Message from the President December.2015

In the winter (January 2016) issue of the employee magazine, SYORYU, we will pick up “Design and Development Work of Meitec, what is your particularity?”


For this feature article, I have met with two senior engineers, and spent very meaningful time talking about their experiences as an engineer and their particularity toward design and development work.

For the contents of the article, I would like you to wait until it is published. But at here, I would like to share the things which I became aware of their importance from talking with them.

First one is “do not rely too much on tools.”
Tools for design and development have become more convenient compared to the old days, and their performance has also improved. 3D CAD systems, analytical tools, and measurement instruments are evolving year by year.
But for the results delivered by the tools, engineer himself would make a judgment on whether they are correct or not. Some engineers are said to be that they do not have this skill to make judgment, even though they have enough experience, because of their reliance on their tools.

Second is that “useless talks are necessary.”
I hear that e-mail is the main method of communication today, and even for communication with colleagues sitting right next to you, people tend send e-mails instead of talking with them. Of course, e-mail is effective in leaving proof of communication, but you cannot know the information beyond what is written there. In my engineer days, I think that many of the problems over the work were caused by the lack of communications. Communication by “Talking” can be applicative, and sometimes, you can pull out the information you really want. Therefore, I believe that it is important for you to habit to “talk” even if such talk may be useless one.

Last one is “design and develop, while thinking.”
In recent years, work responsibilities have been more divided among engineers in the design and development work. Therefore, there is the case we cannot see the prior and after process of work which we are responsible of. If you proceed with your work without thinking about prior and after process just because you cannot see, it may result in major mistake.
Therefore, at first, it is important for you to know how your work is connected to, how does it contribute to, and what kind of value it has in the manufacturing process. And then, it is important to perform design and development task, while thinking of maximizing its value.

The above could be just a matter of course. But I would like you to re-think about yourself once again. And if there is any of them you are missing, I wish you to adopt it from the New Year and continue your growth.
　　　

Meeting with these two senior engineers at this time was a precious opportunity which I myself had a chance again to be aware of important matters.