In Your Shoes - Dominic Bain

Monday

The start of another busy week! I was carrying out Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) on Tuesday, so Monday was all about preparation and getting documents in order. FAT essentially evaluates equipment to make sure it has been built correctly and is working properly. The main priority here is making sure the client is happy with the product and we have a complete documentation pack, containing all relevant signatures drawings and detailed procedure outlines.

Additionally, I spent time reviewing various documentation for other engineering activity and projects, while arranging material delivery for an offshore project we are working on.

Nucore opened its office in Dundee quite recently to support its ongoing growth and diversification. We’re based at Prospect 111 in the technology park and from here we deliver a range of services including heating, ventilation & air conditioning, refrigeration, and fire, safety security solutions.

I’ve worked with the organisation for a few years and I’m from this city. It’s been great to see the regeneration of Dundee in recent years so it’s brilliant to be back working here

Tuesday

Although I’m based in Dundee, I frequently travel to the Aberdeen office for client meetings, and today that’s where our Factory Acceptance Test was taking place along with our products team. It’s always good to head up and see familiar faces!

I travelled up Tuesday morning, so it was an early start, before arriving at the Aberdeen premises and catching up with colleagues.

The actual testing involved us carrying out a full visual and function test of the equipment, working through various criteria listed out in our documentation pack.

There was bit of multi-tasking on this day. As we all know, things can constantly change and evolve, so I had to arrange offshore support for one of my projects, due to a change in work scope. It keeps the days interesting though, and it’s good to be hit with new challenges.

Wednesday

In additional to planning projects and delivering equipment, projects can’t go ahead without the labour. I spent some time on Wednesday arranging our engineers for our offshore contracts and got cracking with some new work packs for upcoming projects. Putting the packs together means collating all the relevant documents, job cards, risk assessments and seeing what needs completed ahead of project start dates.

Since I was still in Aberdeen, I was able to join in on some team meetings and with clients based in this area. It’s always good to have an in person catch up when you work in separate offices, I find it really helps to build the working relationship and understanding of various other parts of business activity.

Although the day to day to do list changes each day, something I prioritise is client liaison, ensuring I build strong relationships with my clients and find the best cost-effective solution for the individual project requirements.

Thursday

After a busy few days, Thursday was a great day to sit back and work through my admin to-do list. This often involves reviewing a lot of documents for various projects we have ongoing, making sure we’re on schedule and preparation and implementation is on track.

The start of each contract is exciting, it’s great to take a step back and look at what we can offer, often carrying out a full design and build project, which covers everything from conceptual design, right through to the installation!

At Nucore we work with many different companies in a variety of industries including oil and gas, and renewables. It means the scope of work is really varied between both offshore and onshore projects.
I also took part in some client meetings, before looking into new offshore installation contracts and creating their work packs.

Friday

There’s always plenty paperwork to go alongside every project, and although the physical delivery is the rewarding part of the job, there’s an element of satisfaction sorting through all the admin and making sure everything is in hand.

At Nucore our priority is safety, so there is a strong focus on correct documentation and having official paperwork in place. It does however mean that we deliver work efficiently, effectively and at a high quality, so there’s a definite sense of pride in this role.

My Friday was spent reviewing this, alongside checking various drawings alongside the relevant plans. There were a few client meetings too, it’s always nice on Friday to add some social interaction!
As a senior projects design engineer, I also spend time ensuring I’m training and mentoring junior members of staff. We’re keen to invest in future talent, so I make sure all those who report directly to me have suitable training and feel comfortably carrying out tasks.