Archive for November, 2008

Episode 4: Relationships within my project

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

As I mentioned last time, there is a very special relationship between each of the key players involved in your project that, when organised right, mean things run smoothly enough for you to get the jobs done that you need to. This support has helped me out on many occasions when I was feeling a little out of my depth with a task, had no idea how a business procedure ran, or had problems that were out of my league to fix.

There are a whole range of people on hand when you need them, and I will quickly run through who is on the other end of the phone, and examples of when I have had to call on them.

You will have an academic supervisor, I have two, attached to your project who will be lecturers based at the university. Having studied at Plymouth uni, both of the academic supervisors had taught me during the course of my degree and I knew them both well which was a huge help. They both have experience in different areas and so when I have been stuck with a particular issue regarding an experiment, or how to test for a certain chemical for example then I have been able to ask one of these two for help. Even if it is just asking them to look at some work to make sure I am not talking rubbish; they are happy to help. And thanks to the feedback I have been given by them I have to run work past them less and less.

There is of course your manager at the company who you will probably have the most contact with. He has been there to help with day to day questions about company issues. To review any reports I have produced before sending them on to the MD. He gave me a lot of help when working through my mini-project, without which the trials would have fallen on their face a lot faster than they actually did! Most of all he has helped me settle into the office, all of whom are already friends. As well as finding any opportunity to take the mick out of me; the phrase ’Hobby Bobby’ came up a lot when I was applying for the specials.

There is an advisor who is apart from all of the other organisations who is there as an impartial person who you can go to. This advisor also supports you towards achieving your diploma you have to complete as part of the residentials. Luckily I have not had to go to him with any conflicts between the company and university (this is the reason he is impartial) but he has helped me to get some other issues sorted.

There are other staff assigned to the KTP scheme at the university who can help when you need it. You have an academic supervisor attached to each project who is there to give support. My university supervisor has done a KTP himself, at the same company that I am doing mine at! This has made the whole operation run a lot more smoothly as he already knows how the company works, knows everyone in the office well and has been through everything I am going through so he is in the best position to offer support.

The university also has an administrator for KTP projects, who you order travel through, claim expenses through and is normally your first port of call when you have any sort of question about how things should be done with regard to university policy.

With all these people from different organisations, each having their own agenda you would think there is a chance for some conflict and the risk of you being pulled in all different directions. However from my experience this has not been the case. The company and university have organised and run the project in good harmony with the right people giving me help and advice when I need it. There are meetings set up every 4 months which get everyone in the same room to discuss the last period and the up and coming one. This means that the project plan is laid out with everyone having some input so that the needs of every party is covered. And as I mentioned, if for some reason a conflict came up where you would get biased advice from both the company or university, then there is the KTP advisor there to step in.

While this all sounds really daunting, having to balance the needs of all these different people, it’s really not that bad. Often it turns out that what the university wants is also the same as what the company wants. Or it may be the case that by completing a task you have benefited the company in one way, and the university in another. In my experience you are left to get on with the work you are paid for. However if you do ever feel bogged down with work or are feeling a little streched in different directions then there is always someone you can go to for help.

Next time: With some big meetings this week and a lot of work on, I have not been able to decide what I will talk about in my next post. This means it will be a surprise for the both of us, so you will just have to tune in and find out won’t you? :)

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Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith The Mini-Project

Friday, November 21st, 2008

The Mini-project. The first major deliverable of your KTP project, which is a daunting thought to say the least. It’s also your first real chance to make a name for yourself within the company (So make sure you get it right!!!)

The whole point of the mini-project is to discover the wider workplace, and interact with departments which you would not normally during your day to day work. Therefore it is recommended that you and your supervisors pick something which is not related to your main project. It should represent about 2-3 days work and be something useful to the company and not just trivial tasks to keep you quiet for a week.

As with the residential modules, it will be easier for me to talk about my mini-project to illustrate the point. My mini-project brief was to carry out a feasability study looking into the possibility of changing the company’s Engineering Change Process from a paper based system to an electronic one.

This was a huge task in itself, and the sudden sinking feeling I was experiencing was not helped by my manager telling me that the company had tried and failed about 3 times in the past. But he had every confidence in me… which wasn’t as comforting as I think he had planned on it being.

So where to start with a project of this scale? Well the first port of call had to be finding out how the current system ran. This meant going to our systems administrator who took me step by step through the process. Now that I knew what the system had to include, the next step was working out how I could replicate this on a computer.

A meeting with the IT department later, and I knew that PDF files would best suit the task. So it was off to do some research into PDF packages. Once I had decided on a few programs, I ordered trial versions of each and began designing my new system. This meant a lot of consultation with various people around the company, “How would this part best work?” “What would you like to see included here?” “How would you like to see this part improved?”

After a few days of design work, I had a system which would work and answered the brief. So a meeting was set up with everyone around the company to demonstrate the new system and organise a trial. This meant more liaising with IT to give me administrator rights on every computer in the building (Ohhhh the power) in order for me to install the system on peoples computers. And so the trial began…. and within a day fell flat on it’s face.

It would seem that I had not accounted on some of the computers around the factory still being steam driven, and so they could not keep up with what the program was asking of them. So a new program had to be found, and we had a few ideas on which to use, but unfortunately the week was up and so my report was drawn up detailing yet another failure at the increasingly infamous task.

This report was then delivered in the form of a PowerPoint presentation at the 2nd KTP residential, Module 3,  as I mentioned in my last post. However, all was not lost! My manager saw the worth in me spending a bit more time on the project and so I spent a bit of time each week working on it. Now we have a package that we have trialed on every-one’s computers and know to work. We have carried out trials pushing the system to it’s limits and it is still working. We are drawing the trials to a close, and then I will be able to report that I have conquered the un-conqurable!! I’m expecting at least a plaque on the wall describing my heroic achievement for future generations of workers to aspire to.

That is not the end of the saga though, I now have to try and persuade the finance director and the MD that we really do need to spend thousands of pounds on new software licenses, that we will save time and be more productive, produce less waste etc, etc.

But the mini-project has allowed me to come into contact with people and departments I would not normally work with, people know who I am, they have seen me do something of worth and so I am not just a jumped up student being paid to do…. well what exactly does he do?

Its been hard work, making me do things which I am not trained to do and don’t have a lot of confidence in. But that’s the whole point of the project, to show that you can do things like this if you ask the right people for support. That a few weeks of my time will save the company over 1000 sheets of paper a year once the system is fully implemented. It will also increase productivity around the factory. There was also a huge sense of pride when you walked past someone on a computer using the system YOU designed.

Next week: One of the most confusing things when I first applied for the job was how things were organised. There is the company wanting one thing, the university wanting another and so many people involved in the running of your project that it seemed you would just be pushed and pulled in all directions. However from my experience this is really not the case and everything works well together to give you all the support you need. So I will discuss a few occasions where everything has fallen into its place to help me with my project to hopefully put your mind at rest.

NB. A few people have spoken to me asking how to add comments to the posts. On the right hand side of the page, just under the blurb about me is a link called ‘register’. If you click this you will be asked to enter an email address and a desired user name. Then all of your log on details will be sent to this address and you will be able to log on and leave comments.

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Episode 2: KTP Residential Modules

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

As I mentioned last week, I want to spend some time talking about the residential modules as they play such a key part in the KTP experience and are the major source of training. They are also fun and interesting.

There are 3 one week modules all in the same place and with the same people, this means that you are able to network and make a lot of friends. The group of associates who I am on my residential courses with are in constant communication with each other, whether for advice or just a chat; we have each others phone numbers, we email each other on an almost daily basis and we have a private facebook group where we can leave comments, photos and videos from the modules.

The courses themselves cover all the basics of business that you need to manage your project, and the way in which they are delivered varies hugely. There are classroom ‘lessons’ which go over the basics, and then group activities which help to demonstrate the lessons. These tasks give you a safe environment in which to practice the skills you have learnt. You are around friends and so you don’t mind if you get it wrong, as you know that when you go back to the office you will know what to do and will get it right. Most of all, the tasks are all different, good fun and in some cases a chance to make a scene of yourself as the following photo proves. This is what happened when our group was asked to film a 5 minute advert, and we required 2 housewives:

Ladies who lunch!

Ladies who lunch!

Even now I’m having trouble sleeping at night.

The best way to describe what the modules are all about is to give you a brief overview of the last module I attended back in September. Due to commitments the only dates I could attend were in Edinburgh, which is a bit of a journey from Cornwall but thanks to the miracles of modern transport, I was there in a little over 2 hours.

Having packed the night before, I sit waiting for my hire car to turn up. A 2 month old Vauxhall Vectra is parked outside my house and the keys are posted through the letterbox, I tell you this working life has its perks!

A quick car journey, short flight and a bus ride later and I’m back at the Queensferry Hotel ready to begin another KTP training module. Sunday night is spent catching up with the other associates, who are more like old friends than colleagues having already spent an intense training week together back in June.

The next morning we are back in the classroom after a full English breakfast. If there is one thing this hotel excels in; it’s food! A fry up in the morning, a full cooked meal for lunch and a 3 course meal in the evening every day. That’s without the cake or scones which are served mid morning and mid afternoon with tea and coffee. We all have to go on food detox for a month after every module!!

As I mentioned earlier, the days are spent as a mixture of lessons and ‘try it yourself’ activities. The lessons are delivered by trainers who are excellent at turning what could be a dull subject into something interesting and there are always real life and often amusing examples thrown in to illustrate the point. The tasks break these lessons up, always provide a laugh at some point and ensure that you are practicing the key points of the lessons; sometimes without even realising it.

The evenings are spent chilling out in the bar, letting information from the day sink in, sat in an associates room watching films and ‘I’m Alan Partridge’ or taking a run across the 4th bridge with one or two of the other associates (a mile and a half each way is no easy task after a few pints!!) We even manage to make it into Edinburgh one night to celebrate an associate’s birthday.

Part of this module involved our company and academic supervisors coming up to watch us give a presentation on the mini-project we carried out within the company. The mini project is something I will devote some time to in the next post, as again it is an important part of the KTP.  This gave our supervisors chance to do some networking as well, and see how some of the other companies are running their projects.  As with everything we do on the courses, there is plenty of feedback given about your performance with the presentations, including a DVD of you speaking to analyse when you have some free time. This ensures that you are always looking to improve on your abilities.

Friday afternoon is then spent saying our goodbyes to everyone, getting ready for the drive, train or flight home and looking forward to December already. And then back to the office on Monday, armed with a whole range of new skills and the confidence to use them in everyday situations. As I have mentioned before, having a chemistry degree and no experience of how a business runs, these courses are invaluable to me and my project. The courses give you all the information you need on topics like: Developing your management style, Managing financial and non-financial resources, Communication and customers, Marketing and Quality management. All things you need to be aware of and have some grounding in if you are going to be successful as a professional in any field.

Next time: As promised I will talk about the mini project. This is your first real chance to prove your worth to the company, get involved with as many departments as possible, get your name known in the company, and produce some ‘real’ results.

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First Post!! (And a little bit about me)

Monday, November 10th, 2008

So my first KTP blog entry, I guess the first thing to do would be to introduce myself and say a few words about what I do. Of course if you already know me (or you are not particularly interested about what I do and just want to find out what KTP is about and what you can get out of it) then by all means skip this bit!!

As you can probably tell from the ‘about me’ section on the right, my name is Stuart and I am an analytical chemist. The little bit regarding my project written there is all I can tell you about what I do within the company due to security and confidentiality reasons. Just picture a mad man in a white coat mixing tubes of chemicals together and trying to make the biggest bang possible, and you pretty much got me in a nut shell. All I’m missing is a hunch backed assistant called Igor but i am actively addressing the problem. (Any applications then please email them to me)

Outside of the office, I live in a small town just south of Plymouth with two friends and try to keep myself as busy as possible. I am in the last stages of applying to become a Special Constable and start my training next year, something I’m really looking forward to. I love music, the louder and rockier the better.  I get out to see bands as often as possible and also play the guitar. I enjoy(?) going to the gym and try to get up there 3 or 4 times a week. (And if I don’t then my girlfriend / personal trainer soon lets me know about it) That about covers me and what I do, but if you want to know anything else then feel free to get in touch.

The way I envisage this blog running is that twice a week I will update you all on what I have been doing with my KTP (generally speaking, not specifics of the project), impart upon you my wisdom and explain what I have got out of the scheme in terms of skills and achievements alongside what I have brought to the company and knowledge base. I will also spend a bit of time talking about the major events of my KTP; training courses, trips abroad etc and how they have helped me develop both inside and outside of the office.

As this is my first post (and as I was on holiday all last week moving into a new house) I will just surmise, bring you up to speed if you will, on the first 6 months of my project. The first month or so was one of the most daunting times of my life other than moving from primary to the big school and starting University. I was thrown into an office of professionals who had years of experience in their fields and so to say I was feeling out of my depth is a bit of an understatement. I spent the first month getting to know the company, the product and finding my way around the project.

After a couple of months I attended the first of the KTP residential courses (I have now done two out of the three of these and they are so important to my survival in a professional and industrial environment that I will talk about them in more detail at a later date.) I have attended training courses on specialist computer programs, been registered for an MPhil degree, and the residentials count towards a degree level diploma in management.

All of these mean that I feel a lot happier in the office, and I have learnt and developed skills that I will be able to take to any job I apply for in the future. I can manage projects and research, I can write reports for managers and the MD, I can speak to customers and suppliers to ask questions or solve their problems, I can handle myself in meetings and can give presentations with confidence. I have a lot more independence and can manage myself without asking for help every 5 minutes. This means that I can get on with the job in hand, knowing that I am doing the right thing and what I produce will end up being a valuable contribution to the team.

I am now a part of the team as opposed to the new boy fresh out of uni.

That’s the first 6 months of my project, at present I am getting really stuck in with finding solutions to the project problem and actively taking on other tasks when the opportunity arises. Next month I am due to attend the last of my KTP residentials and the start of next year will see one of the major project milestones being reached which I will talk about nearer the time.

Next time on KTP Blog: As I mentioned, the residential courses have played a major part in the skills I will take away from my KTP and so I will talk about those in a lot more detail. Having a degree in chemistry, I knew little to nothing about how a business ran or how to manage a project as part of a bigger team and so this training is invaluable. If you are thinking of applying for a KTP but you lack of ‘buisness knowledge’ is putting you off then tune into the next installment to see how the KTP residentials helped me find my feet.

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