Every year, the development team organises a team event. This year, car building was on the agenda.
Why did we choose car building?
Various methods and principles that we use every day at Netstream have their origins in the automotive industry. Lean thinking comes from Toyota and aims at continuous development and the optimisation of all production processes. Kanban as a working method to increase efficiency and Kaizen as an improvement process are also part of our everyday work.
On the day of our team event, however, none of that interests us in the slightest.
What we had planned for the team event was actually supposed to remain a surprise. But Sasha and Julian had already found out the day before that it was all about building cars.
On the day of the team event After lunch, we set off by train and by PostBus (yes, they really still exist in Zurich) to Uitikon-Waldegg.
The event organisers welcome us, split us into three teams and announce the task. To help them, each team receives a jigsaw, a cordless screwdriver, sandpaper, a folding ruler, five sturdy wood screws, various small wood screws, various washers, a piece of string and two pens. The base is a board of roughly 240 x 130 cm and two sturdy wooden beams.
The requirements are low: the vehicle has to move, be steerable, be able to brake and carry at least four team members.
Sounds easy? Maybe at first. Ever made a wooden wheel without a compass? Well, now we have. They turned out about as round as PacMan on a Commodore 64 back in the day.
The real challenge for our development team, however, is this: five team members with five different approaches, skills, ideas, native languages and ways of understanding have a maximum of two hours to build a car that meets the minimum requirements and is of high enough quality to survive the test track and, of course, get everyone safely to the finish.
And that is exactly what links our everyday environment with this car build: mastering complexity! So we should be perfectly prepared.
Time is running out. While some want to get going with sawing and drilling, others feel the need for a more detailed concept. But it is precisely this teamwork and this mix that will make the team successful and the result usable.
After two hours, we are all ready for the test track. Before it starts, though, the design is judged. What stands out: all three cars are built on the same concept. The same type of steering, the same braking option and the same construction.
The first team gets ready. Helmets go on, the manoeuvre is discussed once more. Dom takes the steering, Sasha the command at the front and Dominik and Marc share the brake. Marko provides the push. They set off with quite a lot of momentum. Full throttle down the ramp and then – crash. The axle is broken. But walking is quick too, and every screw has to come along, because every second counts. In the end, everyone reaches the finish safely – just not the car.
The second team, at least as nervous, also gets ready. Guenda as the bow, Steffen at the steering, Simon as the powerhouse solely responsible for the brake and Julian and Meisti as passengers. They decided to use the string as a hippie headband instead of for steering. Was that clever? Fear is written all over Guenda’s face. One last scream and off they go. At the end of the ramp, there is a crash here too. The axle is broken.
Here, too, all team members quickly pick everything up and walk to the finish, all safe and sound.
The third team, with Cinzia in command, Simon at the wheel, Bartosz and Patrick on the brake and Miguel pushing, now gets ready. Because their confidence in their own construction is so great, the team does without helmets. And indeed: the axle holds. After two metres there is a crash as well, but only into the wall. Quickly into reverse (manually) and onwards. This time on the vehicle, but really slowly.
Now we have done enough tinkering and are looking forward to the award ceremony. Team three wins the design prize and team two the prize for the best test drive. We celebrate with a team cheer, beer and a good bottle of prosecco.
As we eventually run out of drinks and hunger starts to make itself felt, we head back into town. In Birmensdorf, we take the train to Zurich, where Guenda invites us to her home. When it comes to agility, we can still learn a thing or two from Guenda’s partner. After a quick phone call, he set off without further ado to fill the fridge with cold drinks! Thank you very much! It was a great team event.
