I was assigned with my classmate to CALNE Electronics Limited, UK, for our Industrial Attachment. The Industrial Attachment has been very enriching for me as invaluable knowledge and experience were gained throughout my stay.

CALNE, one of the towns in Wiltshire, is located west of London. Wiltshire is a county with a very rich English history. The Roman Baths and Museum displays one of the country’s finest ancient monuments – the great Roman temple and bathing complex built almost 2000 years ago. Scenic locations such as Avebury and Stonehenge have large boulders mysteriously arranged in a circular formation way back in history. For someone who likes a laid-back kind of lifestyle, this region is the best getaway from any hectic environment. The people in CALNE are very friendly and most of the people spend their time improving the appearance of their gardens or going away in a caravan to beaches and parks on a long weekend. The people in the company were rather receptive to changes and were pretty curious and amaze at the size of our country. They were very helpful in terms of getting us around the country. Some took very good care of us.

The nature of my project was to implement a streamlined inventory supply chain to minimise the capital held in stocks. Although this project had nothing to do with design in the mechanical field, it gave me a chance to understand the various stages required in manufacturing quality printed circuit boards. The project required contacting suppliers and understanding how effectively each of the different available systems in the market  worked efficiently. I was assigned to propose a layout of the factory for the new location and was glad to see it being approved. The design of labels for the bar-coding of components and the arrangement of floor space dedicated for different jobs were also undertaken by me after consulting the various department heads for their opinions. It was a very fruitful experience handling a management project, which totally differed from the engineering aspects.

It was really an eye opener to discover the different techniques employed by companies based in different parts of the world in handling a business opportunity. Most of all, this attachment has helped me to realise some of the finer things in life that I had been neglecting. My outlook in life has changed to a certain extent after the Attachment. This has definitely made me a better person.