‘Office work is not my cup of tea.’
Wester Devilee
Commissioning Engineer
Read more‘To me it is important that our work has social added value. Take one of our contributions to the availability of public transportation, for example. Trains should always simply be driving and we help them do that. In one of the projects we did for the Dutch Railways (NS/NedTrain), we monitor a number of technical systems in the train.
Things such as voltage converters, climate control systems, door counters, etc. We retrieve and process the data produced by these sensors to provide clear insight into what requires maintenance and when. In the past, trains were pulled into the depot where all kinds of things were checked and preventively replaced. Now you can see what may be wrong even before it becomes a problem that will lead to a malfunction. Often this can be remedied with minor maintenance. This is faster, cheaper and yields other benefits in terms of stock management and scheduling of maintenance personnel.
Parts are now being replaced on the basis of use and condition, rather than time. This not only saves money, it is also more sustainable. These kinds of considerations are important to me. As systems architect I would also be able to produce smartphone games, but that doesn’t appeal to me at all.’
‘What I really like about our business is that we have a large group of techies here: IT, electrical engineering, mechanics… all within a single company. I sometimes am in contact with former study friends and most of them are involved in office automation. That’s something very different. In our business, we are required to have a high degree of self-reliance. You are given a lot of freedom and you need to be able to handle that. That doesn’t mean that new employees are thrown into the deep end, that’s not how it is. Naturally, you are well coached and colleagues are always ready to help one another. We help each other move forward. Ultimately this benefits all of us the most.’