Ihor Vashchuk: repair of equipment is about quality, analytics and development
Person: Ihor Vashchuk
Position: Senior transport repair mechanic
Structural division: Service and repair service
Work experience in the company: 6 years
The trait I value most in people: Responsibility
Favorite time of year: Summer
Superpower: I can process large amounts of information and perform several tasks at the same time. I am also guided by the principle that any work must be done qualitatively and brought to a logical conclusion, regardless of its complexity or scope.
A song or movie associated with daily work: Series «Hospital», but with one difference – our patients – are cars
How would you explain to your child exactly what you do? I make it so that cars can drive, transport people and goods. In short – repairing machines.
If you could switch roles for one day with anyone in VILIA, who would it be? I think that I would try myself in the role of the whole
Life philosophy is formed at work: Work taught me to be resilient in stressful situations. In general, I learned a lot here and discovered new facets in myself
What does working at VILIA mean to you?
How it all started for me. Once upon a time, my friends worked here and shared how cool it is to work at “VILI”. I also had a dream to become part of this team. And so, my dream came true — I came here, first as a supply manager.
The most important thing I appreciate about “VILI” is that the company gives every person the opportunity to develop. Here they are not afraid to trust responsible work, which allows them to fully reveal their potential and grow professionally.
What qualities should «Specialist of the year» have in your field?
A specialist in our field – is first of all a person who has a deep understanding of the technique and structure of the car. This is the foundation.
If we talk about other important qualities, then this is responsibility, attention to detail and, what is very important, the desire to constantly develop. I have a great example: the guys who used to work in construction are now masterfully assembling engines. They acquired all the necessary knowledge and skills directly here in the company, having gone through the path of retraining. This has been made possible by their dedication and our desire as a guide to educate and support anyone who seeks to grow.
What was the most memorable moment or project of your career for you?
The most memorable and turning point for me was the transition from a supply manager to a senior mechanic, in fact the head of a service station. It happened on February 7, and already on February 24, a full-scale war began. This event radically changed everything. Ordinary civilian cars were replaced by military equipment, which became a completely new challenge for us.
All of 2022, we were completely busy with work: our boxes were full of armored personnel carriers and BRDMoms. Although the principle of operation remained the same, the specifics of military equipment required the boys to learn quickly. We mastered new knowledge by the method of trial and error, looked for information in books, contacted the military. And it was thanks to general efforts that everything succeeded.
I feel great pride during this period. In total, we repaired 280 units of equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was an extremely intense but at the same time very enjoyable and iconic stage in my career.
What advice would you give to newcomers just joining the company?
The main advice I give to beginners, — is to have a desire to work. During the internship, I immediately see whether a person has aspirations, responsibility, attentiveness and the right approach to the matter. Our work is very responsible, and these are not just words.
However, if you have this desire — we will do absolutely everything so that you learn and become a real professional.
What key changes have taken place in your work during this year, and how have they affected your professional development?
First, we have successfully launched hourly wages with fixed working hours of employees. It was a grandiose project that lasted a year and a half. I took a direct part in its development together with programmers: we prescribed types of work, fixed time, engaged in software configuration and integration with 1C, as well as trained personnel and adapted it to the new system. Now we can effectively monitor the performance of tasks, adjust the quality and speed of work. From our side, this is a huge amount of analytics: we see how much time the employee spent on a certain task, which allows us to optimize processes and analyze the repair time of each car and those responsible for it.
Secondly, the management decided to reconstruct the repair area on Rankova Street. This is another large-scale project that requires a significant amount of work. We want our service station to look and function like a modern European service station, equipped with all the necessary equipment.
Both of these initiatives not only improved the efficiency of our work, but also gave me valuable experience in managing complex projects, analytics and implementing innovations.
What were the challenges facing you this year, and how did you deal with them? What did you learn from this experience?
The biggest challenge, of course, was the personnel issue. Because of the war, we have a catastrophic shortage of workers to provide the amount of work we have. It is really difficult when the load increases and the hands are missing.
Another significant challenge was the shift to hourly wages. For our people, it was something completely unusual and non-standard. Usually, such programs are used by large dealers, such as DAF or Scania. In our region, apparently, no one else implemented this. At first, of course, people perceived it as hostile. They are used to a different format, and any change, especially such a large-scale one, always causes resistance. This is probably the worst thing that people – have reluctance to try new things. Here I already had to work from a psychological point of view, help. We showed how to use the system, took into account all the nuances of –, for example, if someone had problems with the accuracy of pressing on the screen, we reduced the size of the buttons. All this was done for the sake of the result.
And although it was a long process, we did switch to a new system, and we have been working on it since March. This experience has taught me that change is constantly happening and we need to be flexible.
What are you most proud of this year in the context of your professional activity at VILIA?
The most important thing for me — is that the management supports me and is satisfied with my work. It really inspires me a lot. I always try to do everything possible not to let them down, because they trust me. This is a fundamental principle for me. As I worked in the supply, I continue now — do not let colleagues and management down. Their trust is my greatest pride.
I am also proud that recently we managed to establish effective communication between different divisions and departments. This is critical to the prompt implementation of our tasks. To quickly repair the car, I need spare parts from the warehouse, – work approval and it involves many people. Planning the transportation of cars to us, coordinating their delivery with other departments for further maintenance – is all one coordinated mechanism. Thanks to good communication between structural divisions, we can perform work quickly and efficiently, because the work of other departments depends on our efficiency.
Which of VILIA's values (professionalism, decency, systematicity, initiative, team approach, responsibility) was key for you in achieving this year's successes? Give an example of how you demonstrated it in your work.
The most important value for me this year was responsibility. To give a simple example: our cars run around the clock, and situations where they break down in the evening or at night occur regularly. The boys go on call at any time of the day, because they understand that it is necessary to ensure uninterrupted work.
The season used to run from July to October, and now it has stretched from July to the New Year. Our task is — to ensure that transport is always in working order. And here their responsibility is manifested: the guys are ready to go to any corner of the country and carry out repairs in any weather conditions – in the field, in the swamp, right in the middle of work. I believe that this is a real responsibility.
In addition, I would like to note teamwork. Our team is very friendly, and we always support each other. For example, if someone has any trouble, we help financially, or simply respond to requests for help. It really unites us while working and helps us achieve common goals.
What goals do you set for yourself for the coming year?
My primary goal for next year is – to successfully complete the reconstruction on Rankova. I can already clearly see the final result, and I really want this picture to become a reality. I also want to involve students in our work – show them our work, ramzones. This is a great opportunity for them to see everything with their own eyes, and for us – to grow new personnel and provide a job perspective.
And of course the biggest desire – is the end of the war. I really want our guys from the department to return home as soon as possible and join our joint work here.
How do you see the future of your profession or industry as a whole?
Unlike mechanical engineering, where many processes can be automated, the repair industry will always need human hands. We perform the entire range of repair work, and this is impossible without qualified specialists. For example, qualitative diagnosis of – is a key stage that requires not only understanding, but also significant skills. Properly made diagnostics are the key to successful repair.
Now we are actively equipping our repair area, creating the most comfortable conditions for work. This includes the right tools, lifts, pneumatic and electrical equipment. All this directly affects productivity and efficiency. Providing employees with everything they need – is one of my main areas of responsibility. When there is the right tool, comfortable working conditions, desire and understanding of the – process, everything is done quickly and efficiently.
We will always have a job, because the equipment that works inevitably breaks down. This is a completely natural process. We currently service 450 pieces of equipment in our repair area, so there is plenty to do and I'm sure there will be work in the future.
