Managing Time And Efficiency

Although most people would think that designing is the main part of my job/apprenticeship, another main thing within my job role is managing my time and efficiency. Whilst drawing up files, it requires us to work at a high pace to get jobs completed by a required date, some times the same day. We have to do this whilst making sure that the designs them self are perfect with no errors. 

There are a number of ways in which we as a team within the design department make sure there are no errors with one another's work. To prevent errors in our work, then means that we all look better, but also we don't waste time correcting the errors at a later date, thus resulting in the fact that we are managing our time efficiently! 

To prevent errors within our department:

Whilst drawing a file, I make sure that I double check every thing; for example, the measurements of the existing area, the correct surfacing and equipment going in. Also as I'm only an apprentice designer, I like to ask questions to my trainer to ensure that every thing is correct. 

When checking measurements, I draw the base of the area and visually show all the measurements on the drawing so I 100% know that there are no errors with the design. I will show this on a post blog when I present an example area of a 2D drawing that I have drawn up for a file. 

Sometimes, when drawing a file, errors occur that the reps have made themselves. In this case, we have to email the reps for confirmation, and once they reply with the correct answer, thus means its perfect. 

After completing a file, we do something called a peer assessment. This involves giving the design file to another full designer to check over. This means that they can find errors that you wouldn't see. After doing this, we then give the file to our manager Holly, who then does a final check of the file before sending it out to the client.

Peer checks happen between the full designers, due to my level as a designer apprentice, I am not able to check full designers work, simply because I don't have the knowledge yet. However, there are currently three apprentices within our design department and after drawing a file, we all check each others work; this then allows us to each learn how to check work, find mistakes and sometimes learn things that we didn't know before. 

If I do happen to make errors within my work, these are some of the consequences that could happen:

I would waste time correcting the error when I could be in fact working on another file. This could then result in the job going out late, meaning an unsatisfied client.

If I made a mistake with the equipment or surfacing in regards to costing or amount, that action could loose money for the company. Further more meaning we could loose the job to other competitors.

If I made a mistake in regards to health and safety of equipment or surfacing, that would only effect myself and the company, but also the children using the play equipment. In an extreme case, death could occur. Here at Sovereign, we have something called 'Critical Fall Height', which allows us to work out the specific amount of depth that certain safety surfacing needs in relation to the height of the equipment. If I were to put the wrong depth serious injury/death could occur. This is the same situation with fall zones as each piece of equipment has its own fall zone area.

Here at Sovereign, a full designer draws an average of 6 total rating per day and 25 total rating per week. During the beginning of my apprenticeship, I would spend ages drawing up a file. The first week, I would take up to a day to draw just one file 2D only; and ensuring that it was 100% accurate. However this was understandable as I had just started. Over time, I have progressed to work a lot faster and have just recently set myself my first target to match a full designers rating.

You can see below, my bar work load for November, and I'm catching up with the full designers!

In regards to my apprenticeship, I also have to do college work and over a year and half, it is quite a bit! So to help track my progression, I have made my own matrix. By doing this I am able to easily track what work I have done, the location its stored so I can access it quickly and what outstanding work I need to complete.

Example of a file

For this post, I'm going to show you what I get presented with at work every day.

We get files given to us who a drawn by people called reps. The reps go to the site and measure the area and speak with the school to find out what equipment they want. They then provide all of the information that we need on a file that is sent to us. On this file, we have the drawing, the site access sheet, photos of the area and other information that we need.

Bellow is an example of a typical file, as you can see this is the drawing page of the area with all the reps notes. 

You may notice that on this drawing, there is hardly no measurements, in this case I had to scan this drawing onto the CAD software and draw it from that.

Here is a photo of it all imported in. After scaling it in, its quite easy to just go over the lines and create the 2D drawing but making sure I keep to the measurements provided. Although sometimes the reps make a few mistakes and the areas don't quite add up. Thus requiring chasing up (phone calls and emails)

However this file was pretty cool to draw.

Below you can see the finished drawing, there are two of them due to the fact that the area had different surfacing options. Windsor artificial grass on the left, and grass green mulch with a depth of 40 mm on the right.

I then proceed to work out the area and depth etc. of the equipment or surfacing that we need. You can see below an image of me working out how many rolls of artificial grass we need and working out the wastage for pricing purposes.

Before I even start drawing, we have to do a removal sheet. To the bottom left, is a picture of a removal sheet. Obviously, we can't just turn up to a site and start building if there's already stuff there, so we do removals of existing equipment, surfacing and markings. 

A removal sheet is easy to fill out as I just have to work out the area of what needs to be removed, provide the right photos if the area an the site access sheet, then Holly (one of my managers) does the rest and created the price! (So I can put on the quote, but ill do a separate post on quoting another time).

Sovereign

With this post, I thought I'd do a short little one as its Monday, and actually inform you about Sovereign.

From our website:

Sovereign professionally manufactures fun and exciting play equipment in the UK and supplies schools, businesses, and local authorities nationwide.

As expert outdoor play specialists, our comprehensive playground services include: consultancy and design, installation, and after sales care, to ensure your playground is exactly as you want it.

Here at Sovereign, we design build produce and install kids play equipment. This can be towers, playground markings, surfacing such as wetpour or mulch, trail equipment and even gazebo's and pergola's.

Here are some photos below of the cool things we design and make!

I hope this gives you a better idea of what Sovereign actually is. On my next blog, I'll post some photos of the work that I actually do!

Second Week At Work

Hi, like I said in my previous post, my first month at Sovereign feels like ages ago and I'm struggling to think what I actually done; however, I've been taking loads of photos. 

On my second week, I actually started to draw up real 2D job files, these were fairly simple ones with not a lot of equipment or surfacing, this was so I could get to grips with the system and how every thing worked within the role that I'm doing.

The week pretty much consisted of cracking on with 2D files as there is a hell of a lot to learn.

The work is based on perfection, I.e measurements of the area have to be spot on, if the rep sending in a drawing of the area, you have to do that perfectly to the last mm. Luckily, I like things to be as best as they can so I enjoy the challenge of making every thing perfect!

As you can see from the above image, I some how ended up with a picture of Will Smiths face...

Looking back at that, it seems quite weird, how ever, I have all my notes on it and its always growing.

Progression photo

First Week at Sovereign

My first week at Sovereign seems some time ago as I've been working there for nearly 3 months and it really feels like I've been there for ages! 

My first week consisted of gathering as much information as I could, writing a ton of notes, getting to know every one and all the software.

After signing paper work, we got stuck straight into work. The week consisted pretty much of learning how to use the Turbo CAD software to draw up the 2D files and the starting the 3D. Towards the end of the week, I actually created a 3D model of an air conditioning unit that is now in the 3D library for every one to use which is pretty cool for my first weeks work there.

(Images were taken with my iPhone) 

Introduction

Hi, I'm Nathan, 19 years old and live in Benfleet Essex. In my spare time, I bmx and drum for my band New Love Engine. I have completed my A-Levels, English Literature, Film Studies and IT and felt that an apprenticeship would benefit me rather than going to uni.
The blog its self is going to be for college and based around my time doing my apprenticeship at Sovereign Design Play with the SEEC college (Southend-On-Sea).

I started my first day at Sovereign on the 15th of September 2014 and lasts for a year and a half. The first year is on apprentice wage, then going up to minimum wage on the last half. I'm also lucky enough to have my travel expenses paid for me by Sovereign. The day itself starts at 7:50 am and ends at 5:30 pm. I have two 15 minute brakes and an hour lunch. 

Last Friday, I had my induction at the college in which I found out I would be going to college every other Friday. My next time at the college will be on the 28th of November where we have our first proper review on the college work we've done.