Interview with Krishna Deshpande (mechanical engineer )
1.What is your specific profession?
I have done M.S. in Mechanical
Engineering and then worked in power sector organization for 8 years doing
engineering design and project management. I like automation and work study. My
main responsibility was designing small to big size boilers, heat exchangers
and overall project management for power plant build projects. I was managing
the engineering design automation project, where most of critical design
calculations were automated. That helped us to tune major design parameters and
allow us give fast responses to engineering proposals.
While I was working in engineering
design and project management field, our organization decided to implement ERP
(Enterprise resource planning) software, where
I see opportunity of automating various business processes, which
includes Sales and Distribution, Order to Cash, Procurement, Manufacturing, so
and so forth. I switched my path and decided to go far ERP consulting. I am
doing SAP (ERP vendor) consulting since last 17 years now.
2. How does your job connect/involve society?
As a mechanical design engineer, we need
to focus on ASME standards and other regulatory board controls. We need to make
sure waste (flue gases from Chimney, ash from coal, etc) from power plant
should not negatively impact the environment and have our citizens clean and
fresh air and water. Reduce Carbon foot print to help reducing global warming.
We also attend various mechanical conferences to share and discuss about new
methods and technologies and learn from each others to finally give more power
for a dollar, try to save natural resources like coal, oil and nature gases.
As I mentioned in previous question, SAP
software helps to automate the business process and help users across the globe
to have real time data for making the efficient and accurate decisions.
In a way, this helps organizations to do
their business effectively, and that includes supply chain management,
customers/suppliers relationship management, Demand Planning, Production Planning etc.
3. How has your job advanced over the years?
Absolutely yes! My job grows
horizontally and vertically also. Meaning, I learned different new skills and
technologies and I also learned SAP system architecture in more depth. How new
technologies and tools can be integrated together to have flawless and
effective information flow in right format to right users. Initially my focus
was get hands-on experience. Now I am managing global SAP projects and advising
on SAP project
4. Do you see your field having major
technology/engineering advancements in the coming years? (Tools, Products,
Research)
This is technology age. Technology is
evolving with tremendous pace. It is challenge to manufacturing companies to
keep the pace with it. Keeping carbon footprint low is incentive to
organizations, so they are more creative and innovative in this aspect. New
engineering design calculation and animation software(s) were developed in
last10 years, give visual of fluid dynamics or fluidized coal bed in furnace,
that help engineers to see the impact of changing of one or more variable.
Because of new technologies, there is
tremendous change in ERP software. We can approve purchase order through your
mobile while we are enjoying your vacation in Hawaii. If someone scanned the
product in China warehouse, user in North America will immediately know that
product is available to place an order.
5. Will there be any major improvements in regards to
aiding the masses of society?
I feel Material science is one area that
has tremendous uncovered potential to give to engineering and our society.
Today, nanotechnology is focusing on the projects like heart valve replacement,
Knee replacement etc. Self healing material concept may become commercial one
day and then we do not need to get our car to body repair shop and it will heal
itself.
6. Why do you think Mechanical engineering is very
important?
Engineers are innovators. Mechanical
engineers help society directly or indirectly in every aspect. That goes from plumbing
in your house to building up big refineries or nuclear power plants. Mechanical
engineers deal with strength of materials, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics,
solid mechanics etc. These are basic sciences for all projects and products.
Mechanical engineers play very vital role in engineering field.
7. What is the
most challenging experience you have encountered?
Most challenging is the ‘making a
change’. Basic science law also states that every object has inertia and to
make it move we need to apply a force. Same applies with the change. Then that
might be a design change, manufacturing process change, organization change,
technology change. All these changes pose a challenge when it comes to
implement them.
8. What is
the education requirement to obtain a position in Mechanical Engineering?
You need high school diploma and minimum
4 year of undergraduate. Then you have a choice to do master or PhD.
9. What do you love about your job?
Innovation and Challenge.
