SEPTEMBER 2020 60 SECONDS
60
seconds
with...
SEAN ROBINSON
manager, software and services at Novotek UK & Ireland
QAs a child, what did you want
to be when you grew up?
AI was torn for a long time between two
very diff erent careers. I either wanted
to be a nuclear physicist, because the fusion
problem/opportunity intrigued me, or a park
ranger. I think both roles, although poles
apart, appealed to the introvert in me.
QHow did you get into the industry?
AIt was completely by accident. I grew up
in Canada and in 1993 began working at
the family fi rm providing general database
development services to companies. We were
approached by a steel mill to develop a fi nite
capacity scheduling system and identifi ed
the need for added data collection and other
functionality to ensure it did what it needed
to do. Having built those into the system,
we’d accidently built a full-fl edged MES, so
decided to take it to market as a stand-alone
developed product.
QHow do you think manufacturing
is perceived by people outside
the industry?
AI think it’s misunderstood both in terms
of its economic relevance, and strategic
importance. A country that doesn’t build or
innovate is one that will be subject to the
political whims of its supplier nations. On a
more human level, I’m always bemused by
misconceptions from those who don’t work
in the sector, and their abject surprise that
modern production facilities are clean, full
of technology and require operatives with
true skills. However, there’s still a long way
to go to bust the myth of dirty, low-skilled
manufacturing.
QWhat has been your biggest
accomplishment – either in
or out of work?
AA lot of what I do is to sow the seeds
about what’s possible as a result of
technology change when it’s properly
harnessed by business and operational
leaders. It can be many years after my initial
involvement until I hear of the overall
eff ect. It’s great, though, when a customer
reaches out to let me know. Recently an
overseas customer that had begun reshoring
production called to tell me that the
leadership had found that with through a
combination of automation, IT and people
strategies, it was able to make domestic work
profi table, even in the oft-warped global
marketplace. That was probably the most
satisfying call I’ve ever had.
QHow do you spend your spare time?
AIn hiking boots. The offi cial reason we
settled in Leeds is because of its good
transport links for travelling around the
country for work. In reality, it’s because we
can be in the Yorkshire Dales in ten minutes,
which is one of the most interesting and
beautiful places the UK has to off er.
QWhat’s the secret to a successful
future for UK manufacturing?
CV:
2012-present: manager, software & services, Novotek
UK & Ireland
2006 – 2012: global industry manager, GE Intelligent
Platforms
2001-2006: manufacturing execution systems
development, ASECO Integrated Systems/JMP
Engineering
1987-2001: a mix of entrepreneurial and freelance
work in manufacturing IT
AMost organisations ‘learn’ about the
potential impact of new technologies
in a haphazard way. Whether that’s new
material science, engineering, tech or IT. The
winners of the future will be those who rethink
how the mix of leadership, operational
management and technology enablement
impact on their business. This collaborative
approach means teams come to a common
view of what’s worth adopting and how it
will aff ect their processes and their people.
There are many fi rms now combining IT
and engineering functions. I see the next
evolution as the formal establishment within
fi rms of similar combination of strategysetting
and strategy-enabling people as a
matter of ongoing learning.
QOne thing you may not know about
me is...
AI’m a closet Wales supporter when it
comes to international rugby, something
that’s borne out of my wife’s heritage.
My favourite
food:
Chocolate
Guinness
cake
I don’t think
I need to explain why…
My favourite holiday destination:
Snowdonia. It’s the perfect mix
of beautiful scenery, peaceful
detachment from
the daily grind,
and the best trails
to the peak.
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk 11
Book: tomertu / stock.adobe.com Roman Helmet: fotomaster/stock.adobe.com Chocolate cake: New Africa / stock.adobe.com Snowdonia: peresanz /stock.adobe.com
My favourite fi lm:
The Life of Brian
It’s nice to be
reminded that
everybody
is absurd
sometimes!
A few of my
favourite
things...
My favourite book:
Julian May’s
Great Intervention
series
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
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