Work in highly complex industrial environments
Working with industrial clients at Solita provides complex challenges, which I find very motivating. It differs greatly from basic reporting; we are closer to the concrete processes and real-world challenges. Many boys dream of working with big industrial machines when growing up, as did I, so it’s interesting to work in a context where you can feel the technology in action.
I joined the team about four years ago as a Data Engineer, and I’ve worked as a Data Architect for the past few years. My role in the projects is very technical, and my job, in a nutshell, is to figure out how we collect, save, and present data from industrial processes.
Solita has a nice variety of manufacturing customers covering heavy equipment OEMs, automotive and process industries. The scale is impressive in our systems: we might work with global OEMs that have installed base of hundreds of thousands of units supplying data. In smart manufacturing scenarios, we often need to build data solutions that enable interoperability between brownfield and greenfield sites. Sometimes the machines are old, and we need to figure out how to bring the data to modern platforms. This complexity and the huge amount of data make it very interesting from my perspective as an architect.
Data solutions with a long-lasting impact
The best part of my job is to simplify big and complex entities, which is required to get good quality information out that is easy to understand and communicate. I also like visiting factories and meeting people representing the production world. It’s very different from the standard office worker’s perspective, and I enjoy collaborating with people from multiple backgrounds and learning from one another.
Our job is well done when the customer has truly achieved improvement in their operations – it can be yield or performance, availability, quality or safety. Nowadays, also sustainability-related objectives are clearly driving the initiatives – cutting energy consumption or improving traceability through the processes with data are common topics. In any case, often the results and outcomes are measurable and tangible as the real-world action is so close to the problem we are trying to address.
In some cases, we can make production more efficient or enhance safety at the production plant. Sometimes our work decreases energy consumption and emissions; other times, we make the job easier for people working with production by automating things. Or we might create analytics solutions that can predict maintenance needs and, this way, prevent device failures.
A culture of authentic, enthusiastic, and courageous people
The key reason that keeps me here is the people and culture aspect. People here are highly skilled but also approachable, and the atmosphere is warm and open. We are encouraged to show up authentically, which means that we can say what we think, and people’s views are respected. It applies to topics outside of the work context, too; we share about ourselves and our hobbies and show up as our whole selves. We are professional but relaxed, and our customers like that too.
Authenticity is also linked to stressful situations. I’ve learned to bring up difficult topics in the team and with the People Lead. I share my feelings and communicate if something needs to change. Or if I’m leading a team myself, I try to encourage people to speak up. We are allowed to be vulnerable at work and share our feelings; it’s seen as a strength at Solita.
I think authentic, enthusiastic, and courageous people match our culture well. We are good to each other and take care of our colleagues. Another important factor is the desire for professional growth and development and the willingness to share learnings. In the industrial team, we also appreciate experience from industrial processes. But primarily, we hire good people who can learn new things, which is why we make such a great team.
We are constantly looking for new colleagues to join our caring community!