Vision Based Hiring

Engineered Software has been expanding our team these past few months and it has been a pretty exciting time. Since September, ESI’s vision for the future has continued to mold and evolve as our team rethinks how we provide our customers with innovative tools to increase the efficiency of fluid pumping systems through superior pump selection and system simulation software.

We’re not only looking at what products we’re developing, we’re also looking at how we do what we do. We are examining how we communicate with our substantial customer base, how we strive to provide world-class customer service, how we work through our Product Life Cycle, and how teams are structured and interact to produce an innovative and robust development process.

Part of the discussion is around what we want to change, another component is around what gaps exist between the skills we have now and what will be needed in the future. To pursue these future goals, we’ve embraced a culture which speaks up about solutions; pursues a collective, analytical response to problem solving; and provides thoughtful and honest retrospectives. As a whole company, we  strive to be visionaries who weave ideas with the ideas of others, with a management team who works to create a nurturing environment to support and empower our teams.

We’ve also worked hard to identify new skill-sets that will propel our mission, determined to hire people onto the team who possess these skills, share our company culture and believe in our vision. During the interview process, we know when we’ve found someone who fits, because they go from interested in the job to really wanting to work here.

Overall, change is hard, it’s confusing, we’ve all been there and sometimes it’s just not fun….but change is also exciting, empowering and inspiring. And what you’re left with, if you do it right, is a springboard for some exciting future endeavors.

- Christy Bermensolo, CEO

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We would like to introduce our readers to the guest author for this month's entry. This post was written by Engineered Software's newly appointed CEO, Christy Bermensolo, and we would like to welcome her to the new role.

Christy Bermensolo began with Engineered Software in 2006, and brings over 16 years of engineering and management experience to her new position. To learn more about the new leadership changes at ESI, VISIT HERE.


We are also hiring right now and if you are interested in relocation to the Lacey, Washington area, check out our available positions here:

Bagpipes and Crested Geckos

There is a specific protocol when meeting someone for the first time. Last week at my Rotary meeting, I introduced myself to a visiting Rotarian from a club in Olympia WA. We looked at each other, and in unison both extended our right hand, made eye contact and shook the extended hand. We then in turn stated our names.

The next item on the protocol, prior to getting down to the business at hand is the small talk; how long we have been working at our respective companies, where we went to school, when we graduated, past employers, spouses name, kids name and where they go to school. 

During the small talk session, I like to mix thing up a bit by asking what they enjoy the most about their job. That question stops some people dead in their tracks; it seems many people look at their job as a way to make a living and don’t think it is especially enjoyable. 

If you really want to find out about a person, ask them what they like doing in their off time. That’s when the pictures come out on the smart phones, and they share with you what really gets them excited. You already know that I enjoy flying in my off time, but I thought you might be interested in some of the things the people of ESI do for fun. Let me introduce you to a handful of the people that work at Engineered Software.
 
Aldo in the development group plays the Scottish bagpipes in a pipe band "Olympia Pipers & Drummers."  He has a set of bagpipes and uniform complete with a kilt, high socks and a sporran (that’s the pouch that is worn in front of a kilt to hold stuff. It seems kilts don’t have pockets). This past summer his pipe band needed a place to practice for an upcoming highland competition, so for six weeks every Thursday evening they played and marched in our parking lot.



Chris in our sales group likes creepy crawly things. He has a variety of tarantulas (Chaco Golden Kneed, Mexican Fire Legged, and a Power Blue Pink Toe) along with a giant desert hairy scorpion. But his pride and joy is a crested gecko from New Caledonia, and does he have the pictures to prove it. You may ask what these critters eat; it seems they enjoy his homegrown Madagascar hissing cockroaches. And yes Halloween is his favorite holiday.

Paul’s passion is hot rods. Also a member of our sales group, he builds his cars and shows them around the northwest, attends parts swap meets, and helps his hot rod buddies with their challenging projects. His last project was a 1956 Ford pickup truck, that took almost two years to complete and it has a list of custom features that are too long to list, but were featured recently in a four page spread in Classic Truck magazine.  

His current project is a 1974 VW Bus Vanagon, with a Porsche 914 engine. The van was under a tree, covered in moss and the engine didn’t start when he bought it from the previous owner. The next Monday morning the moss was gone and the engine was purring like a kitten.  His original plan was to remove the existing engine and replace it with a V-8.  It seems that his wife had other ideas so he is going to be tricking it out with the existing engine, getting a slick two-tone paint job to match his 55 Ford station wagon and go camping with his wife.

Dennis our sales manager enjoys acting for Theater Artist Olympia (TAO) community theater group.  He has starred in The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Romeo & Juliet, and Othello. He prefers Shakespeare, but TAO likes to mix things up, for example, The Tempest was staged in the future with a Star Trek theme. He has also appeared in two productions of Cannibal the Musical (www.cannibalthemusical.net) based on the true story of the Alfred Packer the only person convicted of cannibalism in America. Asked why the production company did Cannibal the Musical twice, he said it’s the only play that makes money.

Finally there is Jesse, in our engineering department, his passion is snowboarding. You can find him in the Cascades just about any weekend in the winter having a good time putting first tracks in the snow.  When he’s not out on the mountain he is volunteering with SOS Outreach (www.sosoutreach.org) at Snoqualmie Pass, Washington and C.O.R.E. at White Pass, WA, teaching under-served kids how to snowboard, hike and climb, while stressing the core values of the program designed to promote positive self-esteem. Both programs emphasize making positive choices and practicing self-responsibility, while educating the youth about their environment, and helping build connectedness with their peers, adult mentors, and their community.

This is but a small cross section of the Engineered Software team and I have run out of space before I have run out of stories. One thing I always find amazing about our team is that they have as much passion with their full time jobs as they do in their extracurriculars.

Now it’s your turn. I would like your comments on this blog or even better, I would really enjoy finding out about what your interests are after work.

Read the Instructions!

A local news station that I watch has a question of the day and this one I found particularly interesting.

92% of these are thrown away without ever being used. What are they?

Answer: Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS!! Yeah, I know, I am guilty of this myself on occasion, but 92% of all the instructions I receive? That seems pretty high. Especially when you consider the drawer in my office where I "file" all of the important users manuals I keep from various electronics and equipment.

I keep them because I never know when something might go wrong with any of these devices and the manufacture went to all that trouble to print out the booklet for me...

Anyway, when I see a number like that I have to think how much wasted paper we have been sending out for years with our products. Engineered Software no longer sends printed users manuals, but includes them INSIDE our programs now in very informative Help Files. Moreover, when we don't have the right answers in the Help files, we have this cool place on our website called the Knowledge Base where we regularly write articles that cover both technical support topics, product usage support topics, and just plain old informative. Most of the time we direct users to articles we have written in the "KB" and when that doesn't have the solution, we have some of the best support professionals in the software industry.

The biggest thing I notice today is that people seem to be too rushed to read anything, including manuals but like I always say, "If you don't have time to do something right the first time (or read the directions), how could you have time to do it twice?"

There are some seriously legitimate reasons user instructions are included with the products we buy, and although they don't all apply to the software we sell at Engineered Software, this epidemic of not reading directions is important enough to list. Many times companies include instructions with their products having consumer safety in mind or to protect the integrity of the product. Not following instructions can have devastating consequences. An individual may also lose valid information especially if dealing with complex products such as electronics or software.

Product Safety & Saving Lives

In the worst case scenario - you could be harmed or even die! Ask any pharmacist, doctor or nurse, not following the directions on a bottle of medication can lead to poisoning, overdosing, or clashes with other medicines, which end in the very worst ways! And if you ask any safety manager for an industrial job, not following instructions on caustic chemicals or aerosols could cause accidents, injuries or death as well. Plus, you want to ensure the longevity of your investment. What I mean is, typically when you buy a product, you want it to work or last as long as possible. Not knowing the limitations of that product and how NOT to use it, will inevitably result in the product malfunctioning.

Efficiency and Saving Time or Money

ANY paperwork we fill out for the most important things like insurances or taxes, require we do things right the first time or our services may be delayed, penalties included, or worse, we could be audited! Plus the bonus of paperwork being processed more quickly. Reading installation instruction or license management documents for software could save hours of backtracking or customer service calls. No one likes those! Plus, you might learn a more efficient way to use your new gadget, or identify special features you didn't know about.

Education and Generally Looking Smart

As students we learn how to follow instructions in order to perform skills efficiently. As adults, we look to instructions only when we can't figure things out intuitively the first time, but users manuals frequently contain the documentation for all the things we don't think we'll need, until we do. Set-up and installation info, warranty details, and any maintenance or troubleshooting advice are all things we WANT to know about our stuff, but just can't seem to make the time to educate ourselves about them. Knowing these things before something goes wrong will help us not be surprised or disappointed later when we have to go buy another because the warranty ran out.

I feel like a company's user documentation is reflection on the company itself, which is why we put so much effort into our Installation documentation, the Help program in our software, and why we have such a robust Knowledge Base for our customers. Engineered Software sells highly technical products, albeit easy to use, and our documentation is thorough. If you have time, and you want to learn some deep dark secrets (Hints & Tips) about our products, you might just start by reading our user manual in the Help file. In today’s frenzied and competitive world, where people need to digest information as efficiently as possible, the lack of quality documentation can be nothing short of ruinous for a manufacturer.

One last factoid, according to one article I read, 95% of all returned gadgets actually work but were returned because customers thought they were too confusing to user or they just weren't meeting their expectations.

Working Together to Build the Best

Last month’s Blog I discussed how pumps get over-sized because of our failure to communicate and the possibility of cumulative error in the process. This month I will discuss ways to communicate together from the get-go so a better system may be built.

In last months blog I stated that the most common communication problem in piping system design is the failure to accurately state the process requirements when selecting a pump. In this month’s blog I will add commentary of what could be done to improve the communications. (Italics indicate quote from last month’s blog.) 

Sizing the Pump

Every system needs a pressure gain device or pump to move the fluid through the piping system. Choosing the right pump, motor sizing, correctly sizing pipes, and determining the best efficiency point all depend on knowing the capacity requirements for the system.

“The owner of the system design provides a capacity requirement based on future system needs knowing full well that the system will be operating at a lower capacity for an extended period of time until the market need catches up with capacity.”

The owner should clearly state in the design documents that the pump system is expected to be operating at 500 gpm for the first 5 years then increase to 1,000 gpm once product sales ramp up. Full disclosure on the system’s intended design and purpose should be stated from the beginning. 

“The engineer designing the system takes the capacity provided by the process group and adds a 20% design margins of flow (to allow for future capacity increases).”

Assuming that the owner has clearly stated their design requirements in the design documents, the engineer now knows from the beginning that the system will be operating at 500 gpm for the foreseeable future, and the possible future requirements of 1,000 gpm capacity. There is no need for the engineer to factor the additional 20% design margin increase in pump selection. The engineer can size the pipelines to meet both the immediate needs AND have a design flexible enough to meet the future needs as well. Once the pipelines are sized, the head loss in the system can be determined for both 500 gpm and 1,000 gpm. Based on this information, the total head for the pump can be determined for both conditions but selected from the current condition of 500 gpm.

Avoiding the Snowball Effect

It may start as a small over estimate but it can get compounded when others on the project try to compensate for the lack of specificity in the beginning.

“In addition, a design margin for head is added (to account for system uncertainties during the design process) when specifying the equipment. As a result the pump design point is 1,200 gpm and 200 ft of head.

The individual selecting the pump chooses a pump with the design point left of the pumps Best Efficiency Point (BEP) to allow the pump to better accommodate future system capacity increases.”

Since engineering is now initially designing the system to operate at 500 gpm, there is no need to add extra capacity for the future at this time. When it comes time to add the future capacity, the owner will have a better understanding of the actual production needs and can factor that into the selection when the increased process loads are known. The engineer submitting the pump specification to the supplier can provide information on the current needs as well as the future needs.

The options available to the engineer and customer can be:

• Select a pump that can meet the future needs with a variable speed drive. This allows the pump to meet both today’s needs (at a slower speed) as well as the projected future requirements (at a higher speed).
• Select a pump that has a sufficient range of impeller diameters to meet the 500 gpm flow rate, with sufficient additional diameter to meet the expected future flow. A new impeller will need to be purchased to meet the future requirements but the savings in pumping cost will more than make up for the difference.
• Design the system with multiple pumps in parallel. To meet the initial 500 gpm one pump can be operated, and to meet the future needs a second pump can be operated providing the proper head and flow for the future capacity.

The next step is for the engineer to submit a pump specification to the pump supplier. Since the system owner provided a detailed description of how the system will operate, the design engineer for the system is able to provide the known information in the pump specifications. Armed with the full details of how the system will be operated throughout the next 5+ years, the pump supplier is able to select the best pump meeting the stated requirements.

By being upfront with the design intentions and explaining the current needs and future vision in detail, each group in the process knows how the system will be operating in the foreseeable future along with the projected future capacity. No assumptions needed. If that information is shared with each individual, every step of the way, the design margins will reflect how the pumps needs to be run, not how it will be run in the future, and less of a chance of a snowball effect.

I have offered one example of a common area of miscommunication in the piping system design process. Please feel free to add your experiences to the comments below or offer advice to anyone starting out on their first design project. I appreciate all of your feedback.

...Failure to Communicate

I am a big fan of Paul Newman, the actor and humanitarian that had a long and successful string of hit movies. One of my favorite is Cool Hand Luke, where he plays Luke, a prisoner in a southern chain gang that is continually bucking the system. 

During the movie the following dialog takes place between the Captain and Luke. Luke just finished time in “the box” after an unsuccessful escape attempt. In addition he was given a set of leg irons “to slow him down.” 

Captain: You gonna get used to wearing them chains after a while, Luke. Don't you never stop listening to them clinking, 'cause they gonna remind you what I been saying for your own good.

Luke: I wish you'd stop being so good to me, Cap'n.

Captain: Don't you ever talk that way to me. (pause, then hitting him) NEVER! NEVER! (Luke rolls down hill; to other prisoners) What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men. 

(Carroll & Rosenberg, 1967)

As a result “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate” has become a common phrase in the American lexicon. 

Many of the problems we experience are caused by the failure to communicate. In piping systems, the failure to communicate causes pumps to be over-sized leading to increased operational, maintenance, and capitol cost and reductions in system reliability and overall output. One of the most common communication problems is the failure to accurately state the process requirements when selecting a pump. It works like this:

The owner of the system design provides a capacity requirement based on future system needs knowing full well that the system will be operating at a lower capacity for an extended period of time until the market need catches up with capacity. So instead of specifying the expected 500 gpm for process design flow, 1,000 gpm is given so as to plan for the future.

The engineer designing the system takes the capacity provided by the process group and adds a 20% design margins of flow (to allow for future capacity increases). In addition a design margin for head is added (to account for system uncertainties during the design process) when specifying the equipment. As a result the pump design point is 1,200 gpm and 200 ft of head.

The individual selecting the pump chooses a pump with the design point left of the pumps Best Efficiency Point (BEP) to allow the pump to better accommodate future system capacity increases. 

“What we've got here is failure to communicate.”

Each group in the process added their design margin, just to be on the safe side. Yet they fail to document or communicate their design margins to the entire group. This is the way things are done today because that’s the way things have always been done. We as engineers, have a tendency to add design margin just to make sure thing work. There is nothing wrong with that except that problems arise when we don’t consider the consequences of compounding design margins on the system operating costs, maintenance costs, capitol costs, and plant reliability. 

That is where PUMP-FLO comes in handy; it’s a great way to communicate. Anytime during the process the user can enter basic system operating information and the program calculates the static head and dynamic head. Combined with the pump curve you can see the interaction between the pump, process, and control. For example the following pump/system curve was generated with the PUMP-FLO program using a pump curve from the Crane Deming Pumps catalog. 

  
Notice the design point for the selected pump was 1,200 gpm with 200 ft of head based on the calculations performed by the engineer. The individual selecting the pump chose one with the design point left of the pump’s best efficiency point of 1,550 gpm. As we can see the pump is the most efficient at a flow rate that will never be achieved.

The blue lines represent the system curve. The upper blue line was used in calculating the system static head for the pump selection calculations; this represents the maximum static head expected even though the possibility of the system operating under this condition is less than 1% of the time.  The lower system curve shows the typical valve for static head. The pump was sized for the maximum static head that occurs infrequently and at a flow rate that is not expected to be needed for 10 years.

What is this costing us? Cost is a primary driver for most operating system, and one again PUMP-FLO is able to help you communicate how much the system costs to operate.  For example the projected pump operation during the first 5 years is 500 gpm resulting in a 72 psi pressure drop across the control valve.  When the system is running as described for a year it consumes 395,000 kWh and with a power cost of $0.10/kWh costs $39,500/yr to operate.

If the differential pressure across the control valve was reduced to a more reasonable pressure drop of 28 psid, by reducing the impeller diameter on the pump to the minimum allowed by the manufacturer, the pump will consume only 214600 kWh per year with an operating cost of $21,460/year.

The Captain was wrong, we don’t have to get used to the leg irons of system inefficiency if we just communicate our process and total cost to everyone involved. 

By the way if you haven’t seen Cool Hand Luke I would suggest renting in on Netflix® or Amazon.com® and watch an excellent story with an outstanding cast. And please let me know what you think about the article or about Cool Hand Luke.

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References:
Carroll, G. (Producer), & Rosenberg, S. (Director). (1967). Cool Hand Luke [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Bros.-Seven Arts