Breda, 12 April 2024
It's Monday, and the week kicks straight off with the most important meeting: the project meeting. That's when we run through the status of all current projects. As Project Manager, it's my job to update everyone on the status of these ongoing projects, any challenges, developments, etc. The project meeting is followed by a planning meeting, which involves getting together with the Software and Installation departments to discuss the planning for the weeks ahead. For each project we look at whether the schedule is still realistic and whether there are any delays or everything is proceeding smoothly. New projects get discussed too. Over the course of two hours, the entire technical division of LAB Services is up to speed on all current and upcoming projects.
After these meetings I set to work on some of the current projects. You see, I have to check a few delivery statuses and record these to enable me to discuss them with customers later on in the week in our (bi-)weekly meetings, during which we discuss project progress with the customer. It's extremely important to be well prepared with the most recent updates to hand.
At present, we're developing a custom-made product for one of my projects. This product is currently in the testing phase. This morning an engineer colleague of mine and I are analysing the results of the samples. In that regard, we use actual samples from the customer to ensure that we're able to simulate the customer's situation as accurately as possible. Steering and being part of this end-to-end process up close is tremendously satisfying.
After lunch I have another meeting scheduled. This time it's a kick-off meeting for a new project. We're discussing the project with the Sales, Installation and Software departments. What exactly is being sold, what are the User Requirement Specifications (URS), etc. The Service department joins us for a while to enable us to put a design review on the platform. We run through all the finer details as well as questions like: is it possible for a particular device to be tray-based, will the Service department have proper access further down the line, and does the planned cable management satisfy LAB Services' standards?
Another customer visit is in my diary for later on in the week. I'll be checking out the place they've allocated for the platform. That involves checking whether all access routes are accessible, whether the necessary facilities such as air pressure and gas are present, and checking the walking route. It's my job to have the right drawings and prerequisites ready to bring along with me. As a matter of fact, I never head out to customers on my own. I'm always accompanied by a colleague, which is nice. This will often be someone from the Sales department or an application specialist. This week it's an application specialist. I drop by his desk to run through everything to ensure that we don't forget anything.
My day ends with the prep work for a SAT (Site Acceptance Test), which will be performed next week. The final test runs are currently underway on a supplied platform to enable us to do the handover to the customer next week. I need to get all the documentation together prior to this being possible. First of all that means drawing up the SAT document, which needs signed by the customer. To this end I need to garner information such as the customer's requirements, workflows and serial numbers. In addition to this SAT document, I also need to take care of the CE certification, the correct manuals (for both our PlateButler software and all clients) as well as all the electrical documentation.
Amassing all these documents is pretty time-consuming, but ultimately it will also ensure that the SAT can be completed properly and that we can hand over a great platform to a satisfied customer. That gives you a real sense of fulfilment and establishes a bond with the customer in the process. Working with customers is the best.