5 July 2019

They walk through the door talking and laughing. They walk in together, because Ad and Dylan ‘run’ the Logistics department together within Phoenix 3D Metal. It seems like a good team at first glance; both men appear to be enjoying themselves. A chat with Ad Pasmans and his ‘mate’ Dylan van Dinter (both Logistics employees) about working together, getting to know each other and, in particular, understanding each other and the importance of a properly functioning logistics department.

“We haven’t always come in smiling like we are now. I tend to think I know better and that took Dylan some time to get used to.”

Ad Pasmans (59) married and proud father of Vinnie. Hobbies? Making music. “Making music? You mean making noise.” According to Dylan (22). Single, soccer player and beer drinker at DBS. The tone appears to be set for a not too serious conversation. Or …

“We work together in the Logistics department, but we are involved in various activities. Dylan does office work and I’m on the forklift. We do the packing together. And if I am not there, Dylan is ‘allowed’ on the forklift.” Dylan adds that he is also responsible for incoming and outgoing goods and inventory management.

Sounds like a good distribution of tasks. Did it just work out that way? Or was it based on specific qualities? “The distribution of tasks actually stems from the growth of Phoenix 3D Metal. Running the department on my own was no longer possible, we needed another person, and that was Dylan. Just as well, because I don’t know anything about computers. Dylan does.”

“When it comes to computers, you really shouldn’t ask Ad. But apart from that, he knows everything there is to know about logistics. A big advantage for me, because from my first working day in this department I have never had to feel lost. If there was something I didn’t know, I would ask Ad. I still do that by the way.”

Dylan was already working at Phoenix 3D Metal before joining the Logistics department. “I was working in the Laser Cutting department behind a 3D Laser when I was asked if I wanted to switch. Bringing out the best in you and your specific qualities, this is enormously important at Phoenix. You will continue to grow here before you know it.”

“He is a smart man. The management of Phoenix 3D Metaal had seen that for a long time, I hadn’t yet. I’ve been here for 30 years, I can be quite stubborn and often think I know better than anyone else. The fact that our collaboration didn’t go so smoothly in the beginning, was mainly due to me”. A tough start, how did you end up getting along?

“When I (Dylan) started in the Logistics department I mainly worked alone, logically Ad continued to do his own thing. That is not surprising; he had always worked on his own. After a while we realised that we were working too much as individuals. Like I said before, I would ask Ad when I had questions. I would get an answer to those questions, and then I’d be off again. That’s why we started working from one central location within the department. That way we would see and speak to each other much more often. The latter was really important. I would see what Ad was doing and he got an idea of my work. We started to learn from each other and above all we understood each other better. This created a nice dynamic in our collaboration, even if you look at the considerable age difference.”

“I actually didn’t want to learn anything new, but it’s great that I am doing it now. Dylan is a young guy with his own vision, while I’m turning 60 next year. His vision and ideas give a kind of new energy.”

Okay, it’s clear to us; you’ve found each other. What does this ‘golden team’ do at the Logistics department within Phoenix 3D Metal?

“We supply our colleagues and ensure that everything that is made here is sent out correctly. That kind of sounds like the sum of its parts, but it’s not always that easy. “I think we are also a fairly underrated department. We do much more than just load and unload. Remember, the last visual check is always performed by us and no one else. After us, the Phoenix 3D Metal customer is the first to see it again. That’s a considerable responsibility.” Says an enthusiastic Dylan.

“We also clean up the mess here. That might seem a small thing. But when a customer comes in, impressions count. And we feel responsible for that.”

Underrated? Unappreciated? “No, certainly not the latter,” says Dylan. We are an important department within Phoenix and the people here really know that. Ad is on the forklift quite a bit and therefore sees a lot of what’s going on. He always knows what’s going well and what could be improved. Not because he always knows better, but because he is confronted with every step within our production process. “I also have a lot of customer contact and that makes me a face of Phoenix 3D Metal, I am aware of that. I make sure I always know what I am talking about. And, if I don’t know (anymore) … I can always rely on Ad.”