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SE Awards of the World 2013
SE Awards of the World 2013 Event Report
Service Engineers (also called "SEs") continually provide on-site support day and night to ensure that customers can use products with peace of mind. Since 2008, Roland DG has sponsored a competition for all SEs residing in Japan with the goal of motivating our customer-oriented SEs to consistently provide even higher-quality service and support.
Marking its 5th year, the 2013 event was opened up to SEs around the world to enhance Roland DG Care activities on a global level. Twenty elite SEs were gathered at the company's headquarters in Hamamatsu, having been selected not only from within Japan but also by Roland DG's sales subsidiaries all around the world. The participating SEs looked seriously at each challenge as they competed for the world championship title, demonstrating the full range of abilities and knowledge they have cultivated in their daily work.
Event dates: October 28 - 30, 2013
Judges' criteria: Judging was carried out in a variety of ways that examined each SE's mastery of key service procedures, ranging from print head replacements to restoration of broken products. In addition, a timed written exam was given testing their knowledge of Roland hardware and software technologies.
Judges' Criteria
Mission 1 Fundamental Skills 30 minutes
This test evaluated the SE's skills related to replacing an inkjet print head. Through this competition, elite SEs from around the world demonstrated their skills, with entrants also joining in the judging process.
Mission 2 Practical Repairing 30 minutes
This challenge required SEs to quickly analyze the causes behind a printer breakdown and to restore the printer to its normal state — all the while keeping in mind the high impact this downtime can have on any given customer.
Mission 3 Broad Technical Knowledge 100 minutes
Ten difficult questions were proposed on all aspects of Roland technology, testing the SE's broad knowledge of our hardware and software in the strictest controlled setting, with just 10 minutes in which to solve each problem.
Awards Ceremony
The awards ceremony was held inside a nearby hotel on the banks of Lake Hamana. As well as giving awards to the overall champion, runner-up and third-place finalist, commemorative shields were given to all of the entrants who took part in this year's competition.
SE Awards 2013 Winners
- 1st place
- Mr. Yannig Van de Wouwer
- Experience as Roland DG technician: 9 years
- From Belgian dealer Pantoon
- I couldn't believe it. I used to think I was prepared for anything, but I wasn't prepared to win this! The reason I won, I believe, is because of the dedication and preparation I put into the competition. I hate to do a job part way. When I do something I want it done well. During the competitions, I discovered things I didn't know. I learned that there are things that I can do it better. And, now that I know this, I am going to improve my skills as much as possible.
- 2nd place
- Mr. Paulo Branco
- Experience as Roland DG technician: 27 years
- From Portuguese dealer Dataplot Ⅱ
- The competition had some unexpected twists and turns. When I left Portugal, it was my goal to be one of the top SEs. But, it was still a surprise for me to actually win, and it means a lot to me. I have worked with Roland since the beginning, for 27 years. I think my deep experience with the company and its products are the reasons behind my success here. The most important thing in my daily job is to try to do all things well, and to keep the customer happy. In the future, I would like to have more time with my family because I am a workaholic. And I keep working hard for Roland.
- 3rd place
- Mr. Daniel Thätner
- Experience as Roland DG technician: 10 years, 6 months
- From German dealer Tecnoplot
- I was very nervous before the competition. But, now I'm relaxed and really happy to have received this award. I thought the questions from the written test were very detailed — and not easy at all, as I had expected them to be. I am committed to learning more before the next event. My motto is "Work more accurately, with better control, and in a relaxed manner." I hope I work a long time for my company, Roland DG Benelux, and that I can come back to Japan in three years for the next competition. That is my goal!
