The Specialist by Brunel GmbH

Special Edition 07 || April 2011

The magazine for technology and management

International project assignment: 24 hours in Mazar-e Sharif Filling up on data: Software for modern vehicles The economy is looking up â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and Brunel is recruiting

WHEN THE ICE MELTS ...

DOES THE WATER LEVEL FALL?

DOES IT RISE?

DOES IT STAY THE SAME?

SEND US YOUR ANSWER!

Use the reply card on the inside of the back cover to send us your solution. Everyone who sends us the right answer has the chance to win an iPad 2!

Do you relish challenges and enjoy solving problems? Great! All over Europe, we are looking for engineers, technicians and sales staff like yourself: people with ideas, expertise and commitment. Interested? Then please respond to our job vacancy ad on page 14.

Brunel specialist: Giving her all for the water industry C op y › Lisa Schwarzien “In my home country, water shortages have always been a serious issue – and still are.” Dania Al Jiroudi, a native of Syria, knows from first-hand experience the challenges that face the water industry. Since September 2010, the Brunel employee has been working at Von Nordenskjöld Verfahrenstechnik GmbH in Egmating near Munich. A specialist for water management in residential areas, Al Jiroudi (38) is in charge of technical design, costing and sales for waste water treatment plants and biogas plants. “Treatment plants subject waste water to aerobic treatment, i.e. they add oxygen. Once purified, the waste water flows back into the groundwater,” she explains. Biogas plants are a different story: Here, air is excluded as fermentation processes are stimulated in the waste water. Cogeneration plants then convert the resultant methane gas to energy. “For me, environmental technology is more than just a job,” the water management expert says. “It is my vocation.” Dania Al Jiroudi studied construction engineering in Damascus, majoring in environmental technology. She came to Rostock in 1998, adding a doctorate to her university degree. Her subject: water management in residential areas. Before joining Brunel, Al Jiroudi was responsible for installing waste water treatment plants and systems around the Mediterranean and in South Africa, Eastern Europe and Yemen. In her native country, she also served as deputy leader in a team that conducted a feasibility study regarding the water supply and drainage system in the vicinity of Damascus. Right now, she is once again on international duty. Heading up the sales department of Von Nordenskjöld Verfahrenstechnik GmbH, her current mandate is to penetrate new markets in India, Brazil and the Middle East.

In her customer care activities and at trade shows, the Syrian doctor of engineering complements her technical and language skills with advanced social skills and a profound identification with what she does. “What I really like about my job is that waste water is not regarded as residue, but as a source of process water and energy in its own right. I can put what I know to good use in all kinds of places around the globe; and I am always learning new things. That keeps my work exciting.”

The Specialist

24 HOURS

Daniel Klenke’s career has already seen him get around a bit. For over 20 years, the engineering physics graduate has been handling construction projects abroad. The last one took him to Afghanistan. We spent a day with him at the Marmal camp for the German army.

C op y › Stine Behrens

24 hours in Mazar-e Sharif It is seven o’clock in the morning when Daniel Klenke walks the few yards to his office. As early as it is, the thermometer is already at 30 degrees Celsius. Typical of late summer in Afghanistan. On behalf of Brunel customer SANI GmbH, the engineering graduate has, for the past nine weeks or so, been heading up a project to lay a new system of empty conduits (and modernize the existing system) for telecoms and IT lines in Mazar-e Sharif. “I haven’t really got into any kind

Daniel Klenke communicates with Germany exclusively via his laptop.

The Specialist

of routine,” Klenke says. “But that isn’t likely to happen anyway.” The building site is, after all, in the Marmal camp used by the Bundes wehr, the German army. Change is the only constant here. “New accommodation, offices and store rooms are being added or expanded all the time,” Klenke adds. “Most of them have to be hooked up to the telecoms and IT network, though some don’t.” Accordingly, the plans for laying the conduits – drawn up in advance on behalf of the Bundeswehr at a

24 HOURS

Pashto and Dari are the official languages of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

planning office in Germany – are constantly having to and actions taken to prepare for the laying of the debe adjusted. The team thus needs more than just coor- layed pipes. dination skills. Flexibility too is at a premium. It is a skill Having completed all kinds of machine installation that Klenke has learned on many deployments abroad – and industrial systems construction projects abroad and that will be needed once again this morning. since 1982, Klenke, an experienced project manager, is The first job is for Klenke and the three German con- certainly not fazed by this situation. “Farsightedness struction supervisors to divide the roughly 150 indige- and the ability to anticipate events are crucial to this nous workers into groups assignment,” he explains. “To and assign tasks to each of NEW DIFFICULTIES CAN ARISE AT A keep such an extensive project them. After that, the project MOMENT‘S NOTICE – BUSINESS AS USUAL on schedule, we have to do evmanager sits down at his erything we can to keep conFOR DANIEL KLENKE PC. Given the poor quality struction from grinding to a of telephone links to Afghanistan, all contact with the halt.” The engineer takes another long, hard look at the SANI headquarters in Borgstedt, Schleswig-Holstein, is newest plans for the several hundred construction sites handled exclusively by e-mail. Klenke sifts through his in his charge. To get up to speed on the latest status of mail and discovers that there are problems with ma- construction work, he hops into his Toyota RAV4 just beterial supplies. A truck laden with over 10,000 meters fore 10:00 a.m. and drives to some of the five individuof multitube pipes for underground installation has al sites where work is currently in progress. After thorcrossed the Afghan border but run into indefinite cus- ough inspection and discussions with the supervisors, toms handling delays. Scheduled work steps thus have he decides where the remaining pipes are to be laid and to be modified, existing stocks of material reallocated which sites will, for the time being, have to make do

The controller for the pipe-laying method used to dig tunnels.

The Specialist

24 HOURS

The Friday Mosque in Herat: More than 90 percent of Afghanistan‘s population are Muslims.

with digging new trenches. All the digging is done by a break. “I don’t have breaks during the day,” the 52 year-old says. hand: Space in the camp is so cramped that deploying “I’m too focused on getting the project done.” Almost every day, heavy machinery would not be feasible. he therefore uses lunch for meetings with his contact person in After about 45 minutes, Klenke arrives at a site that the German military. The two men discuss how the work is prohas already been keeping the local team very preoccu- gressing and Klenke reports on any changes. After lunch, they pied for days. To lay the pipes in a straight line to a med- take a tour of the critical construction sites. One doesn’t have ical facility, a tunnel must be dug under a road. Meas the right tools to remove a huge flagstone that the workers have uring several square kilobumped into. Klenke notes its posimeters in total, the huge DANIEL KLENKE COORDINATES, ORGANIZES – tion, makes a list of the tools that camp is criss-crossed by a AND GETS HIS HANDS DIRTY will be needed and talks to the complex network of paths team about where they can conand roads. “It’s almost impossible to avoid all of them,” tinue digging in the meantime. In this part of Afghanistan, the Klenke admits. Armed with spades, shovels and a Grun- ground is extremely gravelly. Accordingly, heavy rain showers can domat launcher, the team gradually works its way be- easily cause pipes and conduits to become bloated. Klenke and neath the road. Hard, physical work; Daniel Klenke too his team have to take any and all such special conditions into rolls up his sleeves and gets stuck in. “The locals speak consideration. “The building site is always full of surprises,” he some English. Some of them even speak German. But to notes. explain how to use the tools and do the construction Every day he covers the entire construction zone, checking on work, I often demonstrate what they are supposed to the work, giving instructions to his teams and adapting plans do and what they need to be aware of.” as necessary. As soon as Klenke discovers material bottlenecks Toward midday, the project manager makes his way or the need for tools or extra manpower, he mails this informato the Bundeswehr canteen – but not so much to take tion straight to SANI’s headquarters. He is now on his way back

Daniel Klenke talking things over with one of his construction supervisors.

The Specialist

24 HOURS

A village in the province of Takhar in northern Afghanistan.

to his office container to do just that. The three construction su- the family is naturally concerned about his safety. Perpervisors are already waiting for him, because the daily project sonally, he takes a more cerebral view of the dangers: review is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. “We get together to review the “The troubles here do not affect the whole country. And day, plan the next one and take any other actions that are nec- I could just as well have an occupational accident in Euessary,” Klenke explains. He then records all this information in rope.” He also loves the chance to see countries such as a construction log that is used for reporting both to SANI and to Iraq, India and Saudi Arabia, get to know the mentalthe German army. ity in each place and gather a wealth of new personHaving produced the detailed al and professional experiproject documentation, Klenke DANIEL KLENKE DOESN’T WORRY ABOUT HIS ence. “Even when I was just checks his mailbox again. The truck SAFETY: “OCCUPATIONAL ACCIDENTS HAPPEN starting my career, I knew I with the material supplies is still wasn’t cut out to be a speIN EUROPE TOO.” stuck at the border crossing. The cialist for just one discipeople in Germany are doing everything they can to enable it to pline,” Klenke openly confesses. He sees his strengths in proceed. Based on Klenke’s sketches, the original pipe-laying plans coordinating, in shouldering sole responsibility for gethave also been revised. Klenke checks the new version and decides ting projects done. In Mazar-e Sharif, he is contributing on the instructions he will give to the supervisors next day. With this expertise to the initial phase – an exceptionally imso much to think about, it is nearly 8:00 p.m. before he leaves his portant phase – of the project. Around December, he office – about two hours later than usual. It is still very warm out- will return to Germany and spend some time at home. side, and the air is dusty. Back in the container that is his home in “Where do I go next? We will see!” Afghanistan, he flips open his laptop and Skypes his wife. She is out on the patio of the family home in Prisdorf, near Pinneberg in the north German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Klenke says that

Delays in customs handling often hinder the flow of material supplies.

The Specialist

BRUNELâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;S EXPERTISE

OCCUPATIONS

Accountants Aerospace technicians Architects Automation technicians Business managers Chemists Climate technicians Communication engineers Construction engineers Construction technicians Database developers Design engineers Development engineers Electrical engineers Energy and environmental technicians Engineering physicists Environmental engineers Financial controllers Food technologists Hardware and software engineers Industrial engineers IT specialists Logistics experts Materials technicians Mathematicians Mechanical engineers Mechatronic technicians Medical engineers Packaging technicians Physicists Process engineers Process technicians Product developers Production engineers Production technicians Project managers Quality and project managers Research engineers Sales engineers PLACE: Argentina Security engineers Project: Quality management for a new Shipbuilding engineers vehicle component production Simulation engineers plant shipped from Germany Surface engineers System engineers Tax clerks Technical buyers Technicians Test engineers Vehicle mechanics Wood technicians

The Specialist

PLACE: Germany PROJECT: Co-development of one of the most modern, high-performance switch towers in the world, from system design to commissioning and assistance with approval procedures (tests in China, Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands PLACE: France PROJECT: Development and commissioning of an energy management system PLACE: Austria Project: Performance of EMC trials PLACE: Spain Project: Technical documentation and commissioning

BRUNELâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;S EXPERTISE

OVERVIEW OF INDUSTRIES

PLACE: Finland Project: Calculation and validation of structural planning

PLACE: Kazakhstan Project: Calculation of drift ice flows and design of semi-submersibles (positioning systems to anchor platforms) PLACE: Afghanistan Project: Laying of an empty conduit network for telecoms/IT systems PLACE: Oman Project: Laying of a compressed air network and construction of a compressor plant

Automotive Aviation Banking Biotechnology Building utilities Chemicals Construction Defense systems Electrical engineering Energy technology Environmental technology Food technology Information technology Insurance Logistics Machine engineering Medical technology Oil and gas extraction Plant engineering Plastics industry Power plant technology Optical industry Paper industry Pharmaceuticals Rail transport technology Shipbuilding Space flight Technical purchasing Telecommunications

The Specialist

Spectrum

Filling up on data These days, regular updates to electronic vehicle controllers when cars come in for repairs are a normal part of the after-sales service provided by most auto makers. Dresden-based nubix Software-Design GmbH specializes in developing the necessary programming software. The IT service provider’s team includes two Brunel employees.

C op y › Robert Uhde

PORTRAIT In his home city of Dresden, Andreas Petter (41) trained as a programmer and went on to study information technology. He then worked as a software engineer and consultant before launching nubix Software Design GmbH eleven years ago.

The Specialist

Audio version available at: www.brunel.de/podcast All kinds of different BMWs are out and about on our roads. For test purposes, a representative selection of this vehicle fleet is kept at the company’s own test facility in Munich. One of the aspects investigated here is how in-vehicle convenience and safety can be optimized for the individual models even after they have been sold. Ongoing updates to the electronic controller in each vehicle are crucial if this kind of service is to be provided, as these controllers are responsible for a broad spectrum of the vehicle’s technical functions: everything from ABS control to the settings for heated seats to MP3 playback.

SOFTWARE UPDATES – A REGULAR SERVICE IN THE REPAIR SHOP To optimize interaction between the various control elements and keep all functions on the leading edge, mechanics check whether new updates are available for the in-vehicle software almost every time a customer visits an authorized BMW repair shop. Although the control software comes straight from BMW, the auto group draws on the services of nubix Software-Design GmbH to develop the sophisticated programming software that is needed. The Dresden-based IT service provider possesses a wealth of in-depth expertise in automotive engineering and has been working for BMW since 2004. As many as twelve people are assigned to the various projects. “Six of them work as res-

ident engineers on the customer’s premises,” says nubix boss Andreas Petter, “where they support the process of developing and programming the application software.” Brunel employees Andreas Funke and Stefan Alex are among them. Funke came to Brunel in 2007 after training as an IT system electronics technician and going on to study electrical engineering. His very first assignment placed him with nubix at BMW in Munich. Today, he plays a lead role in designing and implementing the programming software. His colleague Stefan Alex joined the team in summer 2010 after earning a degree in information technology. Right now, Alex is primarily responsible for quality assurance and error analysis. A lot is expected of the nubix software: “Depending on the vehicle fittings, something like 70 digital controllers are nowadays integrated to handle different functions,” Funke says, explaining the technical rationale for the project. “And all these ‘mini-computers’ are linked to each other. If this network is to be updated or repaired when a vehicle is being inspected in the repair shop, the software we have programmed must first identify which control elements are installed in the vehicle what control software is in use.” Only then can new updates be imported. “We collaborate very closely with the development department at BMW,” Funke adds. “Based on their specifications, we develop a roadmap to engineer and write the required programming software.” Quality assurance

Spectrum

›01 is another important aspect in the process. “It takes countless tests and error analysis loops to check the individual components and make sure everything runs perfectly,” Funke’s colleague Stefan Alex explains. “At the test facility in Munich, we can try out different development statuses of the software on the various vehicle models.” To be able to develop, optimize and modify the software, employees need a thorough grasp of automotive engineering technology and automotive electron-

ics. “The combination of my electrical engineering studies and my training in IT system electronics stands me in good stead,” Funke notes. Stefan Alex is equally well prepared, having studied computer engineering and majored in circuit design. Both Brunel employees gathered the extra knowledge they needed as soon as they began the assignment for nubix, gradually building on and deepening this knowledge over time. “It all

› 01

The increasing use of invehicle software content has far-reaching consequences for auto makers and IT service providers alike. Different versions of application and control software are needed to test the control elements and examine how they work together.

The Specialist

Spectrum

› 02 Quality and reliability are important aspects of software. Commensurate importance is thus attached to quality assurance during both the design and implementation phases.

›02 centers around gaining a command of BMW’s internal programming language and knowing how to use the Quality Center tool,” Alex explains.

TEAMWORK-BASED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING Alongside technical expertise, nubix also expects its people to excel in social skills. “We

PORTRAITS Andreas Funke (29, at right) trained as an IT system electronics technician and then studied media and communication technology at the Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. Until 2009, the engineering graduate was deployed by Brunel at nubix Software-Design GmbH. Today, he has a management position in software engineering at nubix. Stefan Alex (25) studies information technology at the Technical University of Dresden, majoring in computer engineering. Brunel became his doorway to this profession in 2010. Since then he has served nubix Software-Design GmbH in his capacity as a software engineer.

The Specialist

want our engineers and IT experts to have a broad knowledge base. But they have to fit into the team as well,” Andreas Petter stresses. “After all, our business routine consists of spotting problems, putting a name on them and working collaboratively to solve them. The ability to get things done and the art of constructive compromise are thus vital to successful cooperation. Aware of these demands, Brunel proposes people whose chemistry fits with ours – people who have the staying power to cope with dynamic processes.” To enable each individual to optimize their contribution, everyone regularly changes their role within the team. “That helps everyone see things from different angles and gain a 360° understanding,” Petter says.

One on one

The economy is looking up – and Brunel is recruiting Gerjan Mazenier, General Manager at Brunel GmbH, on temporary employment and what the future holds for the world of work in Germany. Inte rvie w › Stine Behrens Mr. Mazenier, the German economy posted record growth in 2010, and the forecast for 2011 is positive too. In practice, what does that mean for the labor market? Companies’ order books are well filled and there is brisk demand for skilled workers. The upturn is still in its early days, however, so long-term resource planning is difficult. To cope with buoyant demand and drive technological progress at the same time, companies are increasingly turning to project work. What are the consequences of this development? Temporary employment is growing in importance as it enables businesses to work efficiently, advance innovation and stay flexible. At the same time, this situation allows us as a provider of engineering and personnel services to give our people greater job security. The practical consequence for us is therefore that we are adding 120 extra sales staff to boost our team. They serve as the interface to both the corporate sector and our specialists. In Germany, people still have their reservations about temporary work… That’s true, absolutely. As a Dutchman, I notice that a lot, because this model is seen very differently in my home country. In the Netherlands, academics consciously choose personnel service providers as stepping stones for their career, while businesses see them as a source of specialized knowledge. Having said that, Brunel’s latest figures alone show just how quickly acceptance is now growing in Germany too. In 2010, we were able to convince more than 300 new customers of our

flexible business model. We are also receiving more and more applications every year. What do you see as the reasons for this shift? On the one hand, employees are more willing to adapt to the changes in the way work is organized that I described a moment ago. On the other hand, they know the benefits of working for a personnel service provider. Besides allowing them to plan their personal life and career more reliably, this model also helps them accumulate knowledge in many areas of industry. In effect, it lets them continually expand their knowledge base on the job.

PORTRAIT Gerjan Mazenier (40) launched his career as a pilot in the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1990. After completing his studies of business management at Groningen in 1995, he was employed as Client Executive Finance & Media at ATOS Origin before taking up a post as head of the IT department at Brunel International N. V. Since April 2009, he has been responsible for Central Europe in his capacity as General Manager at Brunel GmbH.

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Visit our website to learn more about our company – and feel free to get in touch. Go here for more information about career opportunities at one of Brunel’s 33 offices throughout Germany: www.brunel.de/karriere

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International project partner for technology and management

Keen to launch your career? Brunel, an international project partner for technology and management, supports its customers across national borders and industry boundaries. 8,000 employees at 90 locations in 35 countries coordinate and complete ambitious, innovative projects that span the entire process chain – nationally and internationally. Complex challenges necessitate intelligent structures and top experts. That is why we are looking for you to handle exacting challenges

In Brunel’s sales organization In our customers’ on-site projects Ref. no.: 750.11.11

Are you an engineer, technician, IT specialist, scientist or management expert who is excited about technical and commercial management issues? Do you want to shoulder responsibility and work hard to help market-leading companies achieve ambitious projects? If so, we offer open-ended employment contracts, attractive social welfare benefits and a well-designed system of training and development that will allow you to plan both your career and your home life on a reliable basis. Discover those areas in which you can excel yourself. Join us and let us explore uncharted territory – together. Keep to your focus on being one of the very best. For our customers. For your career. For the dreams and visions that you, we and they share. Apply now to join Brunel.

» We’d love to hear from you! SPECIAL EDITION NO. 07 || April 2011

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EDITORIAL OFFICE Brunel GmbH, “The Specialist” editorial office Airport City, Hermann-Köhl-Str. 1, 28199 Bremen redaktion@der-spezialist.de, www.der-spezialist.de Phone +49 (0)421 16941-14

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PUBLISHER Brunel GmbH

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Drs. Johan Arie van Barneveld, RA, CEO, Brunel

› BR U NEL JO B A GENT. Subscribe to our job agent and have job offers that match your individual requirements forwarded directly to your mailbox. www.bru n e l . de /j obage n t

International N. V., Brunel GmbH

EDITORIAL WORK Dialog Public Relations, Bremen Nigel Robinson, English Copy & Translations, Fulda

GRAPHIC DESIGN GfG / Gruppe für Gestaltung GmbH, Bremen

PHOTOGRAPHY (COPYRIGHTS) All numbers are image numbers, except where otherwise specified. GfG / Gruppe für Gestaltung GmbH (cover page, U2, p3, p13), Fotolia (pp4-5, pictures at top of page, from left, photos 1, 2 and 4, p6-7, pictures at top of page, from left, photos 1-3 and 6), Wikipedia/Erebino (p4, pictures at bottom of page, from left, photo 1), Daniel Klenke (p4-5, pictures at bottom of page, from left, photos 2, 5 and 6, p6-7, pictures at bottom

Send us your answer and win an iPad 2! The question was: “When the ice melts… Does the water level fall? Does it rise? Does it stay the same?” My answer is:

The water level falls. The water level rises. The water level stays the same.

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of page, from left, photos 2 and 4), J. Budissin (p5, pictures at top of page, from left, photo 5), Getty ThinkStock (p6-7, pictures at top of page, photos 4 and 7), Andreas Petter (p10), Strandperle (01), Andreas Funke/Stefan Alex (p12), Köhler/phototek. com (02)

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