Be honest: Are you a risk-taker? It can be all too easy to say “yes”, but actually being bold enough to go a new way and expose yourself to potential failure can be very difficult to do.
It’s something project manager Fabian knows all too well.
Based in Guadalajara, Mexico, it’s his job to lead a team of engineers to produce vast electrical motors used for a variety of purposes, including those to power mills within the cement industry and conveyors within mines. When built, the motors are sold to customers based across the world, including Mexico, the United States and Saudi Arabia.
But last year, he was handed the largest project of his life — literally.
Fabian, along with a 20-strong Research & Development (R&D) team, was tasked with producing the largest motors he had ever created. At almost two metres long, they would be around 15% bigger than any motors previously produced at the Guadalajara factory. But beyond the size, the team was also required to make the motor 50% more powerful than anything they had previously created; at 800 horsepower (HP). “It was very challenging because of the motor’s size, new design, and the tight schedule,” Fabian says.
If successful, the new motors would enable Siemens’ customers to work more efficiently, which would in turn save them money. It would strengthen Siemens’ position as an innovation leader and crucially, help them to stand out from competitors.
It was not a challenge to be taken lightly.
Daring to take a risk
Fabian and his team could have played it safe. They could have produced the motors in the same way they always had: waiting for vast prototypes to be created before progressing with the project. The problem was, the larger size meant the cast iron components had become so complex that the prototypes would take more than six months to produce. And as Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Project Manager, it was his job to ensure the project could be completed as quickly as possible.
What if he took a risk?
A year before the project, he’d read an article about 3D sand printing, a technique his team had never previously used. He thought, ‘what if’ this could help his team? “When we were thinking about how to speed up all the processes, I recalled this technology so I put it out there and said ‘We need to consider this option.’”
It would mean working with an external German company to produce 3D sand printed molds, which would be used for casting components for prototypes. If the prototypes no longer had to be built in a traditional way, they would be able to finish the project much more quickly.
With no direct proof that the concept would work, Fabian risked wasting time and money. If it didn’t work, they’d have to start from scratch. “I was a little afraid because I didn’t know what to expect,” he admits.
But just because it had never been done before didn’t mean it wasn’t going to work. After all, the best innovators are those willing to push boundaries, take risks, and experiment. “At first, the team didn’t believe the technology could fit our needs. They said ‘Yes, let’s try it’, but they were concerned as we really didn’t know how it would work,” he says.
The risk paid off.
The new method meant production process for components was slashed by more than 50%, to just 12 weeks — and quality wasn’t impacted. “I was very happy, and it also boosted my confidence,” he says. “I was proud that we’d been able to create a really good prototype, and within our target dates.”
The first prototypes were assembled in December 2017: the team will finalize tests over the coming months before the motor is then sold to customers.
The power of innovation
Fabian’s work proved what can happen when you go beyond what’s expected; when you take risks and find new ways to solve old tasks. With 372,000 people working at Siemens across the globe, it could be assumed that one individual could not possibly have the power to make a difference — Fabian, with the help of his team, disproved that theory. “There’s a very good environment for implementing new ideas,” he says. “My manager knew there was a risk, but they said ‘Let’s do this!’ I felt really supported.”
His team showed a real experimental spirit; they were willing to push forward with a new idea despite their initial reservations. “We try to be innovators rather than followers,” he says. “We are continuously looking for new improvements to the motors so we are open minded to change.”
But they will not simply bask in their success and stop there. In an industry like this, there is no time to stand still; Fabian and his team must continue to adapt to remain at the forefront of innovation. “We are always trying new materials. In the future, we would like to develop even bigger motors and continue to implement new technologies like 3D printing using metal,” he says.
And what advice would he give others looking to take risks and innovate? “Be aware of market and technology trends, and think about how these new ideas can be applied to old processes because nothing is perfect; everything can be improved. Be open, listen, and continuously ask ‘What if?’”
Fabian Ruben Martinez Ramos has worked within Siemens’ R&D department for six-and-a-half years. Now a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Project Manager, he joined the company as a mechanical designer. He has lived in Guadalajara his entire life. Find out more about working at Siemens.
