How do complex ERP datasets actually turn into useful procurement insights? And what does it take to make raw purchasing data something global manufacturers can really work with? We spoke with Jan Blömacher, IT Consultant at ivoflow, about his role, his projects, and what it’s like to work with customer data on a daily basis.
When did you join ivoflow?
I joined ivoflow in 2025. Since then, I’ve worked on quite a mix of projects: from early Proof of Concepts to full production rollouts across different industries. It was very hands-on from day one, which I really liked. There’s been a lot to learn, but that’s exactly what made the first year so interesting.
What does your professional background look like?
Before ivoflow, I worked as a Corporate IT Administrator for eight years and then spent another two years as a Developer. That combination gave me a strong technical base, from infrastructure to software development and a problem-solving mindset. I still rely on that a lot today. It helps me connect different parts of my work – whether it’s understanding complex system landscapes, building data pipelines, or supporting customer deployments.
What are your tasks at ivoflow?
My focus is mainly on data integration, transformation, and customer deployments. A big part of my work is preparing ERP data from systems like SAP, Navision, or Spire so it can be used effectively within the ivoflow platform. This includes building and refining ETL pipelines – essentially taking data from different systems, cleaning and harmonizing it, and structuring it in a way that makes it reliable and usable for analytics and AI-driven procurement processes.
In practical terms, that means:
turning raw procurement and finance data into structured models building pipelines and analytics to generate insights supporting onboarding and deployments working closely with international customers to make sure they really get value out of their data Since every customer setup is different, every project comes with its own challenges – which keeps things from ever getting boring.
What project has been particularly exciting for you?
For me, it’s really the variety that stands out. Over the past year, I’ve worked on multiple Proof of Concepts as well as full deployments, often across completely different industries and data environments. Some datasets are huge and pretty complex, with millions of records from different ERP systems. Taking something like that and turning it into a clean, structured dataset that actually leads to insights is both challenging and rewarding, especially when customers start seeing real results.
What was challenging when you started?
One of the biggest challenges was getting a real understanding of procurement data. It’s not just about loading data into a system. You have to understand supplier structures, commodity hierarchies, currencies, and the underlying business logic to make the data meaningful. And when you’re dealing with different ERP systems on top of that, things can get quite complex.
What do you like most about your work?
I really like the mix of technology, problem-solving, and working with customers.
Every project is a bit different, and there’s always something new to figure out, whether it’s improving data quality, building better models, or helping customers interpret their data. It’s especially satisfying to see how that work translates into real business impact.
Describe ivoflow in three emojis
📊 💡 🚀
If you could live in any fictional world, which one would it be?
That’s a tough one. I’ve always liked worlds like Star Wars, The Legend of Zelda, or Cyberpunk 2077 – they’re all so different in their own way.
But if I had to choose, I’d probably go with Star Wars. A huge galaxy full of exploration and new discoveries sounds pretty hard to beat.
