The story of Alenka Fic Mikolič, Director of HR and General Affairs
Phone Calls, Paperwork, and My First Winter at Mikrocop
I joined Mikrocop by pure coincidence. As a student. For two weeks. Because the executive assistant went on holiday. Skiing. Those were the days when the front office had to pick up the phone—because the phone was the main communication channel—and keep the paperwork in order.
There were no Teams, no Slack, no apps that answered calls for you. Phone and paper—that was it. And there was a lot of paper: mail, invoices, deliveries, more mail. Clients still used to come in person to Gregorčičeva, where sales, accounting, HR and a tiny office all lived together—soaked in the scent of toner and cardboard.
Meanwhile, in the basement of the Gradis building, scanners and microfilm machines were already humming, while upstairs documents were being diligently indexed. Mikrocop was split across two locations—but it was still one world.
Moving Offices, Snail Mail, and the First Newsletters
When the executive assistant came back, it wasn’t just her holiday that ended—preparations began for moving into the Gradis office building. And since the internet wasn’t exactly a household member in every company yet, we had to notify all clients about the address change by regular mail. Yes—mail. With a stamp. Physical.
When we finally completed the move, they said they still needed me. Because the first newsletter was coming up. Everything had to be done by hand—printing, cutting, packing. And then came the first conference, where all materials had to be printed and spiral-bound: invitations, handouts, presentations—everything. For about a hundred attendees. Plus Kodak leaflets, because Kodak was our main partner back then.
Mikrocop was a well-organised manual machine: each of us held our own little gear so the whole thing could keep running. Management suggested I stay on part-time, which—confession—suited me perfectly. I was studying diplomacy, and the job was just flexible enough.
Security, Auditors, and the First “Serious” Documentation
I worked most closely with the Director of Development, right at the time we were building Arhiviraj.si. It wasn’t just a solution—it was the beginning of a new era. With it came security standards, house rules, policies, the first serious NLB auditors, and a mountain of documentation.
And those auditors were experienced…! Once, one of them waited around the corner until the executive assistant went to the restroom. Before the door fully closed, he stuck his foot in and slipped inside. Unauthorised access! And he caught us on it. Yes—security taught you everything back then… including the fact that auditors are faster than doors.
Over time, we had to translate the entire Double Backup programme, which meant a huge amount of work. Management realised we needed business analytics. The Executive Director came to me with a massive Excel book and said: “Learn pivot tables. We need them.”
Until then, I had no idea what Excel was really capable of. And so I created my first set of reports: technicians’ hours, kilometres, routes, revenue, costs—the full operational X-ray of the service unit. Back then Mikrocop was still very service-oriented; almost half of our revenue came from servicing and selling scanners and spare parts.
HR, Paperwork, and Learning “On the Job”
When the HR manager went on long-term sick leave, they simply asked me: “Could you take over HR as well?” I had no clue about HR. None. I called the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZZZS) and asked them to explain how you even hire someone properly. And they did. Kindly, step by step. Back then, personal contact mattered—and kindness always came back around.
I learned as I went, on the job—forms, registrations, proper procedures, how to terminate a contract, how to keep documentation in order. And it worked.
At the same time, I still believed that after graduating, international relations were waiting for me. Mikrocop wanted to keep me, so we agreed I would take a full-time role. What started as short-term turned—like in a good romantic film—into long-term… and I truly didn’t see that coming. What convinced me was the variety and interest of the work, constant learning, and the encouragement of my mentors. I couldn’t have wished for more.
“Artistic” Leadership and a Step into Corporate Structure
When I joined full-time, I knew nothing about entrepreneurship. You leave university full of knowledge, but about companies, cost centres, balance sheets, payroll calculations and travel expenses you know… nothing. Gradually, I learned to read financial statements, analyse numbers, and do cost calculations. Step by step I began to understand what truly matters in business.
The biggest change, however, came with the departure of Director Ljubo Koritnik and the arrival of Simona Kogovšek. Ljubo led the company warmly, like a family, with a great deal of trust. His style inspired people, while Simona brought structure—planning, KPI tracking, cost efficiency. Mikrocop got its first real business plan and monthly reports. What had once been a little “artistic” became organised and measurable.
At the same time, the development of Arhiviraj.si and later Brezpapirja.si brought a huge cost leap. As we developed the solution, investments rose, costs climbed, while revenue from cloud storage started to trickle in only slowly. For the first time, we had to think differently.
Around the company there was even a comic strip about the day the director first limited purchasing authorisations for managers… and how they “worked around” the limit by placing several consecutive orders of smaller amounts. Classic: the desire to optimise meets team creativity.
InDoc EDGE – The Project That Changed Everything
In 2016, we began developing InDoc EDGE. We needed a solution that would bring everything together: Arhiviraj.si, Brezpapirja.si, new processes, better organisation. Regular coordination, structured meetings—the development took time, but the result delivered.
When the solution finally saw the light of day, it was met with enthusiasm and found its first users—among them the law firm of Nataša Pirc Musar, now the President of the Republic of Slovenia. That was a new milestone: the start of a true transformation into an IT company.
From Service Company to IT Company
The company transformed step by step. First, the ratio of students to employees shifted in favour of full-time staff—because of security, stability, and fewer mistakes. Then came the second big turn: from services to IT. Today, most employees are in IT, while the services part is smaller. And that makes sense—Mikrocop is now an IT development company.
During that time I watched reskilling, learning processes, transitions and personal growth up close. These were major shifts that happened gradually, organically, and with a lot of learning. Mikrocop grew—and we grew with it.
The Future Is Us
The future will bring even more change—especially because of artificial intelligence. Some tasks will be automated, processes will move faster. Hybrid work has already changed relationships: we see each other less, we know each other less, and we work from home more.
But I believe the greatest capital is still relationships. Taking time for each other. Keeping communication alive. Staying human.
And going forward, what I wish most is this: that Mikrocop continues to operate in a way that keeps everyone satisfied—customers, partners, employees, and owners. Because that’s the only formula that truly works.
Relationships That Build a Career
When I joined Mikrocop twenty years ago, right after finishing my International Relations degree at the Faculty of Social Sciences, I honestly didn’t imagine I would stay this long. I was at the beginning of my journey and open to many possibilities. But very quickly, the work drew me in in a way I didn’t expect. It was exceptionally interesting and diverse, yet challenging enough to constantly push me to learn and think.
The people around me played a particularly important role. Throughout, I had excellent internal and external mentors who supported me, opened new horizons, and encouraged me to grow—professionally and personally. I also had many opportunities to co-create, develop new approaches, build projects, and over time pass my knowledge on to others.
Colleagues were another crucial factor. With many of them, we built truly good relationships based on trust, open communication, and mutual respect. That sense of connection, strong collaboration, and the results we achieved together gave me extra motivation and a sense of purpose. To a large extent, it was my colleagues who made me stay as long as I have.
I was also motivated by the broader perspective the work gave me—insight into different functions and an understanding of how they connect and create a whole together. That combination of variety, constant challenges, learning, great mentors, excellent colleagues, and the ability to create is what kept driving me forward. The desire for knowledge, development, and shared achievements somehow naturally kept me here—right up to today.
