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Professional growth doesn't stop when you get promoted. As long as creativity, innovation and ambition are key to Agilent's success, training and development will be high priorities. And that's why one to ones and mentoring from my manager remain a regular part of my routine. I'm R&D Section Manager and Business Team Leader for TNTD Transmission I&M business. The Division provides test equipment for network equipment manufacturers such as Lucent, Nortel and Cisco, as well as network operators such as AT&T, Worldcom and BT. Our test equipment helps in the design and roll out of high speed optical transmission networks. My responsibilities fall into two categories. Firstly, to lead the Business Team and develop our rolling three year business plan. (The Team includes people from Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance and Customer Support). And secondly, to work with my Project Managers to lead the development of our new product programmes. (The R&D Team consists of Project Managers and Engineers working on Object Oriented Software, VDL and High Speed Digital Design). Although I'm based on site, I do a lot of business travel, too. In the last year that's included visiting customers in the U.S., South America and the Far East. Plus trips to industry conferences and other Agilent Divisions around the world. We get involved in some fascinating work. So far the most interesting project was one designed for verification of cellular networks. It included development and integration of a test mobile, an RF receiver, a GPS receiver and a laptop PC and application software. The end product was capable of making measurements on a GSM network from a moving vehicle and then displaying the results on a digital map. Right now we're working on a new hardware and software platform to develop our next generation of 10Gb and 40 Gb transmission test instruments. The highlights of my last year? There are two. One involved putting together the largest and most significant product development we have ever worked on. And the other was seeing the team here pull together to deliver that project ahead of schedule, through sheer dedication and hard work. Teamwork, speed, innovation – they're not just abstract ideals at Agilent. They're central to the way we do things every working day.
"What if we change this?" "How much will it cost to do that?" Those are the kind of questions I deal in every day. I'm Lead Engineer in Embedded Software, working on product development in Power and Noise Products. That means focusing on one of two areas. Power Meters, which measure the radio frequency a device generates. Or Noise Figure Analyzers, which measure the extra noise any one component adds to a system - my current specialism. There's a big market for what we do. By measuring and reducing noise, we can give a product a real competitive edge. Reduce the noise levels in a satellite dish, for example, and you reduce the amount of transmitter power it needs. Big saving. Or, on a smaller scale, just consider how much longer cellphone batteries will last if component noise levels are taken down. Like everyone at Agilent, I work as part of a team. (Teamwork is absolutely central to the way things get done here). I work with other Engineers and Product Planners to determine what the specific features will be on new or improved products. Projects can stretch over several years. That means that I get totally involved from day one, which is great. For example, I've been working for several years on the replacement for a very well respected noise reduction device. It's been a wide-ranging process. We've talked to all kinds of users – from Nokia to tiny companies. As usual, I've worked mainly on site here in Edinburgh, having input on everything from manufacturing to documentation. But I've also talked directly to customers, checking that we're on the right track to delivering exactly what they want. It all takes different skills – but that's what makes it so satisfying. And when the job's completed – on time, with all the right features – there's the satisfaction of knowing I've really achieved something major. So what's happened since we finished work on our new Noise Figure Analyzer? Customers love it. I know that because I've recently returned from a trip with the Sales team to new and potential clients in Bergen, Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Munich. And we also won "Product Of The Year" award from Microwave and RF Magazine, which is a nice feeling, too. I've been with Agilent for seven years now, gaining experience in a variety of areas. That's how I see the future shaping up too. Because this company is so broad that there's always plenty of scope to develop. And that's exactly what Agilent will encourage me to do.
"When people talk about training, it often conjures
up an image of an on-site classroom. And, of course, that's
where much of it takes place. But not all. For instance, I
went to California to learn about a new product, spending
three weeks with the project team. And I've since been on
other training courses abroad when that's been judged the
best way to get the full picture. Definitely one of the benefits
of working for a company as large and diverse as Agilent." "I've had access to a lot of courses to help build
up my management skills. Team Building. Management Styles.
Social Styles. And, probably the most interesting of all,
a fascinating one on Building Customer Focused Organisations.
The aim there was to encourage a lateral thinking approach
to managing customer relationships. It's all about seeing
beyond what they're telling you, about anticipating possible
problems and - of course - coming up with solutions. At the
moment, I'm talking to my manager about doing some Advanced
Management training. Like new graduates, I'll have a mentor
- the difference being that mine will be from an external
organisation. I think it will be good for me - now all I have
to do is make the case for it." |
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