyssey of the Mind Switzerland?

It is important to note that the average age of my students at Ecolint was 10 (ranging from 7 to 12). Although it is not possible to teach children and adults in the same way, you would be surprised at the resources they have when you put them in the right conditions. Odyssey of the Mind is a programme that allows children to tap into their natural abilities to adapt and solve problems by stimulating their imagination, forcing them to transform and acquire knowledge in order to innovate, and developing their powers of observation, team spirit and self-confidence. It is a programme that should be compulsory in schools, as the benefits for children are so clear. I also sincerely believe that I have learned as much as my students during the three years I have spent at Ecolint on this programme. I must humbly say that the significant impact on students' skills is due more to the programme than to the coach, although I do not wish to minimise their role, which remains very important. And the greatest benefit of this programme is that these skills are not only useful academically or professionally, but are also useful for life and in all situations.

You use the Qualigram method to write processes. Can you explain how this method has improved efficiency and innovation in your projects?

In short, the Qualigram method is a graphical representation of processes and procedures, organised into three distinct levels. The graphic charter provides an immediate understanding, with little text, of the tasks to be performed, the actors involved, the interactions between actors, and how everything is connected within an organisational process, which itself is linked to a strategic process. It is easier to digest than BPNM (Business Process Model and Notation) and just as effective, if not clearer, in my opinion. It is this clarity that I believe is the best factor for efficiency, and when descriptions are more readable, it leaves room for innovation by quickly identifying areas for improvement.

What are your future aspirations as an IT trainer and project manager? How do you see IT training evolving in the coming years?

I sincerely believe that, in the coming months and years, I will specialise as a trainer. Training is the field that motivates me the most, and in which I have demonstrated my best abilities and successes. It is not an easy choice, as there are not many job opportunities or freelance assignments in this field. That said, I believe I can make a difference with my listening skills and my determination to always find the best ways to impart knowledge. 

As for how the profession will evolve, I think the use of AI will become essential. Just as with the advent of computing and robotics, I am convinced that we will always need humans, but that AI will become an indispensable tool in most professions of the future.

What advice would you give to those who wish to pursue a career similar to yours, particularly by becoming an IT trainer or project manager?

The first piece of advice I would give is: believe in yourself! You are in the best position to know what you want, but do not overlook those who are willing to help you.

The second is: listen more and speak less. If you know what your conversation partners want, you will be able to understand their expectations and their fears.

The third is: be your own leader. The more respect you have for yourself, the more others will show you sympathy and be tempted to follow you.

The fourth, and perhaps most important, is to be transparent and honest. This will not always be understood, but in the long run, you will earn everyone's trust and respect.

Finally, the fifth: be kind and patient. Some people will mistake this for weakness, but it actually takes strength and courage to control your emotions in all circumstances. Over time, you will be seen for who you are: a strong, empathetic, resilient, and reliable person.

So, have the courage to make mistakes, step outside your comfort zone, and be creative. This will ultimately give you extraordinary experience which, even if it does not lead to an exceptional career, will at least make you a good person, recognised as such, and that is worth more than all the gold in the world.