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Job Rotation, Day 9

Well… I guess it has been business as usual for the last few days. I have been working with the Client Services team up here (the PC support guys) for the last few days, explaining SCCM and how it works, so that they know what features there are in the tool; there are many, that’s why I love working with it :-)

I have also been working with other guys showing them around some of the reports we have been creating for the last few months, however now I know who everyone is up here, I can target them when I make new ones which they might be interested in… It’s really good to meet new people, that is the thing I am enjoying most about being an a new place, so many people to talk to and learn from.

Last night (Wednesday) I have my slot to be able to go into the sauna and swimming pool in the apartment block, I get the 1930 to 2030hrs slot. Raimo (Tornio IT manager) lives in the same block and went with me to show me how it all works, we managed to crank it up to above 85 degrees C, but I don’t think I could have gone any hotter, it was good though, had a few beers… Might have to convert the attic from an Office into a sauna!

This afternoon I got to go and see the Hot Roll Mill, we met our guide and went through the presentations, he talked a lot about IT which was good because I am really interested in automation, and in a mill like that, I know it’s pretty hard to automate the whole process, which they seemed to have done very well… We had a quick look around the server room and saw some of the “brains” which were running the operation. We then went out onto the plant, I was pretty devastated as it looked like they had a bit of a breakdown, but we carried on looking around.

We were walking along the visitors walkway when we heard the siren which announced the start of the process, we walked quickly to see the bright orange slab getting taken from 170mm down to a slender 25mm… FINALLY! What I was here to see… Some hot metal :-) We watched it go thru the whole process from hot slab down to a coil which was carried by crane into a holding bay…

I started out my IT life in the Sheffield meltshop which produces slabs like these, and it’s really good to see what happens to them after they get put onto a train. It is a little sad though to see this amazing block of steel being squished flat and long into a coil… But I guess our customers don’t want a block of steel, it’s not very practical, I don’t know why though, they are a thing of beauty ;-)

Minna, the Tornio SeviceDesk lead was with me because she hadn’t seen this plant before either, and she offered to give me a lift home if we could stay for a little bit longer, which would mean I would miss my bus at 1610. It didn’t take me more than 2 seconds to OK that idea… We went and had another look around the bits we had skipped over, which was good to round off my knowledge of what happens. I have been very lucky, I have often been told I have seen more of Tornio Works than some of the people who work there. I am very grateful for having this opportunity, it’s a shame that the people in IT can’t see more of the Works, because it’s truly amazing!!!

Minna gave me a lift to my apartment and I decided that I should get some more food or I’d starve. I feel like a bit of a fool walking with my backpack full to bursting and carrying my linin carry bag too, but hey… No one knows me here… I’ll just be the strange bag man to them. I have now got a full fridge, mainly full of salami slices and gurkins… I have an addiction, don’t judge me for it. I have also got some fruit (which I hope will make my mum and girlfriend happy)

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