Anne Ericksen

 

 

FROM POCKET SIZE DEVICES TO LARGE HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES, CONSUMERS LOVE THEIR GADGETS.

 

Take a quick glance around and count how many electronic devices are in the immediate vicinity. regardless of your environment, chances are there are at least a handful of electronic devices in use, such as tablets, televisions, appliances, even overhead lighting. These creations are simply part of our daily lives. sometimes we take them for granted— until we have a specific need—and then we make it a point to learn about the various makes and models and their different characteristics. Other times we clamor for the newest product launch or update. either way, the consumer electronics industry continues to attract our attention—and our dollars.

 

According to the consumer electronics Association (ceA), a trade organization representing more than 2,000 companies, revenues for the consumer electronics industry are expected to exceed $208 billion in 2014. The association specifically highlights the impact emerging products will have on the marketplace, suggesting this category will expand by 107% this year. not only is that promising news for the general economy, but also for engineers who wish to be a part of this exciting field.

 

LENOVO TOPS TABLET MARKET

Packing a punch of computing power into a portable unit that’s more user-friendly in size than a cell phone, but not as cumbersome as a laptop, is what makes tablets such an in-demand commodity these days. In the four years since the iPad was introduced, the public has become enamored with tablet computing. A CEA survey revealed that four out of ten online consumers are tablet owners; however, it also predicts that this figure will jump closer to three out of four in the not-so-distant future. One of the companies leading that charge is Lenovo, which has U.S. headquarters in Morrisville, NC.

 

For years, Lenovo was primarily known as a PC company with a dominant presence throughout Asia. Its first venture into the smaller device marketplace came in 2000 when Microsoft contracted it to produce the XP Tablet. Despite the flat reception the product received, Lenovo leaders recognized the future market potential.

 

In 2005, the company acquired IBM’s personal computing division, which included its Think product line. In the years since, Lenovo has released no less than 15 tablets, including the ThinkPad Yoga convertible notebook. “This two-in-one notebook works like a traditional clamshell for productivity purposes, but then converts to an entertainment tablet mode with its versatile 360-degree Yoga hinge. However, we took this design a step further by inventing a new ‘lift and lock’ keyboard mechanism that protects the keyboard and makes it flat when in tablet mode,” explains Luis Hernandez, vice president of the ThinkPad Business Unit.

 

Hernandez transferred to Lenovo as part of the IBM deal. He had spent the previous 18 years at IBM, holding several engineering and management roles and was intricately involved with tablet product development. Today, Hernandez runs Lenovo’s research and development centers in the United States, China, and Japan. “I’m responsible for the end-to-end development of notebook and tablets for the ThinkPad and NEC product line. My team is responsible for taking a product from concept to the development/qualification phase and finally to production and ramping up to customer field support,” he says.

 

Bringing innovation to such a highly competitive and fast-paced field demands engineers compensate for consumers’ needs and desires, not just currently, but also projecting what they may want in the future. “Consumers will change requirements constantly. Understanding customers’ behavior will help you develop products that they don’t even know they need,” states Hernandez. “Organizations will need to change to adapt to consumer changes. In the technology industry, change is constant and it is important to embrace it.”

 

Hernandez relies on his diverse staff to figure out what customer behaviors mean in different cultures— the traditional definition of a country’s way of life as well as the business culture versus the personal use culture. “Consumer digital products are not just for entertainment or pleasure anymore. In fact, most consumer digital products are used for both home and work,” notes Hernandez. “In today’s society, digital devices blend the requirement as a consumer or productivity device and serve both needs. Working with global talent gives you a better understanding of consumer requirements and opens your eyes to different perspectives on how to solve a problem or create a product.”

 

Of course, creating computers of any size calls for excellent engineering skills, too. Hernandez looks for candidates who demonstrate a keen eye for detail. But even more valuable to him are individuals who are passionate about the work. “Without passion, you will not have the drive to do your best,” he advises.

 

TUNE INTO LG ELECTRONICS

How do you unwind at day’s end? Do you flip on the television to laugh at a silly sitcom or get caught up in a perplexing plot? Perhaps you’re a weekend sports fanatic and catch all the big games. Since its inception, television watching has been a spectator sport. Until the unveiling of high-definition plasma and LED screens, not much has been done to the operating technology of television over the past several de cades. Developments in recent years, however, have elevated the entertainment device to unprecedented levels. Smart TVs are now programmed to respond to voice or gesture commands, connect to the Internet, run apps, and even sync up with smartphones. This connectivity changes not only the experience of watching a show or playing a video game on the TV, but what consumers look for when shopping for a new set.

 

Although smart TVs got off to a slow start, sales have consistently picked up. The New York Times reported that 22% of all televisions sold between November 2012 and November 2013 were smart TVs. This is double the percentage from the previous year.

 

While it’s fun for consumers to try out the various interactive options, deciding what to program into a product from an engineering point of view isn’t necessarily based on one set of standards. Nor is an effective design measured by how many options can be installed, but rather by determining which ones make the most sense for consumers. “Also, success of consumer devices depends on how well that device can handle users’ daily needs in the most simplified way,” says Jayshree Athma, director of engineering for the webOS international team at LG Electronics. “For the consumer, it needs to be seamless and simple. That poses some interesting engineering and software challenges.”

 

Athma leads the technical team that helps determine which features are included in the company’s smart TV. LG Electronics, which has offices in California, Illinois, Alabama, and New Jersey, acquired the webOS technology from Hewlett Packard last spring, and debuted its version at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in January.

 

What adds an interesting twist for Athma and her team is that they don’t just program for American viewers. LG Electronics sells the TVs in more than 170 countries that speak more than 60 languages. What appeals to Americans may not translate well into other cultures. “We want them to feel when they turn on our TVs that they are customized for their countries and their needs,” she remarks. “For example, someone who owns a TV in an Arabic country wants the TV to have a look and feel for the Arabic culture.”

 

The general broadcast functions work off of a universal base that operates in virtually any location, but the additional features often include cultural variables and that’s where Athma gets involved. “There are different demands based on different regions. We have to figure out what is applicable for the regions and what is not,” she explains.

 

“Of course, no one person knows all about all cultures,” Athma continues. “There’s a need for talking to regional people and researching and going more deeply into what is required for that country. But that makes it fun. In fact, the most rewarding part of my job is to work with many intelligent people from different countries, languages, and cultures, and to learn about them.”

 

What she finds taxing about her job is the seemingly ever-shrinking release cycles in a competitive industry. “Balancing engineering features with time-tomarket is definitely a challenge,” she comments.

 

But it all adds up to a fulfilling career. “To play a role in the launch of webOS in smart TVs at LG is a dream come true,” Athma concludes.

 

COOKING UP DESIGNS AT WHIRLPOOL

Growing up in Detroit, MI, it was natural for George Bibbs to envision himself pursuing a career in the automotive industry. In fact, the mechanical engineering graduate completed a few internships at automotive OEMs. How - ever, Bibbs also was familiar with Benton Harbor, MI-based Whirl pool Corporation, and while still a student, he made an effort to learn more about the business. After an exchange with a company spokesperson at a diversity conference, Bibbs’s interest was piqued even more. “Plus, I wanted to try something different. I wanted a different experience in a different area,” he remembers.

 

First, Bibbs secured an internship with Whirlpool, then he accepted a full-time offer after completing graduate school as part of the WERLD program. “I was intrigued by the amount of responsibility and expectations the company had of me as an intern and that sparked my interest in coming back,” he says. What also appealed to Bibbs is the degree of engineering behind the company’s products, which includes such household brand names as Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, as well as Brastemp, Consul, and Bauknecht. “Appliances is an interesting field. In the past, they were seen as a commodity, something used to do everyday chores. Today, we combine the typical appliance with new technologies,” he notes. “Appliances have as much technology as your car in some cases or gaming systems. The same principles and technology that go into producing those products apply to producing appliances.”

 

During his tenure so far, Bibbs has been assigned to four major appliance divisions. Today, he functions as engineering lead for the cooking group. Many of his days are spent conferring with representatives from other departments. He explains, “I serve as the primary interface on cross-functional teams, which include marketing, design, manufacturing, and everyone else required to get products to market. But I also spend time in the lab working closely with engineers to solve technical issues.”

 

Often, those issues require a multifunctional approach. “Many people don’t understand the number of engineering disciplines that produce appliances. We have electrical engineers, consumer scientists, and mechanical engineers, for example. They are all required,” he states.

 

Bibbs hasn’t been surprised by the degree of technology he’s worked on at Whirlpool, but looking back over the past seven years, he has been pleased with the extent of opportunities that have come his way. For example, he was twice offered the chance to live and work abroad, which he eagerly accepted. “I’m one of those people that if an opportunity is there, it is hard for me to turn it down,” Bibbs admits. “I like to do something different to stretch me in my career and personally. What I appreciated the most was understanding how different cultures approach technological challenges and the personal exposure to new languages and different ways of life.”

 

But one of the benefits Bibbs enjoys the most is seeing his work on display. “The coolest thing is going into a retailer and seeing the products on the showroom that I worked on, or seeing them in friends’ homes,” he insists. “It’s fulfilling knowing that products I worked on are such intimate parts of people’s everyday lives.”

 

SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON PHILIPS

When Damian Gardley interviewed for a job in Philips’s lighting organization, the sector’s president asked Gardley what he thought about lighting. Gardley admits it wasn’t a question he’d given much consideration up until then. “What I thought about lighting is that when I wake up in the morning, I flip the switch and everything is illuminated. When I flip it again, everything goes dark,” he recalls.

 

The fact he hadn’t previously dissected the technology that lights up our homes and businesses didn’t dissuade Gardley from pursuing the company as his next employer. If anything, taking that moment to consider what “lighting” actually entailed in today’s high-tech lifestyles only persuaded him further that it was an industry worth greater attention. Besides, Gardley was no stranger to professional risk-taking.

 

After graduating with a degree in chemical engineering, he began his career in the automotive industry, concentrating on wafer fabrication and manufacture. A few years into that job, he was approached about assuming a sales position. At first, the idea caught him off guard because Gardley had envisioned himself following a technical track. “I had a plan, and getting into sales was never part of the plan,” he comments. “I was open to listening to the sales opportunity, though, because it was something interesting and the change was dynamic.”

 

It turns out Gardley is well-suited for sales much in part due to his engineering background. “In school, professors teach you how to problem solve, and doing sales is just that. Sales is about developing solutions for customers that make sense,” he reports.

 

From the automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Gardley went to work for an electronics firm before joining Philips, with corporate headquarters in Andover, MA, as vice president of OEM sales in the lighting business. When he researched Philips’s history, which dates back more than 100 years, Gardley appreciated its consistent push for innovation. He saw that the organization was currently creating a new niche for lighting technology and how people incorporate lighting into their environments and lifestyles.

 

“Lighting is anything but boring or your grandparents’ light bulbs,” asserts Gardley. “When I was in the automotive industry, I dealt with transformational technology, and I saw that the lighting industry was going through a similar transition. With the automotive industry, it was an electrification of cars, and in lighting, it is an LED-ification transformation as well as connected lighting systems. You control your light sources with an iPhone.”

 

As the leader of the OEM sales department, it’s Gardley’s responsibility to convince lighting manufacturing customers of the new technology’s value. “It’s a steep transition that occurs in the industry as we move from traditional technology to LED or solid-state lighting. I help them see the innovations, especially around LED at the fixture level and at the component level,” he states.

 

At the same time, they must continue to meet demand for traditional technology. “It requires striking a balance between the old and new and maintaining our position as a leader,” he says. “Making sure our organization is successful in both is a challenge.”

 

All of these factors create an interesting and unique dynamic, which is why Gardley encourages engineers to consider career possibilities within it. “It’s an industry in great transformation, and we need change agents who embrace and drive that change,” he suggests. “Just in the year I have been at Philips, the technology has evolved quite a bit. That’s how rapid of a pace it is transforming.”