At CWE, we’re proud to be part of the UK rail industry. We believe it’s a great place to work and that our friendly team showcases the best of the sector. In this series, Life at CWE, we’ll be providing a glimpse into the life of our staff. We hope this will give readers a sense of the work our brilliant people do and the diverse range of talents and skills that make up the world of rail engineering.
In this month’s episode, we catch up with Offsite Production Supervisor, Mark Potterton, who talks us through a typical day balancing hands on work with office duties, and how being process minded helps him lead a team of people.
What does your job entail, and what does a day in your life look like?
I know it’s completely cliché, but every day is genuinely different for me. I’m the Offsite Production Supervisor at CWE and occupy a hybrid role that sees my time shared between our centre of excellence at Crowle and offsite wagon facility at MCL. Today specifically, I have been organising between us and MCL the works that make up the week ahead, and finalising the production plan. This afternoon I’ll be working on reports for our customer, our stock audit and placing orders for material that we need to do for upcoming jobs.
I also have responsibility for the costing and prices that will then be shared with the commercial team, capturing any costs for jobs and final inspecting works to make sure there are no quality escapes on the products, and physically testing against spec. Ultimately, what I have to do every day is to ensure quality, safety and production is being adhered to according to company policies. I could be in the office or under a wagon!
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
The most rewarding thing I find about the job is when I have watched a product arrive, work on it to spec and see it leave knowing that is has been done to a high standard and the customer is happy with time frame and the workmanship. I get a great deal of work satisfaction when communication has been praised; it’s a great feeling knowing that you have exceeded expectations, and when they have enough faith in you that they ring you for advice. I take pride in being solution provider!
Which of your personal skills help you fulfil your role?
With my role so different from day to day, I think the main personal skill that helps me is that I’m process minded, and organised. I like to keep everything in a certain order and make sure that rules are followed, and that makes it easier to lead a team of people. I also think attention to detail is one of my strong points and a “can-do” attitude, which can be especially helpful in high pressure situations, and for when customers request a tricky deadline, or part. I think you have to be receptive in any job, but it also helps that I am a people person, and like to please; a big part of my job is making sure that the customers are happy with the level of communication, and with the work we are doing, so it’s a balancing act to make sure we are not neglecting any part of the job.
What is your biggest piece of advice for someone embarking on the first stage of their career?
Listen to and learn from experienced work colleagues – that’s the best way to learn and how you will be able to shape your own career. One day you are going to become that experienced member of the team, and you want to become someone who is highly respected and knows their stuff. Another one is asking questions, again it’s cliché but there are no stupid questions! It’s a brilliant industry to get in and if you work hard and keep moving forward you can go far!
Tell me something interesting about yourself!
I have nothing interesting!! I like all the usual hobbies, I love golf and darts and football, I’m a big Sheffield Wednesday fan and follow them around the country. I also love watching comedians in my spare time, it’s why I’m so funny(!)
