James Goode works as PLM consultant at UK Industry Solutions. “An extremely varied job in a professional, but also very warm and welcoming working environment that focuses on helping each other out and delivering a great team effort.”

Crazy about sports

James currently lives in Nottingham and is a true sports aficionado. “You could call it an obsession. I run, swim and play tennis, football and golf. Working from home can be quite heavy on you. Sport is an amazing outlet that gets the body and mind going. On average, five out of seven days I’m doing something sportive. On my dad’s side, most of the family is involved in technical professions, such as satellite placement and program management. On my mum’s side, most of the family members are active in accounting and finance. My mother is a teacher.”

Love for mathematics

James studied maths, physics and chemistry. “I’ve always had a love for maths. I especially enjoy the puzzle side of maths, the part that goes beyond mere numerics. I didn’t necessarily know where I wanted to end up eventually. I just did what I enjoyed and what I was good at.” When he went to university, James chose to study aerospace. “A respected study that contains a lot of mathematics and gives you a wide array of options in the field of engineering.”

Open-minded and diverse

James joined Emixa straight out of university. “I left university with a first in aerospace and was debating whether to do a master’s degree in mathematics in Cambridge or to get started in the engineering field in some way. I decided to apply for a graduate scheme at Emixa. What I really liked was the fact that Emixa allowed you to learn a variety of software programs and areas of expertise (CAD, automation, CAM, CAE, and more) and choose your path from there.”

James was immediately impressed with Emixa. “From the first talks and interviews with the recruiters and upper management there was a very good atmosphere. It’s a big company with the mentality of a startup. You’re not treated as a number and there is a very open-minded way of communicating all the way to the top. You can have very frank and honest conversations and there’s no cut-throat competitiveness between colleagues. People are available and will try their best to assist and help you with difficult questions or projects. Everyone supports everyone with one goal: building a strong team and working family. I can honestly say that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here.”

All-rounder who likes diversity

James works as a PLM consultant. What does his role entail? “I love to have a go at everything and think that it’s important to be well-rounded. I do admin and user training, consultancy tasks concerning the deployment and implementation of solutions and a bit of business process support. I also occasionally assist in support cases. There is not one day that tends to be the same, which is lovely. I need new puzzles and problems on a regular basis, and really enjoy tackling multi-problem challenges and new projects at new companies. When it comes to Teamcenter, you have to educate yourself constantly to keep up with the latest developments.”

When James is involved in a project, he carries out several consultancy tasks. “We start with a kick-off meeting and a few chats to discuss what the plan and timetable is, followed by the configuration, implementation and building process. A lot of my current work involves upgrades. This adds a level of complexity because you often don’t know where a company is in its digital transformation process and what their system looks like. Training and post-adoption support are often also part of the job.”

The power of sharing knowledge

Emixa is a consortium that has a bright future according to James. “In the long run, what we see is a giant knowledge-share. Every company is an important pillar with its own strengths and specialisms. Together, they form a strong unit that is able to offer a far greater range of products and services than what we can offer now. Emixa embodies PLM as a whole by bringing all these other specialisms together, allowing us to offer one great solution that hopefully covers all the needs of the clients. On a personal level, Emixa offers me the opportunity to learn from the other companies and broaden my professional horizon and knowledge. The open relationship and communication channels facilitate this. The formation of Emixa also opens new windows for innovation that we can use to keep customers ahead of the curb.”

Don't become a dinosaur!

James’ future ambition is also the advice that he wants to give other young professionals: “You have got to be willing to get involved. Continue to learn and grow. Don’t stop. There’s no point hitting a ceiling and getting comfortable. Especially in the IT industry, things move so fast. If you spend two years sitting at one point without updating your knowledge and skills, you’re out and destined to become a dinosaur. It’s easy to fall behind very quickly if you look at the speed at which modern technology moves.”