Navigating Challenges with Confidence and Expertise
Discover the inspiring journey of Jing Zhao, a key player in ZF's next.GenERP projects in Asia-Pacific. As a project lead based in Shanghai, Jing bridges cultural gaps and navigates complex challenges with her strategic mindset and extensive experience. Learn how her passion, creativity, and leadership drive digital transformation at ZF!
Jing Zhao, known as Claudia to her colleagues, has been pivotal in the first next.GenERP Roll-Out projects for Asia-Pacific. Based in Shanghai, Jing has held the role of AP ERP Roll-Out Project Lead(öffnet eine neue Browser-Registerkarte) since June 2023. Her journey to this position is marked by a blend of extensive experience, academic achievements, and consistent enthusiasm for tackling challenges. "I’m confident about this job and I enjoy it, although the challenges are always there. If I wasn't someone who enjoys a challenge, I wouldn't apply for this job" she asserts.
Building Bridges Across Cultures and Divisions
"I joined ZF in 2014, and during the last ten years, I have experienced many ZF ERP Roll-Out projects in various roles - as IT, IT project manager, process expert, and DTA," Jing recounts. Her central role at the Asia Pacific Headquarters has provided her with the opportunity to work on projects spanning multiple ZF divisions. "This diverse experience has made me familiar with ZF ERP Roll-Out project implementation methodology," she adds.
Her stakeholders are diverse and include Digital Transformation Agents (DTAs), key users, site management team members, IT project managers, migration scope masters, colleagues from data migration and master data governance, hub leads, domain leads, and the ERP program management team. "Interpersonal and intercultural communication are among the things I love most about my job," Jing shares, highlighting how her background bridges cultural and divisional gaps within the organization.
Jing's role is crucial to ZF's digitalization efforts. "My role is to implement ERP Roll-Out Projects, which helps ZF to speed up the digitalization process," she explains. Her proactive approach, combined with a deep understanding of the ERP Program Plan, drives the project's success. However, she acknowledges the challenges inherent in her role: "Project management involves monitoring and motivating project members without disciplinary authority, dealing with project scope creep, and ensuring key user engagement."
Key user capacity shortage can be a significant challenge during the project implementation. Improving key user capacity efficiency and optimizing project implementation methods continuously is an effective way to solve this problem. Despite the challenges, Jing gains energy from the sense of accomplishment that she feels when projects are implemented successfully. "Three things I love most about my job are solving problems creatively, talking with different kinds of people and the sense of accomplishment from successfully implementing a project as project lead", she reveals.
Mindset and Skills of Applicants
Jing emphasizes that certain qualities and skills are essential to have in her position, such as communication skills, readiness to support, a positive approach to difficulties, and a strong sense of responsibility. "To become successful in my position, it’s essential to possess the following: Proactive, positive, patient, thankful, tolerant" she explains.
