“Curiosity is something we at 4flow all have in common”

Ina Goedicke is director strategy at 4flow. She started in 2015 as a consultant and is now part of the strategy team, which is responsible for the development and communication of 4flow’s corporate strategy in cooperation with different business areas. In this interview, she talks about her role at 4flow, her goals for the business and how she combines family and professional life.

How did you get your start at 4flow?
I was always very interested in the intersection of supply chain and consulting. I chose to study logistics and supply chain management, and then I did a PhD in the field. Around the same time, I worked on process consulting projects using simulation software. My team and I presented our work with the technology at 4flow’s Berlin office. I really liked the atmosphere right off the bat, and I found the kinds of projects they were doing very interesting. So, I was really happy to start at 4flow shortly afterwards.

And how has your role developed since starting at 4flow?
I worked in consulting until the end of 2020. I had worked my way up from consultant to principal, and I had primarily worked on projects in the automotive industry. After a short sabbatical and parental leave, I wanted to return to my career. I just happened to see the internal job description for director of strategy and thought it sounded like the ideal next step for me. Now, I’ve been in this role for nearly three years and have a lot of fun with it.

That sounds exciting. What does your work look like as director of strategy?
I see it as having two main focus areas. For one, there’s the classic strategy work, which involves coordinating the overall strategy process. I need to keep the future in mind to define and continually adjust long-term goals. And this strategy needs to be communicated within the business. This is a job I find exciting because I’ve come to learn a lot about internal communication and organization.

My other focus area is working with the market and trends in industries relevant to 4flow. I analyze what’s ahead of us, what we need to change and which new aspects we need to include in our portfolio in the long-term. For this part of my job, I need to consider everything at a high level to set the business on the right track in terms of strategy and success.

From a strategic perspective, where do you see 4flow’s greatest potential?
What differentiates 4flow from other organizations in my eyes is its integrated business model with consulting, software and 4PL services. With these integrated areas, we’ve built up a competence that sets us apart from other providers and lets us contribute significantly to our customers’ success. This provides me with an exciting range of diverse topics in the work I do. I also believe that 4flow has great potential for the future. Curiosity is something we at 4flow all have in common, as well as our supply chain expertise. Within our organization I see a real interest in new technologies like artificial intelligence and an excitement to develop solutions together.

Looking to the future, what would you like to achieve together with 4flow?
In my strategic position, I think a lot about the things that will make our world more complex and more volatile in the future. My goal is to support 4flow as a business through these challenges and help ensure our team continues to have a positive work environment.

What do you appreciate about 4flow as an employer?
I really value the diverse opportunities for personal development at 4flow. I’ve always been supported on an individual level and encouraged in my growth. That’s something that sets 4flow apart from other employers. And I appreciate that 4flow makes it possible for me to balance both my family life and my career.

In terms of balancing family and career, what’s important for you?
For me, it’s mostly about flexibility. After my parental leave, I thought about what I wanted to do next. I wanted to be there for my family and still go back to my career full-time. At the moment, I work from home most of the time, which allows me to concentrate on my job and still have the flexibility to spend time with my daughter.