IMS has decided to show you behind the scenes showcasing of its employees who are specialized in key positions within the company. Every month you can read about a new employee and the description of his or her position in Star employee!
Employee name: Louis-Eric
Position: Technician and Coordinator, Technical Department
Years of experience: 7
Explain briefly what you do at IMS.
Louis-Eric: I’m the coordinator of the technical department, but as I have a technician’s background, there are actually two aspects to my job. As coordinator, I organize the activity of the technicians and I guide them in their work so that our clients are entirely satisfied. In addition, my experience as a technician allows me to solve more complex problems and to share my knowledge with the technicians.
Are these two aspects of your job complementary?
Louis-Eric: In our case, one would be impossible without the other. To coordinate the department, you need experience as a technician because the coordinator is responsible for helping other employees in the department as well as ensuring the quality of their work. As our department is also in charge of testing new products, you need a good amount of technical knowledge in order to properly evaluate the products.
So you don’t only evaluate products from a user’s point of view.
Louis-Eric: No, no, not at all. Evaluating how the machine operates is important, but we 
want to go further than that. We want to understand the mechanics of the equipment so as to correctly judge if we’ll be able to adequately perform the maintenance, easily obtain spare parts in case of damage, etc. We won’t sell equipment to our clients if we can’t guarantee excellent after-sales service.
The clientele seems to be at the heart of your preoccupations.
Louis-Eric: Absolutely! It’s more than simply selling products to our clients. We need to be able to guide them and to give them advice when they’re ready to make a purchase. This is why we go to see our clients to evaluate their needs onsite.
So the technicians should dress to impress…
Louis-Eric: …and have patience, pay attention to detail and be inquisitive! But image and attitude are essential. As I always say, a technician should solidify the image of the company because this is often the last person at IMS that the client will have contact with.
The profession of a technician from the technical department of a supplier like IMS is not officially represented by an association or professional group. This makes it difficult to discuss advances within the profession. However, there are many challenges. For example, as clients each use their equipment differently, the complexity of the job lies in correctly determining the diagnostic. Moreover, understanding the needs of our clients is crucial because this helps a company stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
Although the technology is the same and the mechanical aspects of the equipment change only slightly from one supplier to another, thermal transfer printers are part of a unique line of products. Your success as a technician may depend on your academic background. For those who are attracted to this profession…
… and who are looking to obtain a diploma, we suggest the following programs:
– Electronics technology (available in many CEGEPs) OR
– Industrial maintenance technology (available in many CEGEPs)
… and who have experience as a technician, but not with thermal transfer printers, we suggest:
You try your luck. As thermal transfer is a very precise form of technology, continuing education programs are few and far between in the sector. It’s often the employer who provides the training, which is the case with IMS. Adequate knowledge of similar equipment and the desire to learn are often sufficient.
