Zwarte Cross, boxing ring, or coffee foaming: colleague Hilbert enjoys variety

One weekend he steals the show with his own Zwarte Cross vehicle, the next he is in the kickboxing ring. In between, colleague Hilbert helps as a knowledge analyst to provide experts with insight into their own factory processes. He introduces himself: “I find it fascinating to get a look behind the scenes everywhere.”

A yellow and pink monstrosity

There it stood. Amidst a hurricane of house music and cheering, on a fluorescent yellow and pink monstrosity, on the Zwarte Cross track. An interesting combination of a tractor, a trailer, half an airplane, and a trail of foam and suitcases. The culmination of a year’s work for our colleague Hilbert. “With my group of friends from Flevoland, I built a vehicle for the Zwarte Cross for the second time. I love being creative and making beautiful things with limited resources and good cooperation.”

Versatile colleague

It is one of Hilbert’s many sides. Besides building vehicles, the knowledge analyst is also regularly in the kickboxing gym to push himself to the limit. “I train a few times a week and twice a year I enter the ring for a match. At first glance, it might not seem to fit directly with my work at ELICIT, but it teaches me not to give up when things get tough. That perseverance is always worth a lot.”

Knowledge Analyst at ELICIT

Perseverance comes in handy in his daily work. As a knowledge analyst, Hilbert makes complex production processes understandable and insightful. “I conduct interviews with experts in production companies. I ask how they manage their process and product quality. What do you look for to know if your product is good? Or that you have your process under control? Which things do you check before your shift starts? What are the main disruptions? And with which settings do you then adjust? Subsequently, I develop all that knowledge into a clear structure, a knowledge file. That brings order to complicated processes. I really love that.”

Variety

Every day can involve different processes. “In the morning, someone explains in detail what constitutes good or bad coffee foaming; in the afternoon, you talk about the difference between cutting pleats and pinching pleats in textiles. It is fascinating to get a look behind the scenes at so many different companies and to bring all the hidden knowledge to the surface. Moreover, you speak to new experts every time, each with their own perspective and personality. That makes every project a new challenge and keeps the work interesting.”

A special project: Total Packaging

His most special projects? “Creating a knowledge file for Total Packaging. I worked there on the assembly line as a 14-year-old, with people who still work there. It is special to see how much depth and complexity lies behind a seemingly simple process.” What seemed like routine as a teenager turned out to be full of subtle expertise.

Additionally, a project at Exter, a flavor factory in Zaanstad, is still fresh in his mind. “I created 8 knowledge files there, with all kinds of experienced operators. Some were as old as I am, others had 15+ years of experience. Interviewing those different types of operators shows how diverse expertise can be.”

His own strength

Within these varied challenges, Hilbert primarily wants to offer reliability. “I want to create high-quality knowledge files that experts and other employees can rely on when problems arise on the shop floor. Furthermore, I try to be approachable and reliable. I find it extremely important to build good relationships with customers and to be an accessible point of contact who is ready when they need someone.”

A bright future

What Hilbert wants to mean for companies in the manufacturing and process industry in the coming years? “We can still achieve a lot with ELICIT because our method is very robust. It works well on almost all production processes. Because of this, I see a great future for our company in all kinds of sectors. Think of the food industry, where I have had many projects, but also, for example, in metalworking, textiles, or water treatment. Basically, everywhere where experiential knowledge is important.”

And Hilbert, he walks into every situation with the same open mind. Because monotony will never suit a kickboxing, racing knowledge analyst. “For me, it can’t be varied enough.”