Day in the life of
Manufacturing Project Manager – Luke Smoothy
My Typical Day
Check in with our manufacturing partners for current projects in production
The most important thing to do when we first start the day is to see how the current projects we have in production are going. We have manufacturing partners all over the world so we have to be conscious of the time zones. We make it a priority to speak to our partners in Asia first before they go to bed! Often this will be answering questions about the parts in production and checking that they will be delivered on time.
Let clients know their project is out for delivery
Next, we check to see what projects are out for delivery that day and provide clients with tracking information and any other necessary information regarding their project.
Respond and process quote requests from clients
We get sent an elaborate range of designs from precision parts for quantum computers to simple bicycle parts. All of which need a varying degree of design for manufacture input from us at Get It Made. This involves reviewing the CAD (Computer Aided Design) files and engineering drawings, and then advising clients how they can make small adjustments to their designs for improved manufacturability. The final step in the process is to get in contact with our established manufacturing partners to see who will be best for the project.
Other responsibilities
Quality control checks on parts
Our manufacturing centre performs quality control tests but for certain parts, we will double check the quality before it goes out to clients.
Creating online content and resources
We create content to help our clients design perfect parts for manufacturing first time around and learn what manufacturing methods are available.
Accounts
Checking if invoices have been paid, and paying any bills we owe. We often have to keep an eye on reconciling the accounts for each VAT quarter, we will try to do a little bit every couple of weeks so we don’t have days of accounting to do every three months!
Process improvement
The way we run our business can always be improved, from how information is collected and stored, to how we use that data. We look to build time saving micro automations that build up over time to save us hours or days worth of work each week.
Pros
- Working in a small team means you get hands-on experience running a business. You get to be a big part in a small team!
- Flexibility in working from home or in the office as well as flexible hours.
- Free manufacturing for any personal projects we have.
- You get a sense of all the innovation happening in industries from Renewables, Medical, Subsea, and more. You get to actively help these companies realise what they need to succeed.
Cons
- Workload can be intense and varied. Being pulled in lots of directions at the same time.
Advice to aspiring Manufacturing Project Managers
To develop a career as a Project Manager in the Manufacturing industry, ideally, you would have a background in design, engineering, or manufacturing. That could either be from industry experience or formal training, such as a university degree. At Get It Made, we have all had some sort of design experience, whether it is Office Furniture design (Luke), Product Design (Ieuan), or Aerospace Engineering.
I believe this gives us a great ability to empathise with our clients, as we understand exactly what they require in terms of finish and quality. Apart from that, having a great ability to be organised is a must, this is something that is harder to train and is more of a personal trait. If you are looking for a career in this field, you need to enjoy getting things done, juggling many projects at the same time, and being in a blurred role between sales and operations.
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Industrial Production Managers
plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications.
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