Ditiosi speaking: Stefan de Klepper

Stefan, could you briefly introduce yourself?

Yes, my name is Stefan de klepper, 34 years old and living in Delft together with my wife and 2 sons. I have a technical background, partly due to my studies in architecture. Besides my work I do squash, running and of course lots of fun things to do with the family. When the weather is nice, I like to take my bike out for a ride.

How did you end up at Ditio?

Before Ditio, I worked for 5 years through an agency at various companies. At the last one I also got a permanent job, but in the end this was not what I was looking for. I knew Rick through an assignment so at some point I approached him to talk about the possibilities through Ditio. This was a good conversation and in January 2022 I joined Ditio.

What role do you fulfill at Ditio?

Officially, I am a "Medior Project Planner. In this position I am responsible for proper planning of 1 or more projects of a client. Think of making schedules, but also analyzing the planning risks and coordinating all processes that take place within a project. I also monitor the actual progress of a project in relation to the planning and make adjustments if necessary. Of course this is done in consultation with the Project Manager.

What kind of assignment are you on now?

At Ditio, I started as a Project Planner at a family business that specializes in heavy and special transports with specially designed vessels. My current assignment is that of Construction Planner/Scheduler at, you wouldn't expect it, one of my old employers! Coincidentally, I became available and they could really use my help to bring back the peace and structure after a number of personnel changes.

What exactly are you doing there?

I currently have about 15 to 20 projects running. These range from micro to large projects with all disciplines: civil, mechanical, electrical & instrumentation etc. A micro project (up to € 400K) can take from a week to 2 months. A small project (between € 400K and € 2M) to about a year and a large (between € 1M and € 35M) from a year and longer.

That's quite a lot, how do you go about such a project?

There are clear working agreements for this. The engineering department creates a construction package that I then work on together with the project team. The project team consists of a construction manager, supervisors and the contractors or subcontractors involved. From the construction package we have the contractors make calculations. I then extract the lead times and incorporate as much information as possible into the planning. We check the calculations and, if approved, we send these signed to the Cost Controller and Project Manager so that a PO or purchase order can be made.

To plan the work properly, we also need what is called a "window. In this we consider not only the period of the work itself, but also the period before and after. What needs to happen in this? For example, if a pipe is to be replaced, the product in the pipe (for example, gas) will first have to be diverted and then returned. I discuss this with the Operations and Maintenance departments, after which the schedule is completed.

Once everything is well mapped out, we organize a kick-off meeting with all the people involved. Here the last important agreements are made. After this meeting, the schedule is given a baseline, which means that the dates are frozen. If there is a delay, work can immediately be rescheduled. In project terms, this is called measuring compliance.

Can you give an example of such a project?

Yes indeed, for example there is a project going on right now at my client where the sprinkler system of 3 large gas spheres need to be replaced. The construction window falls during the 6-week shutdown of the FCCU*. Therefore, walking out of the project is not possible because then the shutdown will be off.

*Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit. In this unit, residue is processed into lighter products such as gasoline, kerosene and LPG. A high-octane gasoline component is also produced in this unit for unleaded gasoline.

What makes working at/for Ditio so much fun?

Ditio suits me because this really is an organization where you can learn from each other, and if you can't find the answer to something, you really feel that you can turn to anyone. In terms of assignments, organizing, bringing people together and actually carrying out the plan is extremely challenging and therefore great fun. That you can really see what is going on outside and that you can create something from paper.

What's the most fun project you've done at Ditio?

I have not worked at Ditio for very long, but I am already on my 2nd assignment anyway. At my first client I was able to learn a tremendous amount about the offshore. Very different from a refinery. I took over a number of schedules where reporting and logging off/rescheduling activities were the main tasks. I was allowed to plan the 'Hollandse kust Zuid' project from the beginning. This involved placing secundary steel, the steel between the foundation pile and the wind turbine, of 106 wind turbines. The challenge was mainly the mobilization in a very short time. The lead times and cycle of execution were already largely determined from the tender.

What is your best moment at Ditio so far?

That was definitely this year's summer party in Scheveningen. A fun beach party where I had the opportunity to get to know many Ditiosi better both on a business and personal level.

How do you envision your future at Ditio?

My ultimate goal is to advance to the role of Senior Planner. I want to achieve this by doing many great assignments where I can learn a lot. And of course by sparring a lot with my Ditio colleagues!

Would you like to work as a Project Planner at great companies just like Stefan? Feel free to contact us. We would love to have a cup of coffee with you! Curious about our current vacancies? Check ditio.nl/vacancies.