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When a freight operator decides to change the way it works, there is always someone in the middle who has to make it all come together. At railcube, Marvin is one of those people.
Marvin is a business consultant at railcube in Rotterdam, with a background in industrial and systems engineering, working with rail freight companies across Europe.
“In one sentence, I am the glue between developers, our clients and the rest of the company."
It sounds simple. In reality, it means juggling projects, people, priorities, and lots of trains.
What Marvin actually does all week
One thing Marvin enjoys most about consulting is that there is no such thing as a fully 'typical' week.
His work usually includes:
- Managing epics and implementation projects for small, medium and large customers
- Translating business requirements into clear input for product owners and developers
- Coordinating timelines and expectations with customers
- Joining refinements and testing sessions with product teams
- Preparing and running workshops or training sessions
- Travelling to customer sites for project meetings and go-lives
“I love that I do not have one narrow field of work. I manage projects, coordinate with development teams, talk to customers, and keep everything aligned.”
Very close to the day-to-day reality of rail customers
As a consultant, Marvin is close to the reality of our rail operators, both online and on-site.
“Actually, we are very close,” he says. “When I visit clients, I am at their dispatching centre or headquarters. I see trains, drivers, and planners. Even in online meetings, we talk about real use cases and translate them into requirements.”
Railcube offers a large set of out-of-the-box functionality that covers many common processes in rail operations. Consultants help clients understand what’s already possible in the product and how to configure it for their specific needs. From workflows to user roles and notification logic, a lot can be adapted without custom development. Consultants guide customers through those configuration choices to make the most of what’s already there.
Marvin came to railcube with experience in industrial and logistics environments, but the rail freight world was new to him.
“It is a very special sector. It is quite old-fashioned in some ways, which makes it intriguing. Many companies used to do everything with Excel or even on paper.”
He smiles and says, "You need to be resilient in this industry. Not everyone is enthusiastic at the beginning. Some had adverse experiences with other systems, so they are skeptical and resistant. You really need to enjoy convincing people, training them and showing them what the product can do for them.”
The reward comes when resistance transforms into enthusiasm.
“Once they see the benefit, they really embrace it and appreciate it. That moment is great.”
Why being there in person changes everything
One of the moments that made Marvin think, “This is why my work matters”, started with a difficult customer.
“They had used other software in the past and had bad experiences. They were a bit skeptical at first,” he recalls. Sitting side by side with the users, he showed them how railcube could support their specific way of working. The tone shifted.
“They started saying: ‘Oh, that is very cool, that is very nice.’ It entirely changed the atmosphere. Since that visit they really enjoy using railcube,” he says. “It showed me how much difference it makes to be on-site, next to the user, instead of only in online meetings.”
Those trips are not only about workshops and issue lists.
“After a long project day, you often have dinner together. You talk about non-work topics, and you get to know each other. That human connection is important. People should not only associate railcube with a system but also with positive experiences and relationships.”
On average Marvin is on the road about once or twice per month, although it can be three or four trips in busy periods and then quiet for a while. He enjoys seeing different countries and learning about local culture because it helps him interact with customers in a way that fits them.
With great variety comes great responsibility
“With great power comes great responsibility,” he laughs. “The work field is very broad. You manage epics, implementation projects and new development requests, and support also comes to you with customer questions.”
To handle that, he needs strong self-organization and flexibility.
“You have to be able to reorganize yourself. One week this is the highest priority; next week it changes. You cannot just jump randomly from one task to another. You need a clear sense of priority and to be ready to adjust when deadlines or projects shift.”
Open communication inside railcube helps a lot when pressure rises.
“If a customer suddenly needs something within four weeks, you need to be flexible, but you can always speak up. From the C-level to management, everyone is open to discussing what is realistic. You do not have to hide anything. We look for the best solution together, without taking things personally.”
Having a real say in priorities and planning
Consultants at railcube are not only messengers between customers and product teams. They also influence priorities and timelines.
“From the client side, everything is a priority,” Marvin says. “We have to be reasonable. Based on how they use the system and our knowledge of railcube, we sometimes say: this can be priority three instead of priority one, for these reasons.”
Those conversations with customers feed directly into our product and delivery planning with our Head of Product.
“It is nice that our input is strongly valued. It influences which features come when. If you explain it well to the client and they see your point, everyone is happy. It is good for the project and good for our planning too.”
A good day as a consultant is simple in his eyes.
“A good day is when both sides are happy. The client and our internal team are aligned, deadlines are met or still realistic, and my own task schedule is in good shape.”
Learning a new industry, discovering drive
Before railcube, Marvin worked as a project analyst at a research company on European industrial and automotive projects and spent time at BMW in process improvement.
“Railcube is a giant application and the rail freight industry is its own world. Even after one and a half years, I have not seen everything. That actually boosted my intrinsic motivation,” he says. “I discovered how much I like learning. I had to push myself to understand the software and the industry, on top of project management.”
He did not expect that a job could increase his appetite to learn this much.
Railcube supports his growth in several ways:
- Colleagues from all departments, including C-level, are approachable for questions
- There is room to ask for help and to learn the product in depth
- The company actively encourages training and professional certificates and covers the costs
“If a company pays for your certificates and pushes you to keep developing yourself, that says a lot. It makes a big difference,” Marvin says.
Consultants as a team:
open, solution-oriented, supportive
Marvin works with several product teams and is part of the consultant group. For that group, he picks three words: open, solution-oriented, and supportive.
“We deal with clients on a very interactive level, so being open and thinking in solutions is essential. Especially in the last year, our team really grew in that,” he says. “And we are very supportive. When I travel a lot, a colleague like Enrique jumps in for me. When he is on the road, I take over things for him.”
He also sees how much the consultants’ role has evolved inside the company.
"A few years ago, the distance between consultants and developers was significant," he says. "Now we join refinements, help with testing, and bring client feedback directly into the teams. I literally walk between rooms in the office and communicate with teams via chat.”
Three big “pillars” of the job make him proud:
- Upgrading clients to new versions
- Bringing new customers live with standard implementations
- Delivering new functionality such as our rostering features
“The most satisfying customer moment this year was when clients moved to a new version, like 2025.1, and it went smoothly,” he says. “Support, consultants, engineering; everyone works together. When they can start working on the new version and everyone is happy, that is a great feeling.”
Life in the Rotterdam office
Marvin enjoys working from the Rotterdam office, both for the commute and the culture.
“The office is right next to the Rotterdam central station, which is wonderful if you travel by train. We have a nice building, good facilities and a good spirit. You really like to go to the office.”
“C-level sits in a separate room, but their door is open most of the time. You can always walk by and talk about work or private things. That personal touch, during lunch or Thursday drinks, is very important.”
He sees the office as crucial for onboarding and feeling part of the company.
“If I had worked fully remote from the beginning, it would have been much harder. Going to the office helped me connect faster and learn a lot in a short time,” he says. “For me, the perfect mix is travel to clients, work in the office, and one or two days away from home.”
The mindset he sees around him is clear.
“There is a very positive, can-do culture. It starts at the C-level and spreads down. We work and play hard. When things turn out well, the company really celebrates success. It gives extra energy to move forward.”
Who will feel at home in this role
If a friend was thinking about joining railcube as a consultant, what would Marvin say?
“It is a company with a strong culture and a very interesting product. Freight rail is a very sustainable way of moving goods, so for me there is a big sense of purpose,” he explains. “If you can identify with that and want to work in a positive, hard-working culture, then it is a good place for you.”
For the consultant team, he imagines someone who:
- Takes responsibility and likes to organise their own work
- Appreciates colleagues and enjoys giving and receiving help
- Thinks in solutions, even when there is resistance
- Has a thick skin and likes convincing and training people
- Is comfortable with travel and variety
- Wants to keep learning about complex software and a niche industry
He also mentions how meaningful it feels when customers from the rail industry choose to join railcube, just like some of his colleagues did.
“They saw how railcube can change their operational way of working in a positive way and liked it so much that they wanted to work here. That says a lot.”
Outside work, Marvin is into sports, city trips and nutrition, staying active and curious in the same way he approaches projects.
