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Quality within Field Service Engineering

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Michael Haymonds 08 Nov 2019

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What does quality mean to me?

Quality is extremely important in my line of work as a Field Service Engineer. To me it means doing the job in a timely, safe and efficient manner.

My work is customer facing and will rely on passengers being able to use our WiFi service, so working to a high standard means our equipment is kept running. Quality work to me means doing the job right, even if it takes a bit longer to do the task. Poor quality can result in incidents and injuries happening, which must be avoided at all times.

How do I control quality in Nomad for the work I do?

To control the quality in the work I do, I make sure the tools used are inspected prior to working. Good tools to do the job is at the top of my list, being able to carry out work successfully is so important.

Not only tools but the parts and spares need to be quality checked. This is mainly done by manufacturers, so a trusting partnership with them is key. Installations for our equipment is usually carried out by 3rd party companies, so when attending trains, we’d make sure cabling, connectors and equipment look professionally installed.

Not only do we maintain and visually see the equipment, on most trains these are in locations that the train companies’ maintenance staff can see. As a market leading organisation, we need everything to look a high standard. If I see anything that could be adjusted to make it more aesthetically pleasing, I would do it there and then.

Nomad hardware

What does good quality look like?

From the simple alignment of screws to tidy cable management, good quality needs to be followed from the start to the finish of any job.

It’s hard to put into words what this looks like, but when you see how everything is installed, you can tell if care, safety and consideration has been applied during the task.

 

 

wired cables

What do we do when things don’t make the grade?

We do not use anything which isn’t up to standards.

The power running to WiFi equipment is connected to a live running train which carries passengers. We cannot and will not allow any devices to be used that can affect the safety of the crew or passengers.

If something doesn’t make the grade, then it is removed and replaced. Once the device is removed it is sent to the manufacturer for testing. If tools are damaged or of bad quality then these are then not used, disposed of and new ones purchased. We  sometimes find out its not the WiFi equipment which isn’t suitable. In this case we would report it to maintenance staff and they would manage it.

We take quality seriously here at Nomad, being expert and trustworthy are two of our values. Quality standards are a big part of what I do.

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