Introduction:
Hello Pigmenteers! I'm François Bibard (
I'm based in the North of Paris, and my role is to support the finance teams within our Enterprise IT department, primarily focusing on Pigment modeling. I also work with SAP and robotic process automation, but over the past six months, I've been almost entirely dedicated to Pigment.
We're currently going through a major transformation at Prisma Media, including migrating our budgeting and reporting processes from SAP BW to Pigment. It's a significant project, and as the main Pigment developer, I'm responsible for the implementation.
You can read François’s full interview here:
Tell us a bit about your career journey. How did you end up working where you are now and working with Pigment?
My career has been quite varied, and I think one of the most interesting aspects has been having the opportunity to change roles and explore different areas within the same company.
I spent more than 12 years working in accounting and finance, where I developed a strong understanding of financial processes. During that time, I regularly collaborated with IT teams on projects involving financial systems and process improvements.
Over the years, I've held several positions, including roles in accounting, financial project management, and HR-related systems, before eventually moving into the Enterprise IT department in 2022.
That transition was probably one of the biggest challenges of my career. I didn't have a formal background in coding or software development, but my manager gave me the opportunity to join the IT team and trusted that I could take on the challenge.
My experience in finance has been extremely valuable in this role. I understand the processes and challenges that FP&A teams face, which helps me design solutions that meet their needs.
Pigment has been a particularly good fit because of its low-code environment. It allows me to combine my financial expertise with my growing technical skills to develop and deliver applications.
Today, I'm leading much of our Pigment development at Prisma Media, including the migration of our budgeting and reporting processes from SAP BW. With the ongoing transformation of our company and its integration into a larger group, I also see opportunities to expand our use of Pigment and potentially collaborate with other entities.
Looking back, I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to move between different roles. Each experience has helped me develop new skills and ultimately brought me to where I am today.
If someone was just getting started with Pigment today, what's one piece of advice you'd want to give them?
My first recommendation would be to start with the Pigment Academy training. It's a very clear and structured way to become familiar with the platform and understand its methodology, which can be quite different from other tools.
Of course, completing the training is only the beginning. When you start building your own models, things don't always work as expected, and that's when the real learning begins.
I would also strongly recommend using the Formula Playground and the Modeler Agent. They are extremely valuable tools for testing formulas, understanding how things work, and finding solutions when you encounter difficulties.
The Modeler Agent, in particular, feels like having a highly skilled collaborator available to help you.
Most importantly, don't be afraid to start building and experimenting. Even if you don't have access to a dedicated development environment, Pigment provides ways to test and validate your work.
And finally, keep things simple. That's one of the most important principles for building efficient and maintainable models in Pigment.