overcoming challenges in automation through collaboration

The Team at Navus: Overcoming Challenges Through Collaboration

Navus has grown and changed a lot over the past decade, which has required problem-solving on a cross-department level. Our team has become stronger as we work together, developing skills we wouldn’t have otherwise. This has allowed us to stay nimble as we face and solve new challenges for our customers.

senior mechanical engineer and designer

From left to right: Jim P., David L., James H., and Bill S. enjoying our first annual Open House in October 2021

Meet James: Senior Mechanical Engineer & Designer

James is an integral part of our team who has worked for us going on 10 years. He’s been with us as we’ve grown over the past decade, joining Navus after a short stint with the University of Tennessee. 

Teamwork that Keeps Projects Moving Forward

Navus: What do you do in your role at Navus?

James: It can vary from day to day. I do a lot of research and development on certain tasks we’re trying to automate so we can successfully design the system. I also do debugging when we’re doing a runoff to try and improve the process, speed up cycle times, or come up with a different method entirely that changes the design itself, but ultimately makes a better product for us and our clients.

Navus: How did you end up in this career and ultimately at Navus?

James: I started out in my career as a welder and then focused on becoming a machinist. After I spent some time in a career as a machinist, I went to school and studied engineering. I spent time as a research and development engineer for the electrical department at the University of Tennessee. When a position opened up at Navus, I applied for the job, got it, and I’ve been here ever since!

Navus: What’s your favorite part about the work you do with us?

James: It’s always changing and there’s always a challenge. I like using my brain at work, and my role at Navus really lets me do that. We’ve definitely overcome some great challenges when it comes to our customers’ needs.

Navus: What’s your favorite part about working for Navus as a company?

James: It’s a small-scale company, and we’re very transparent. There’s good communication with all the departments, and we have a good working relationship between the various teams. A setup like this makes the workplace fun, especially when you have challenges to overcome in a project. Challenges can be stressful but having a collaborative culture like ours definitely helps.

We all realize that we’re in the same boat and that we all have a common goal. When an individual on the team is met with a challenge beyond their skillset, other people willingly step up to keep the project moving forward.

cable management solutions

Teamwork and a Team That Works

Navus: Describe some of the ways you’ve seen the team at Navus work together to overcome challenges.

James: One of the projects that’s pushed our capabilities the most was a tactical welding system we created for a client. It was a multi-departmental project where we all had to come together and develop a working solution. There were a lot of cable-management issues to work through and solve. It wasn’t just one person’s job to solve this. It required input from all the departments that led us to the final solution that we delivered at the end of the project.

Navus: What has been your favorite project that you’ve worked on?

James: Probably some of the more challenging projects. Specifically, one project where we had to create an automated solution that machines the edges of multi-ton parts using sensor-guided robotics. It was a new challenge for me. I enjoy anything that gets into technology that I’m not used to dealing with, because it’s a learning experience. I can then apply that new knowledge on future projects.

Navus: What do you envision for the future of Navus, especially since you’ve been with us for so long?

James: I think that as we work together and our whole team gets more experienced, we tend to overcome some of the codependencies that we have. For instance, I have learned a lot of electrical and robotics skills that I’ve found useful in my designs during my tenure here. I would expect that knowledge to grow with the other employees here so that there’s less codependency. It will help everyone overcome some of the small challenges that we have and come up with better solutions so we’re all working together to deliver the best systems possible to our clients.

Forging the Future & Clarifying the Complex in Custom Automation & Fabrication

Our team at Navus is invested in every solution we provide to clients. With our intelligent team and all of the years of experience they have, we develop simple solutions that fit your unique needs, and look sleek and elegant at the same time. Dedicated team members like James are a part of the reason our company succeeds in helping our clients overcome complex challenges, and forge new possibilities for their manufacturing needs!

Are you interested in joining the Navus family? Reach out to us today. We’re always looking for talented individuals to join our team of engineers and technicians. Learn more by emailing us at info@navusinc.com.

navus

About navus

Navus Automation, Inc., is a leading full-service automation integrator. Our world-class team has a reputation for applying ingenuity to solve complex challenges and deliver customized turn-key systems solutions. From concept to completion, Navus provides robotic welding and automation systems built upon our unwavering commitment to excellence, precision, and reliability. Navus collaborates with many Fortune 500 companies in the medical, automotive, military, and consumer industries. Navus engineers are renowned for their expertise in providing innovative and solid solutions for integrated systems that increase productivity, quality, and safety. Founded in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1998, Navus excels by envisioning the future of automation and delivering exceptional robotic solutions.