It’s that time of year again when we’re all trying to peer into the fog of the future & predict what’s going to happen in 2015 & beyond. A good rule of thumb to employ is that if the person doing the predicting is described as an ‘expert’ then their forecast will inevitably turn out to be a load of codswallop.
chris@amberhill.biz
www.amberhill.biz
This year has been an extremely exciting & challenging one for me personally. In January 2014 I signed a 12 month contract with Tata Technologies as Lead Engineer in Exterior Trim developing & bringing to production Jaguar Land Rovers’s Freelander replacement the new ‘Discovery Sport’.
In January I was based in TTL’s Coventry office but spent a lot of time at JLR’s Browns Lane plant in the West Midlands, historical home of Jaguar Cars & now utilised as a Pilot Plant for small scale production.
Walking into Browns Lane was a great experience personally as I met many old friends from JLR having worked on the Range Rover Sport Programme. Although it is a large organization employing many thousands its amazing how many people you get to know working on a project for 18 months.
The pilot build is known as VP build & this stage of the process is very much a learning process. Some trim parts are still not ‘off tool’ & its all about capturing issues via the Automated Issues Management system. This AIMs system is used to track issues & ensure the proper fix is put in place before closure. It provides visibility to Senior Management & its administration is one of the Lead Engineer’s key tasks along with developing engineering solutions & working with key suppliers to ensure timely delivery of quality parts. Most issues require a PACN (to support financial justification) & a Engineering Release to implement the change. As most Engineers are responsible for numerous parts time is rapidly eroded before its time for the next build – Hard Tool Functional Build (HTFB)
This build took place at JLR’s Halewood plant where the Discovery Sport is to be mass produced & which was to be my base for the next 8 months.
Halewood is a large plant which covers several square miles & employs over 8,000 people. Most of the Product Coaches & Line Engineers were involved in the Browns Lane builds so there were many familiar faces at Halewood as well as plenty new ones. Halewood is one of JLR’s centres of excellence & the Engineering knowledge here is second to none.
Over the next 8 months we embarked on a number of builds increasing in numbers & complexity. This is a very stressful period for all & the nearer Volume Launch approaches the pressure piles on.
It was with a mixture of relief & a great sense of achievement when Volume Launch in December was achieved and cars began rolling off the production line at a rate of one every 40 seconds !!
It is important to recognise the economic importance of this model; Tata have invested hundreds of millions of pounds in this venture which has created several thousand jobs at Halewood & employed hundreds of thousands in the wider supply chain. With JLR’s commitment to source 60% of parts within a 40 mile radius the importance to the Regional Economy cannot be underestimated.
To play a small part in this great venture & to help take the Discovery Sport from initial concept to volume production brings a great sense of pride & achievement.
chris@amberhill.biz
There are loads of books offering advice on Time Management, some useful & some trite like ‘we all have 24 hours in a day’ which is great if you also have a host of assistants to do the menial chores whilst you sit back & contemplate. Most of us don’t have that luxury with busy lives & demanding bosses, we often struggle to manage our own time effectively completing tasks quickly but not necessarily efficiently.
How often do you have to go back & correct something you did in a rush ? Thinking you were being efficient only to waste more future time putting it right. Very soon we can end up chasing our own tails like deranged dogs.
One way to improve our use of time is to think of it like money. The more effort put into completing a task ‘right first time’ is like putting savings in a high interest account. You expend a little more effort immediately but don’t have to return to it later to correct errors. This frees up more ‘future time’. The alternative is like spending on a credit card. You want it now & end up paying ‘through the nose’ later.
Get it ‘right first time’ consistently & over time you will spend more time contemplating & less chasing your tail.
chris@amberhill.biz
www.amberhill.biz
Today is National Freelancer Day in the U.K (apparently) So what’s it like to be a ‘Freelancer’ in 2014 ? 
Speaking purely from personal experience I have been freelancing for over 5 years so here are my findings:-
Employment – Since leaving ‘permanent’ employment I have never been out of work & have moved fairly seamlessly from one contract to another. I am in Engineering so this may not be so easy in other professions. It also requires a degree of forward planning, I generally start ‘sniffing around’ 2 months from the end of my current contract. You also need to develop an extensive network of contacts & I have found ‘Linked In’ invaluable for this.
Earnings – This is what interests people the most about Contract work. In Engineering earnings are typically 20-30% higher than prermie’ earnings BUT it has to be remembered this doesn’t include holiday or sick pay, pension contributions, bonus etc etc. So if you are regularly sick & enjoy extensive holidays your probably better off as a ‘permie’
Tax – As a contractor you pay less tax. This is because you can set yourself up as a Limited Company & pay yourself minimum wage & the rest in Dividends which are taxable at the Corporation Tax rate which is lower that what you would pay as an individual. You can also deduct legitimate expenses from your taxable income. You can also take advantage of the Flat rate VAT scheme where you collect 20% & pay HMRC 13% of total earnings, keeping the difference. All of this is perfectly Legal & proper but do seek the advice of a qualified Accountant.
Be your own Boss – Sounds great but you always have to remember you also have a Client who is effectively paying your salary & you will have to report to someone.
All in all I have never looked back & intend remaining as a Contractor for the rest of my career. If you are considering this career option I wish you a Happy Freelancer Day & good luck.
chris@amberhill.biz
www.amberhill.biz
If we want to develop an innovative society we need look no further than Silicon Valley which is the most successful example on earth.
Silicon Valley has key attributes which are key to its success in generating billions of dollars in revenue & employing millions of talented Engineers who earn enviable salaries. These attributes are not immediately obvious:-
All of these key components are essential if an Innovative Society is to thrive & grow generating huge revenue & employment prospects.
Chris@amberhill.biz
www.amberhill.biz
Most commentators agree that in order to maintain a wealth generating society which grows & generates enough tax revenue to support our Western lifestyles with its social security & healthcare systems we cannot do so by producing things which are cheaper than everyone else. This is a race to the bottom. In order to thrive we need to Innovate by developing high value added products and services to be sold at a premium price in the market place. So how do we go about developing a society which thrives on Innovation.
It all begins in school – if we want an Innovative society it makes no sense to invest a disproportionate amount of resources educating a wealthy elite. Currently less than 10% of children in the UK are privately educated but end up as the majority of board members, judiciary, Upper Management, journalists etc etc This is foolish in the extreme & teaches those of greater aptitude but less wealth not to waste their efforts educating themselves to reach the heights of society. If we truly want an Innovative society we need more meritocracy which rewards effort rather than class.
We also need to radically overhaul the education system. Instead of teaching children how to pass exams we should teach them how to THINK.
Innovation never thrives in a rigidly structured organisation with lots & lots of layers. A flat structure of 5 layers maximum from shop floor to CEO works best. Just look around at successful innovative organisations – Apple, Dyson, Microsoft, Google – all have a flat structure.
More on this in the next post.
chris@amberhill.biz
www.amberhill.bz
A recent article in New Scientist described how underfunded Libraries in the US, which have been particularly badly hit since the Great Recession are starting to set aside space for small workshops called ‘Maker Labs’
These spaces contain 3D printers & other tools & equipment enabling budding entrepreneurs to design & build their own innovative products.
I’m not sure if a similar trend is apparent in the UK but it is certainly true the recession has spawned a large increase in self employment & this is not just peoples desperation but rather a desire for independence & self determination.
Capitalism may not be dying but it feels like we’re entering an exciting new phase of individual entrepreneurship & small collective innovation – who knows where it will lead?
Chris@amberhill.biz
www.amberhill.biz
‘Mad Scientists construct human brain’ – you can see the tabloid headlines now. Scientists based in Switzerland are working on the ‘Human Brain Project’ the purpose over the next 10 years is to develop & construct a working model of the human brain. The specialists involved, Computer Scientists, Psychologists, Neuroscientists, telecommunications experts & a host of others will collaborate in an effort to develop a fully functioning brain & to garner an understanding of how it works at a fundamental level.
Today we are celebrating the 45th anniversary of the 1969 moon landings when human beings first set foot on an alien world after travelling from Earth in a tin can piloted by a computer significantly less powerful than the phone on which I type this Blog.
In an era before the Internet, mobile phones, social media or google, when a basic computer was the size of a terraced house a record TV audience of billions tuned in from Alaska to Antarctica & humanity was one family, huddled together on the Worlds sofa, holding their collective breath as tentative steps were taken on a far off world….”one small step for a man….a giant leap for mankind”
Chris@amberhill.biz
www.amberhill.biz
Good Managers don’t neccessarily make good Leaders & vice versa. Leaders can be found in any strata of society and it is probably true to say they are born rather than made although, they often need to be discovered. Here are some key leadership traits:-
Are you a follower or a Leader ?
