John Ballantyne

Experience

• 

  Rolls-Royce

  Sept 2001 - Jan 2013

  I was promoted to the Defence Bristol site CAPP superuser and am authorised and control & administer user’s access permissions & roles of 50 Manufacturing Engineers. I must understand & adhere to the IT and intellectual property rights policy. I ensure they are appropriately trained with Chief Engineer approval. I am responsible for organising & training new users and am the technical lead for the department. I both adhere to existing processes but have defined new procedures and best practices. As the departments super-user I attend and contribute to the super-user’s community of practice to broaden and share super-user knowledge with people from different global locations. As a direct result of these forums I have been able to deploy new working practices and techniques to the Defence Business. I manage a team of eight key-users that I have organised in a community of practice. I develop users’ abilities in preparation to meet the challenging technical needs of migration onto the global R-R solution. I share best practice by authoring training material, standard operating procedures, self-help guides and official process documentation to support team and individual development. I coach key users and provide feedback on a 1-2-1 basis at group presentations workshops and key user meetings that I chair. I record the meetings discussions and actions that may arise. I have Identified appropriate review techniques, procedures and methods to undertake continuous improvement activities including running Kaizen style events and surveys to evaluate users’ capability, system performance and process compliance. Understanding the department’s capability has enabled me to create a gap analysis, identifying individual training needs of key-users and ME’s. I have set up training and coaching sessions to close these gaps. These sessions take place monthly and I am working towards having a recognised training course being established. Show less After my secondment I was asked to stay in ME and the systems team. I am the CAPP technical authority and test lead. I represent the Bristol Defence Business globally and ensure the operation of the facility is not impacted by any changes to the deployed system architecture. I design efficient test packages, test scripts and bespoke test data to suite individual deployments. During development and testing phases I cross business functions and work closely with external suppliers and partners. I exchange test results and information with these parties in a concise and effective manner I have found myself in the middle of disputes between different suppliers and have had to mediate. I must maintain and enhance productive working relationships and have had to resolve conflicts. I prepare technical and non-technical users & management for forthcoming PLM deployments to manage their expectations of the system capability and am responsible for system outage & business readiness. I prepare and agree implementation plans. I manage arising of issues & associated fixes raising requests for funding and representing these at change boards. I specify technical and operation requirements internally, externally of R-R and to non UK companies. I am flexible & creative in communicating requirements with these companies and used virtual demonstrations to communicate expectations to RROIPL (R-R Operations India Ltd) and eQ Technologic of India.I reviewed the working practices the global team were using and tested the functionality with the local Defence AsBuilt MES, documenting the testing and producing local process procedures for others to use. I trained the team to use the existing but unused options and variants functionality who deployed the methodology onto a single RTM322 build process that encompassed all 3 customer options. This resulted in an estimated 66% time saving for that team. Show less In line with my vision to become a rounded engineer with exposure to the full product lifecycle, (design, manufacture, assembly, service) I successfully applied to join the Manufacturing Engineering (ME) Systems Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) team to gain engine assembly planning skills and further my PLM understanding & knowledge. Working as a team managing my own priorities, I had to Identify, agree and work towards collective goals and was technically accountable for testing and signing-off aspects of large integrated PLM deployments and testing phases. PLM deployments impact over 8,000 people across the UK & worldwide with an associated cost to R-R of £7.3 million per annum. If upgrades are not adequately tested this could lead to a total or partial outage of the Teamcenter toolset. This would impact 8,000 engineers ability to view and transact upon key data. An outage would halt Assembly ME’s ability electronically publish build instructions to the shop floor. For the EJ200 build line alone this would cost £6 million per week not taking into account penalty clauses or damage to reputation. Post testing I update technical documentation, training materials & operating procedures in-line with the new configuration with recommended improvements to test schedules and specifications for others to use. Show less I was technically responsible for the production and delivery of major component detail definitiondrawings using the Teamcenter NX CAD modelling package. To do this I had to understand manufacturing processes & procedures and adhere to international & Roll-Royce best practice,standards & specifications.I was responsible for checking, verification & release approval of component definitions & technical packages of mine and others work. I had to assure models and definitions were in-line with current standards, specification and satisfied design specifications & gained laboratory approval. I had to check the technical data including calculation of tolerances, stack-ups, limits & fits. I was lead user and tested Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software upgrades for CAD; I was responsible for signing-off the testing that I had performed. As a lead user I was seconded to Fan Systems, working in a 4 man integrated project team; I lead the generation of the machining definition of the JSF F135 stage 1 compressor casing that was behind schedule and over budget. I found ways of reducing the cost of manufacturing the product whilst being mindful of project delivery dates. During the manufacturing acceptance stages I was a consultant to Dutch-Aerospace and assisted them through difficulties with production compliance. Working closely with produceability Manufacturing Engineer I had to look at ways of increasing tolerances and working outside of engineering specifications including all the proofing and signoff of these decisions. The result was the manufacture was able to produce the component and delivery achieved. During my time in the role I worked on range of Defence Aerospace, Marine and Industrial Engines including, Avon upgrade, Adour 951, RB211, MT30-50, JSF135 & JSF136. Show less As a product Definition Engineer I was responsible for producing 3D models & detail definitions of a varying level of complexity including concept models, using the Teamcenter NX CAD modelling package. The role required and developed key engineering skills such as understanding and the application of geometric tolerances, design-for-manufacture & assembly and how a Jet engines works. I was technically responsible for the production of major component definition drawings & models like the JSF stage one compressor. To complete this I had to understand & adhere to international & R-R best practice standards & specifications. I learnt and understood the new manufacturing processes, procedures of the emerging wide core hollow fan blade technology being used. Show less As a technician apprentice I undertook workshop & vocational training. I learnt skills such as milling, turning, welding, bench-fitting & assembly with accreditation to City in Guilds NVQ level 2 in performing engineering operations. These skill and understanding formed the basis of my engineering knowledge. I had placements in different department and projects including Turbine systems & design, compressor systems and the component definition group. This gave me an early appreciation of the breadth of Rolls-Royce (R-R) products and the design & CAD modelling techniques & packages. During my training I was awarded apprentice of the year twice. Throughout my apprenticeship I studied part time for NC & additional HNC then later HND accreditation. Show less

  • Manufacturing Engineering Systems Team – CAPP Super user

    Jan 2012 - Jan 2013

  • Manufacturing Engineering Systems Team –Test Lead

    Jan 2011 - Jan 2012

  • Manufacturing Engineering Secondment

    Jan 2010 - Jan 2011

  • Advanced Product Definition Engineer

    Jan 2009 - Dec 2010

  • Product Definition Engineer

    Jan 2005 - Jan 2009

  • Rolls-Royce Technician Apprentice

    Sept 2001 - Jan 2005
• 

  Rolls-Royce

  Jan 2013 - now

  Manufacturing Engineering Systems Team – CAPP Super user, MES Super User & Deputy Tech Lead

  I am the site CAPP IT super user and am authorised to administer user’s access permissions & roles. To do this I must understand & adhere to the IT security policy and project intellectual property rights. I am responsible training new users and am the technical lead for the department. I run a community of practice for lead users that I coach on a 1-2-1 basis and at group communications & workshops. I share best practice with the key users by authoring training material, standard operating procedures & official process documentation. As principle CAPP tester for the site and Defence Bristol Business Ambassador I have to effectively communicate IT issues and progress to fix. To do this I must specify technical and operation requirements internally and to non Roll-Royce suppliers including Siemens, HP, Cap Gemini & eQ-Technologic both in the UK and overseas. I carry out cost benefit analysis of issues & enhancements balancing future deployments with current operational needs. To do this I represent the function at technical change-boards to get buy in from the Chief of PLM & engineering improvements council.I am an active team member and organise teambuilding activities, social events and community volunteering. I am the departments contact for Business In the Community (BITC) and have arranged a team for the past three years. I negotiate and get commitment of resources & funding from internal and external stake-holders, organise press releases, site visits and carry out health and safety risk assessments. I have built a strong relationship with BITC and was asked to present at a launch event to outline the team leader role and showcase what can be achieved. In addition I mentor an operations management graduate. I am responsible for helping him deliver his project through a business representative scheme. This scheme brings practical business skills and experience to new graduates in the business Show less