Cédric takes us on a journey through his daily life at éolane as an R&D Project Manager.
Can you introduce yourself?
Hello, my name is Cédric and I'm 37 years old. I was initially hired as a Test Bench Technician in the design office at éolane, and later transitioned to the field of hardware and software electronic development.
Two years ago, I joined the project management team for the light cycle. This team was created to enhance agility and responsiveness in short development cycles with less stringent documentation requirements. I found this new organizational approach intriguing, so I decided to seize the opportunity. To facilitate my transition to the role of Project Manager, I underwent a brief project management training.
Currently, I handle projects from start to finish, taking full responsibility for the hardware, software, and overall project management for simpler circuit boards. For more complex projects, I collaborate extensively with colleagues from Douarnenez, Combrée, and Nantes who bring their technical expertise to the table.
Which departments do you interact with?
I work with the sales department. I participate in bid meetings and occasionally travel to support them in their proposals, providing technical support if needed.
We are present in the factory every day, alongside the production team. Depending on the projects, there are varying levels of industrial constraints that need to be integrated into the product design, which is known as Design For x (DFx). R&D is at the very beginning of the production cycle, where we quickly create prototypes and then further develop them. I often rely on advice regarding wiring, methods, or testing. This close collaboration is our added value. Having a holistic view of production allows us to save valuable time and develop products that are optimized for future manufacturing in our factories. We have acquired these reflexes through our work with production.
What qualities are required to perform your job?
One must be adaptable, as projects are never the same, and we constantly change products and tools. Rigor is crucial, as we must not forget any requirements, especially in constrained sectors like medical. Perseverance is also essential, as the goal is to deliver the product!
On the contrary, are there any constraints to consider?
Yes, a Project Manager wears two hats: a technical one and a project management one. There may be occasional overload on one side, but that doesn't give us the right to neglect the other, and it can be challenging to manage.
A final anecdote?
I once worked on some rather unusual products. I remember, back when I was still in Combrée, we developed a prayer GPS for a client from the United Arab Emirates. We were working on a few prototypes, and since they weren't synchronized yet, we had the call to prayer triggering every three minutes laughs. It was quite chaotic!