Innovating and its challenges

Today I am sitting in the office an engineering firm in Ipoh. The inventor has been here nearly every day this week, since he decided to abandon the adage of “a good manager delegates” and defer to the age-old treasure, “If you want something done well, do it yourself”. Although in this case, it was a matter of, “If you want something done, do it yourself”.

The fact is that he had hit a brick wall in the progress, having done all other jobs for the next stage bar this one. The engineering firm weren't quite sure how to proceed, and needed his help and encouragement to make it happen. Working beside an inventor usually isn't an easy task. They don't always explain themselves well, and can find it difficult to explain their grand ideas in a way that can be understood by the common man or made by the common fabricator. The fabricator needs to have an open mind and a good understanding of the processes, to be able to take an idea that has never been tried before and make a functioning part from these ideas.

The piece of equipment he is helping to make today is essential for the next part of the experimentation, that is, making the process work in a continuous flow. He managed to purchase all the parts at a large hardware store that we discovered in Ipoh, shown to us by a friend from church who, it transpired, sells some of the specialty equipment that the inventor required. As I sit in a corner of the airconditioned office, tucked away beside the photocopier, I can hear him just outside hammering on something. Or that could be one of the dozens of men who work here constructing and mending the myriad engineering components that are scattered around the large shed- enormous, heavy, metal monsters from assorted industries, each of which is no doubt anxiously awaited by some company, somewhere.

The poor inventor has been frustrated lately at the sluggish pace of the project. The heart of the problem lies in that it is actually not in anyone's domain of responsibility to help him, so when they are asked, they are expected to complete this task above and beyond what they are already doing. Hence the task gets delegated down and down and down the chain, until it lands on the desk of someone who is not equipped to do it. Three weeks later, the inventor chases up what is happening and then takes the job back to do himself, not quite back to square one, as he is now three weeks later in the schedule.

These delays would not be a problem, if it were not for a number of time issues pressing heavily on the project at the moment. Construction of the pilot plant was planned to be started around the end of the year, and the pilot plant is now eagerly awaited, as the output product already has a market waiting. Additionally, the sooner the pilot plant starts producing, the sooner we start earning royalties. Moving briskly through each of the stages of the development is advantageous for us all.

The inventor deserves to be given credit for his patience and ability to deal with the frustrations, which are numerous and ongoing. Hopefully, as we get to know how things work here, and maybe get some help on the project from some staff who are allocated solely to the project, things will start to run more smoothly. Until then, we are grateful for the satisfactory progress he has made. To the future, and beyond!