Electrical Components

There once was a plant engineer that was forced to retire due to his age. They gave him a gold watch and bid him farewell. Although he really did not want to retire, he accepted his fate. A few months later, the plant came to a screeching halt, and no one could figure out what was wrong, so they called the old engineer, who agreed to come up for $1000 plus expenses. He got to the plant, looked around, asked a couple of questions, then picked up a hammer, walked over to a pipe and gave it a good rap, which got everything running again. Of course, when the accountants got the bill, they were outraged- "$1000 for tapping a pipe? We can't pay this!". So the engineer rewrote his bill:

Tapping pipe with hammer- $5.00

Knowing WHERE to tap- $995.00

They paid the bill.

I don't know how true the story is, but it raises the question- how do you computerize this level of knowledge? I have seen many installations where perfectly good equipment was abandoned because the "expert" that know how to work it left the company. I do not believe any amount of documentation can ever replace hands-on experience, but it can help ease the transition...

Though it's only an urban legend, different versions of the story are well known in several countries and the phenomenon is also well known. Forced retire is in most cases based on stupid short-term cash-flow calculations and results losses in larger time frame. The idea would come from "young talented (financial) managers" and when it hits back the guy who initiated the situation is in an other company for higher salary and higher position ( and will ruin an other knowledge-base) because the short-term figures has validated his decision...

A computer cannot replace 40 Years of experience, they should keep retiree's on a advisory role.

Hi Epke,

I agree with you entirely!!!!!

Three years ago I was forced to retire because the new company managers were accountants, they desimated the whole engineering side of things to become a service provider!

This backfired on threm within twelve months when one of their sevice engineers phoned me all the way from Santos in Brazil to ask me to help him with a problem with a large magnetic brake system, this brake was on one of the worlds largest single drum winches mounted on an oil recovery ship.

I then phoned the company in Holland and asked them if they would pay for my time and knowlege, they said that only if I solved their problem, so I gave it some thought before I said yes. I did not even have to travel to Santos to solve their problem, I just phoned the service engineer and talked him through it.

Two weeks later the company sent me a cheque and asked me to return, I cashed the cheque but declined to return as I am now a happy pensioner.....

No matter what or if I will never return to work because of the way I was treated!!!!!!!

Spencer.

A long but interesting read.

And i always though that engineers should be flexible

Experience can't be put on a computer, because it's about knowing how to juxtapose apparently unrelated or seemingly trivial phenomena.

To put it another way if you did put the knowlwdge on a data base, the 'new guy' still wouldn't know what to search for as he wouldn't recognise the critical symptoms.

When managers and HR goons wake up to flexible working hours, short working weeks, semi retirement and such like the problem will go away.

Conversely just remove 80% of management and 100% of HR and it will go away too.

Del

" Experience can't be put on a computer, because it's about knowing how to juxtapose apparently unrelated or seemingly trivial phenomena...the 'new guy' still wouldn't know what to search for"

Exactly!

milo

The "old fart revitalization plan" has recently been out into effect. Thanks to some bone headed politicians and wall streeters there are a lot of us retiree wannabees suddenly deciding that we may want to offer our services a little longer. Walmart could get some highly educated greeters.

I think allot of Companies already try do this the best way by hiring a younger person several years before the guy retires and let him train/guide him as he works through learning the job. In recent years though I think because of economical reasons allot of companies do not do this near as much. Some companies don't want to/can't pay the extra salaries that is required. A few years back we had allot of people retire that had been at my company since it was built in 1952. These guys had a ton (40+years)of experience. Although their leaving didn't shut down the production it did make it tough for their old areas to adjust to them being gone. Sometimes, mostly during outages we hire them back on contract basis because of their experience with the equipment and people.

pipewelder

I concur (apparently) that it's mostly pipe dream. You cannot transfer the knowledge directly into another brain, and by the time that younger brain has learned what the older brain knew, oh, look, it has aged just as much! You obviously need to store the knowledge, but you have to also maintain a way to access and utilize it, or what is the point in having it?

I had to build a sitting room in my shop for the retirees. Most were once former customers who all have a project or something on the go and need to use the machines.

They are a valuable resource and one I'm fortunate to have.

I'm not crazy about Freds' micro (1" X 3") nuclear reactor tho.

Have Fred give me a call.

Whaddaya want?

Fred

The plans to your 1"x3" nuclear reactor.

Cheney stole it

After the way we have been treated, no engineering company should expect us to just give away our knowledge to younger people, or any people for that matter. I am quite willing to share my knowledge and experience with someone else, but it will cost the company involved a fair amount of money.

Lets face it, if someone else knows what I know, then the company won't call me back on a short-term contract!

If you are asked to tell someone how to do something, say "No! I'll do it, but I won't tell anyone else how to do it, because if I do, then I am redundant"

I think there is a balance to be struck, on this forum many of us freely share our knowledge to those individuals keen enough to seek and appreciate it whilst willing to work themselves.

I personally find the 'I know something you don't, and I'm not telling' approach deplorable.

But I agree I wouldn't give it free to a 'company' especially if asked by people instrumental in one's firing.

Del

I'd give it free to those who fired me...........................and wait till they get fired......

Ah, but would you give them that what helps them, or that what helps them leave?

^{la de da, la de da...............}

I agree with Del. I will tell you everything I know about a subject because by the end of today I will know something else about that same subject or have another new idea that you have not even dreamed of . You people that have to live off the "I know something you don't and that sure makes me important" philosophy. Let me be brief and say it must really suck to be you.

But when they need you can set the demands and make them grovel

Grovel come on , most are too arrogant to have the brains to know when to grovel!

Yeh another retiree...........

Grovelling is a pecking order established by brand of suit one wears...ie...Gucci does not grovel to off-the-shelf. Gucci does grovel to Seville Row....etc.............follow?

Is that from American Psycho?

It started in the Ginza..........................differrent suits however

Like with armani comes automatically manager skills?

Yes! You understand!

AH International No so good ;Moores not good at all ; now I know!