In the field of data science, we have an exciting journey ahead of us.
Viessmann works with a massive collection of IoT data. Dr. Marina Pausch, who holds a PhD in physics, works with her team of data scientists to analyze this data and improve products and services for Viessmann customers and partners alike.
Before joining Viessmann, Marina Pausch was not even aware of how far the company had progressed towards digitalization. “Viessmann has a large IoT database that we can analyze. The data comes from heating systems that have been in operation with our customers for many years,” says the 35-year-old. The data goes as far back as 2002, from which Viessmann can still use the data pool. “That is really extremely exciting,” Marina says. On one hand, Viessmann uses this data to optimize its solutions, and to develop innovative digital services for its customers and partners on the other. “We make all of our decisions based on facts,” says Marina. She herself makes sure that these facts are on the table.
Marina came to Viessmann in the summer of 2019 as an intern in the Data Science department. “After my studies and during my doctorate in physics at the University of Marburg, I worked as a research assistant,” Marina reports. Her area of expertise: computational fluid dynamics. “I wanted to know whether I should stay in research or maybe move towards industry. Data science was an interesting topic to explore”. Maria, who is originally from Frankenberg near the company’s headquarters in Allendorf (Eder), returned home for a few weeks—and then she stayed. She has been leading the Data Science team since December 2020.
Managing her first project after just a few months
“Viessmann had a lot of trust in me right from the start,” says Marina. “For example, they placed me in charge of the ViAid project at the beginning of 2020, even though hardly anyone at the company knew me at the time”. Viessmann combined its aid activities under the name ViAid during the Corona pandemic—including the production of disinfectants or face masks, which were urgently needed at the beginning, and even respirators, which Viessmann delivered as far away as India. Marina was able to gain a critical foundation in project management. “I was allowed to drive the project forward. It was a lot of fun and a great opportunity for me. Viessmann really trusts its people to do so much”. Shortly afterwards, Marina was able to take over another project management in the area of research and development.
In my role as a team leader, I have the full support of my supervisors.
The Data Science team grows
Currently, the Data Science team is quite small with just a handful of employees, but it is still in assembly. In addition to the central team, there are other data scientists and data analysts in departments who deal with department-specific topics. “We support these colleagues in all matters relating to data analysis and coordinate their work with our road map,” Marina explains.
With her colleagues, she supports the entire organization, which is what makes her job so varied. “We just have so many different topics from so many different areas in the company from predictive maintenance to workforce planning in the call center,” Marina explains. “Not only do we improve our products and assist with failure analysis, but we also optimize internal processes. To this end, artificial intelligence is also used."
Full support from her supervisor
Marina ist not the only woman in her field, but she is one of only just a few. While she thinks that there should be more women in her discipline, she is used to working primarily with men. “In my role as a team leader, I have the full support of my supervisors,” she says. “That has made it easy for me. Since joining Viessmann, I’ve already developed a lot professionally, as well as personally”.
And that’s set to continue. “In the field of data science, we have an exciting journey ahead of us,” says the 35-year-old. “Heating and air conditioning have a big impact on our comfort, and our personal climate, but on the global climate as well. And our purpose is to design living spaces for future generations, after all”. Additionally, she says, heating and air-conditioning solutions are complex and individualized. “That makes it especially interesting, of course. There are great challenges waiting for us because they are often not simple topics”. These include developing digital services for customers so they can be as comfortable as possible while still saving energy.
The company values and its purpose coincide very well with my personal values.
She stands behind the company's values
“We actually live our purpose,” says Marina. And that’s what she likes about Viessmann: That the company follows its path so consistently. “The company values and its purpose coincide very well with my personal values”. Now, Marina is looking forward to meeting her colleagues again in person soon. Since the beginning of the pandemic, she has been working from her home office almost without exception. “We had a clear rule: Whoever can continue working from home should, and that’s how it has been with me”. Her next goal: “To continue to push the topic of data science within the organization and to find many more exciting new use cases”.
She really enjoys her work, in part because she has been given so many opportunities, and she has taken full advantage of them. When she’s not working, the mother enjoys spending her free time with her family, including her five-year-old son. “And I’m looking forward to finally being able to travel again”.