Armel Jay P. Mercado

5.30 AM

Finally, I wake up after a series of alarms which starts at 5:00 AM. I’m a last-minute person when it comes to waking up (I’m a night owl as well), so my mornings are usually in a rush. My things are all ready the night before, so I just get them when I’m ready, put on my face mask and face shield, and use public transportation and our company’s shuttle service on my way to the plant. On my way to work, I spend time reading God’s Word to be guided throughout the day.

6.00 AM

I reach the plant, go to the locker room and change into our GMP uniform. Then, I go to the admin office where I spend most of my time during the day since most of my deliverables are related to documentation and data analysis. As I enter the office, colleagues, usually in pairs, are busy having turnover, discussing important matters.

I put down my things, but before all the work, first things first -- my morning coffee! After the first sip, I set up my things and get my notebook. I go through the list of tasks and outputs needed for the day and prioritize.

Being a management trainee can be overwhelming at times due to the workload and expectations, but it’s a great opportunity for growth and development in terms of personal, technical and leadership aspects. It’s also important to learn the skill of prioritization to better attack and approach the tasks one at a time. I, then, read emails mostly from production and maintenance personnel and check if there are meetings in the calendar to plan for the day ahead. I usually start at least one task during this time period.

8.45 AM

Time to put on the hairnet and hair cap as we enter the production area! We have a daily meeting in the production area involving all plant leaders (i.e. managers and supervisors) who represent the different departments to discuss yesterday’s plant performance as well as issues/problems to be solved for the day and for the weeks to come.

9.30 AM

As management trainees, we are to be immersed in different departments prior to our developmental assignment. Right now, I am in my maintenance immersion, thus, I get to learn topics such as preventive maintenance, spare parts management, and work orders, among others. After the meeting, I then go back to the office and send an email updating maintenance concerns raised during the meeting. To sustain the mental energy needed, I grab some snacks from the canteen or from my bag.

On top of some documentation work related to autonomous maintenance, I am also working on a project which aims to improve a certain machine’s reliability by addressing the types of downtime experienced by the machine. That’s why I spend hours in front of the computer as I do data gathering and analysis.

12.00 PM

Favourite time of the day! Lunchtime! Due to the pandemic, we now have these barriers for protection, so not many interactions for now. But we still enjoy a few desserts and a few chats. Then, I spend some time alone to recharge (as an introvert) for the afternoon.

1.00 PM

Back to work and some meetings! Due to restrictions, most of the meetings are done online or, if necessary, may be in the Meeting Room but making sure that COVID-19 protocols are being followed.

I also get invites for online meetings which are scheduled within the week or the weeks ahead. These various meetings could be about plant operations, programs, reports, people development, learning sessions, and many other things. I also coordinate with other supervisors to complete tasks related to autonomous maintenance. Here are some of my colleagues currently in a meeting via Microsoft Teams.

3.00 PM

Afternoon coffee (and some snacks) time! It has become part of my system to have coffee twice a day. I need this second one to pump up the remaining time of the day as my energy (especially mental energy) starts to decline. Around this time, I continue gathering data for the mentioned project by encoding the type and duration of the downtimes experienced by the machine. I also use charts, graphs and other Excel features to analyze these thousands of data and to know which type of downtime needs to be prioritized.

5.00 PM

During this time, I finish up the remaining tasks, revisit the list of tasks for the day, and evaluate their completion. If needed, I go back inside the production area to check on some equipment to get the necessary data. I also write ideas in my notebook whenever I see opportunities for engineering improvement which could be related to safety, quality, productivity, efficiency, etc.

6.00 PM

Phew! It’s usually a busy day everyday, but what a blessing it is to be able to work despite the pandemic. After a long day at work, I then say goodbye to colleagues and say hello to the incoming colleagues from the other shift. I change back to my previous clothes, go home riding our shuttle service and hopefully squeeze in some exercise or gym time when I come home before having dinner and doing devotions at night.