A day at Contiweb
Field Service Engineer
I usually get my schedule of work about 2 weeks ahead. Yesterday was my travel day and today I am on location at the customer to start. I am here for regular maintenance – resulting from the customer’s Service contract – of a splicer and have also been given two additional points of attention by the Contiweb Service Support coördinator. In this case I work together with the customer’s maintenance engineer; I know him well, he’s a nice guy. Together we inspect the status of the machine and decide what needs to be done and how to devide the tasks. We worked hard all morning. During lunch we have time to catch up on private matters and Formula 1, a passion we share. I also have a quick call with a colleague I was on the road with last week to install a new dryer. I look forward to hearing about the progress.
After the lunch break we continue with the maintenance job. We have a total of three days for it and still need to replace some wear parts. I try to make sure there is enough time left for extra things I have to check and certain measurements I have to make. At the end of the day, I call with the Service Support Coördinator about an issue I encountered while replacing one of the parts. It looks like there is more to it and I want to check it out first. It is always nice to know there is back-up from headquaters. Should something really urgent arise, I can also contact our 24/7 service department.
In the evening, I return to my hotel and grab a quick shower. I decided to have dinner in town tonight. Fortunately, many of Contiweb’s clients are located near a major city. That means I’ve already been to many nice places where there is always something to do, especially when you’re out with colleagues.
Day two of the maintenance job is all about completing the replacement of the final parts. Once that is done, we pick up the additional tasks and perform a number of checks and measurements to see if the technology of the splicer is up to standard again. Personlly, I think we have a great job, work with nice technology, work internationally and it is always challanging. Sometimes it is maintenance, other times you solve problems. Combined with an installation from time to time, this makes my work very varied.
Today we finished on time. Day three of our maintenance jobs is usually reserved for starting up the machine, going over the job with customer and reporting. It is always nice when the job is done, the machine is running smoothly again and the customer is satisfied. I drive home with a statisfied feeling.
Initial Purchaser
You start your day with a brief meeting with your direct colleagues. Together, you discuss the status of purchase orders, ongoing projects, and any bottlenecks. You closely monitor how suppliers are performing in terms of quality, delivery reliability, cost, and quantity. If you notice any deviations—for example, in delivery time—you take immediate action to prevent issues.
An urgent request comes in for parts of a component that is out of stock. You check with the usual suppliers to see if it can be delivered quickly. In addition, you search online to find out whether it’s available elsewhere and under what conditions. You promptly share this information with the parts department so they can decide on the best course of action regarding delivery. You then place the order and follow up on it until the component arrives.
Later in the morning, you attend a departmental meeting, which this time focuses on sharing market information. You contribute your knowledge of price developments, trends, and risks. Later in the week, you will also share this information with your colleagues across the organization so it can support project execution and planning.
During lunch, there’s time to relax and catch up with colleagues. You go for a short walk so you can start the afternoon feeling recharged.
In the afternoon, you have a scheduled meeting with a supplier. The aim is to negotiate the most favorable purchasing terms, paying attention to both cost and delivery reliability.
The meeting goes well, and you feel confident that you can build a solid supply chain with this supplier. During the initial period, you will follow up on the collaboration yourself, and once everything is running smoothly, you will hand over the package to operational purchasing for further handling.
You spend the rest of the afternoon managing your emails and making a few calls to suppliers to maintain relationships. Afterward, you head home with a sense of satisfaction.
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