Since Shapeways is on the journey of ‘coming house’, we wished to get to know the folks that make the magic occur right here in Eindhoven. Each couple of weeks we’ll be chatting with one of many group throughout the enterprise. Some have been right here for a few years, others are fairly new however all of them share a ardour for making, bettering and supporting one another. This week we caught up with Tistou Geenen, our ‘Steady Enchancment Engineer’ to seek out out what he does, what motivates him and what he thinks makes for an awesome Shapie!
“There’s no such factor as a typical day,” says Tistou, Steady Enchancment Engineer at Shapeways’ Eindhoven facility. “Daily begins with a team-wide assembly… if one thing attention-grabbing is going on, then that will probably be my focus for that day.”
Tistou (or as everybody calls him, Ties) performs a novel function at Shapeways. Formally, he’s a group of 1. Unofficially, you’ll discover him wherever and in every single place.
“I’ve the liberty to prioritise the place to try a course of or see if we are able to make one thing extra environment friendly or automate one thing,” he explains. “However as quickly as that call is made, I’ve to work along with the group that’s already doing that course of… so in follow, there’s a variety of teamwork.”
Defining steady enchancment
At its coronary heart, his function is about ensuring the processes within the manufacturing unit run as effectively as potential. Which may imply automation, information visualization, or high quality assurance — and sometimes all three in the identical day. “The top product that we produce is the results of the product going by means of a set of processes,” he says. “So making these processes go sooner, extra effectively, or ensuring that they’re extra constant or extra prime quality will all straight impression the tip product.”
However what stands out in dialog with Tistou isn’t simply what he does, however it’s how he does it. His technical mindset is matched by a transparent respect for the folks round him. “In my expertise, the group normally is aware of greatest,” he says. “We’ve had a number of situations that data-wise one thing appeared like a good suggestion, however then as quickly as you discuss with the group… they’ve not less than 10 explanation why it’s not a good suggestion!”
These interactions will not be roadblocks, as a substitute Tistou sees them as the trail to higher options. “Ultimately you come to a course of enchancment or an automation that actually works. So it’s tremendous priceless to incorporate the group within the course of as properly.”
Follow makes progress
Tistou began at Shapeways whereas nonetheless in class, working in manufacturing. After ending his research in utilized arithmetic, he returned full-time and was provided the possibility to strive one thing new. “I didn’t actually acknowledge the chance that was right here for me. It was actually the administration that reached out and stated, ‘hey, we expect you’ll be a very good match for this’… I had no concept what being a steady enchancment engineer would entail or how that may look. So I wanted a variety of steerage in the beginning. However I positively received it.”
Since then, he’s grown into the function and made it his personal. “I believe you actually should be versatile. Since we’re working within the additive trade, day by day is totally different. Daily you’ve totally different fashions for various prospects that pose totally different challenges. That may be tremendous thrilling, and that additionally signifies that you actually should be in your toes.”
He thrives on it. “I’ve a little bit little bit of a aggressive nature,” he says. “So I will also be aggressive in opposition to the method. I actually like if a quantity goes up… actually seeing that impression, and having the info to see if that is truly working — that’s actually a giant driver for me.”
One in all his proudest examples? “We have now some processes that we began work on three years in the past… that have been performed day by day by 4 folks. It was additionally perhaps not essentially the most enjoyable work. If you happen to have a look at it proper now, the identical course of is finished by one individual in half a day, and it’s pretty pleasurable. And people 4 folks can now deal with one thing else that actually drives us ahead.”
Progress should be aligned with folks
It’s simple to imagine steady enchancment is all about velocity and effectivity, however Tistou’s method can also be about tradition and expertise. “It’s a driver for me, however I believe it’s a driver for the group as properly. There’s plenty of days that I’ll simply placed on my work sneakers and go and work in manufacturing… to get a superb sense and a superb understanding of what’s working properly, what isn’t working properly.”
“There’s no one telling anyone, ‘hey, that is the way it’s performed and there’s no room to have an opinion’. It’s principally the opposite method round… we wish the folks which might be within the course of day by day to face up and say, hey, I believe we are able to do that higher.”
That sense of shared objective runs all through the Eindhoven web site. “We share this large duty of getting the product out to the client day by day,” he says. “So although you could be a small piece of the puzzle… if push involves shove, and we’d like you to do one thing else for a day to make it possible for we meet our promise to the client, then we’ve got to work as a group and make it possible for we alter issues up.”
So what sort of individual thrives at Shapeways?
“I believe you must be very enthusiastic and pushed to need to study as a lot as you possibly can,” says Tistou. “In fact your function is vital… however the folks that actually thrive are the folks that additionally suppose ‘what’s adjoining to my function, and the way can I find out about these processes as properly?’”
Daily may look totally different for Tistou, however the purpose stays the identical: assist the group ship higher components, sooner, whereas making the method extra rewarding for everybody concerned. “If yow will discover one thing that delivers a greater product to the client sooner, but in addition makes the entire manufacturing course of extra pleasurable… then the group will probably be totally behind you.”
You’ll be able to comply with together with the Shapeways Workforce Highlight sequence to seek out out extra in regards to the group behind the scenes.
