Injecting an entrepreneurial mindset across the high-tech industry

Perfect balance

Boudewijn gradually specialized in project management, after he gained experience as an entrepreneur. “After my graduation in 2000, I started working for Philips, performing research on high frequency technologies. At that time, the mobile phone industry was booming, creating a strong need to further develop connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth and WLAN.” Soon after the semiconductor division of Philips was spun off into NXP in 2006, Boudewijn and a few colleagues decided to start their own engineering consultancy firm.

“We were specialized in electronics and semiconductors, but were also known for strategic advice, and project management. After having run my own business for more than four years, I realized how much I enjoy entrepreneurship. But there also was a downside: I was specialized in analogue techniques and simulation, and this requires quite a bit of investment in equipment and software. That was when I first came into touch with TMC and I learned that they offered the perfect balance: the freedom to engage in entrepreneurial projects, and the job security that comes with a contract.”

His first project for TMC was, surprisingly enough, for NXP: “We worked on battery management techniques. In that time, around 2010, the realization grew that the performance of batteries can be improved by managing the way they are charged. If you continuously charge batteries, their lifespan will be quickly reduced. We developed several test set-ups that allowed us to measure the health and charging status of car batteries. Now, this technology is used in a special chip that NXP has developed to optimize the battery lifespan of mobile phones.”

Two directions to develop

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, some years later, Boudewijn gradually moved away from electronics towards project management. “I am a hardcore electronics specialist, I like to work on printed circuit boards, so creating analogue designs with actual components. This specialization has become rarer, as most devices now use standard chips and accompanying software. So, there were two directions for me to possibly develop in: architecture or project management. Working at TMC gave me the opportunity to develop the skills that are needed to be project manager. This started at Thermo Fischer Scientific, where I was responsible for transferring supply chains.”

The microscope manufacturer was seeking new suppliers that could provide components at a lower cost or with higher quality. Boudewijn: “Shifting from one supplier to another requires quite some project management, both in administration, manufacturing and documentation.” His next assignment, at Philips, had a similar focus: “I was part of the MRI business. Our team was responsible for optimizing the supply chain, looking for innovative ways to reduce the total costs of ownership of MRI devices. With our project, we have realized tens of millions of savings altogether.”

A few years later, Boudewijn was asked for a similar role in ASML: “But I had to work for ASML directly. One of the responsibilities of the role was to assess suppliers, which included TMC, and ASML wanted to avoid a conflict of interest.”

Lean, six sigma and Kanban

In both ASML and Philips he learned a lot about project management techniques such as Lean, Six Sigma and Kanban: “These are really effective; not only to organize the work, but also to make sure that you continuously improve as a team. Thanks to Kanban, teams can ensure consistent productivity, even in the absence of the project leader.”

All these methodologies came in handy at his next assignment: “After leaving ASML, I rejoined TMC. My first project was again for Philips, who at that time was under time pressure to release a new version of its image-guided therapy solution. I worked closely together with a multi-disciplinary team with people from manufacturing, R&D and marketing, to make that happen. We created a huge kanban board, organized daily stand-ups to make sure we organized the work and made progress with the new product introduction. I am still proud that we actually made it in time.”

Rapid prototyping with 3D printers

Most recently, Boudewijn spent several years working for VDL: “They were looking for a project leader with a technical background to work on wafer handling projects. In this team, I introduced several new project management technologies, like fail fast and rapid prototyping. We now use 3D printers to develop prototypes in both plastic and metal.”

Despite having worked at so many different high-tech companies, Boudewijn feels a strong connection with TMC: “I truly believe that TMC is one of the very few engineering consultancy companies that wants to build an actual relationship with its people. We are not just engineers that can be hired, TMC invests in us. If you have an innovative idea, you can work on it in the Entrepreneurial Lab. If you enjoy teaching, you are stimulated to give guest lectures for one or two days a week. If you want to visit seminars or work abroad, you are stimulated to do so. As long as you take the initiative, TMC helps you to make it happen.”