Tomra : MEET THE TEAM

Q: How would you describe your role at TOMRA Sorting and what does it involve?
Andreas: As Repair Center Supervisor, I work behind the scenes to help customers. I work as a liaison between the various different departments such as R&D, Purchasing, spare parts, sales, support technicians, warehouse and the supply chain. Constant communication is essential to my job. Not only do we repair non-functional devices, but we also work with parts for supply chain and spare parts that need to be reassembled, programmed, configured and tested. Furthermore, I also support our service technicians with technical know-how, whenever they need me on-site or at customer plants. The 'repair' in my title does not fully match the extensive range of tasks that our team carries out, because we also prepare parts before they are assembled. With the large number of assignments coming into the Repair Center, it is vital for me to maintain the overview and define priorities as to which assignments have to be finished first.

Q: What does your average work day look like?
Andreas: No working day is the same as the previous one. The Repair Center receives new assignments continously and I can't predict what the next day will look like exactly. Everyday duties include storage, programming, configuration and functionality tests of all electronics. Moreover, assembly groups are put together for the supply chain, which also requires the installation of the neccessary software. Of course, I am always on call for other departments when they need support with technical expertise, too. Additonally, I configure custom spare parts for customers and tested for functionality.
It can be very stressful from time to time, especially when I need to finalize the spare parts for customers quickly in order to minimize the downtime of the plants. TOMRA is very customer orientied and our ambition is to provide our customers with the best service over the entire life-cycle of the sorting system.

Q: Which kind of work do you do most?
Andreas: This question is difficult to answer as there is a lot of variety in my daily tasks. If I had to choose one task, I would say that I often need to set-up new High Speed Control unit (HSCU) processors, which serve customers as a spare part. There is a wide variety of HSCU types and since the configuration of the HSCU is never the same, it needs to be individually prepared and tested for each plant. My goal is to prepare the HSCU for the technician and our customers so that it can be easily replaced like a plug & play component. It´s not always easy to prepare it so extensively, but it is rewarding when I have finally achieved my goal.
I particularly enjoy dealing with unexpected issues - I like working with my colleagues to find a good solution and solve it.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
Andreas: I like the variety of my job offers. Due to the large variety of the different parts that exist in TOMRA´s comprehensive sorting product portfolio, it never seems boring. TOMRA continually develops and launches innovations, which can be challenging for the Repair Center at first. But this is exactly what I like about my job at TOMRA Sorting. You learn something new every day, so I'm expanding my knowledge and work experience. The saying 'a rolling stone gathers no moss' describes my experience best.

Q: What was the most curious moment at work at TOMRA?
Andreas: I haven´t faced a really curious moment at TOMRA yet. However, I have shared a number of special moments with colleagues, which will make lasting memories. I like working for a company that I can say I´m proud to be part of the team. Among friends and family, I speak about my employer enthusiastically.

Line Managers keep their ears open for any problems, both professional and sometimes private, and offer their help. You get the feeling that the company cares about their employees.