Throughout my experience in the engineering world thus far, I have
been exposed to many dynamic situations. In terms of specific
examples of change in my professional career, I will touch on the
implementation of design templates at a previous employer. This
particular organization was a machinery OEM for wire & cable
equipment, which often grew into large systems, taking over a year
to engineer. Having started as an intern, I was exposed to many of
the internal engineering practices from front to back, often learning
how clumsy things were. While I was there, a staffing slump took
place, where degreed engineers were hard to come by. In an effort to
maximize the utilization of the engineering team, I was tasked with
developing & implementing design templates. These templates were
created as a combination of all machinery types, where different
configurations could be added, deleted, or modified to tailor the
project. Once compiled, the automated reporting of AutoCAD would
like the applicable sheet cross-references, creating reports and
critical information for the user. These reports were used in
conjunction with new-hire designers, in place of degreed engineers,
to reduce the level of critical thinking & calculations required to
complete the projects. In the end, these templates reduced
engineering time & mistakes by over 30%, greatly expediting project
lead times and completion dates from the engineering perspective.
Looking back, I think I would’ve approached things a bit differently.
Having originally created the templates myself, without the input or
collaboration of others (partially due to a lack of colleagues), it would
have been valuable to integrate the feedback of others to ensure
things were as “user-friendly” as possible. Granted, I knew how the
templates worked and they were tailored to my style of work, but
not everyone operates the same way. Skills such as clear, concise
communication are key, and something that has been reinforced
throughout this course. There are times when I need to slow down,
observe the situation, then move on, rather than shooting from the
hip. This course has reinforced my obsession with being organized,
especially when coordinating change / communication with others.
Moving forward, taking the time to slow down, while remaining
critically organized will lead to successful interactions and
opportunities. Thank you all for a nice term, and best of luck in your
future courses.
