I was recently thinking about how little time exists between a design being ‘completed’ and when it needs to be revised. Obsolete parts, bugs, manufacturing equipment changes, manufacturing locations and volumes will all drive changes to a design. Sometimes is makes a mockery of revision control systems.
My most recent Element14 article highlights the work maintenance and legacy engineers do when crisis hits, and how that can make for a great career opportunity.
I’m always happy to say it: maintenance people are the ones who keep the world turning. This isn’t worth noting because their job is fundamentally harder than other jobs. It’s not because they do something that others cannot. It’s because theirs is a craft of delivering, and delivering now. In addition to having the skills to take another person’s work (or errors) and make them sing again, these men and women need to respond instantly and be at the top of their game until the job is done.
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