INTERVIEW- RUDOLF ZACCOMER
Please briefly introduce yourself, what you do, in what field and how long have you been working at SKOH?
My name is Rudolf Zaccomer, I am a family man with 2 teenage sons. I joined SK On Hungary in summer 2019 as Quality Engineer, after 1 year as Engineering Manager and from 2022 I became Quality Manager at Komarom plant 1 and 2. My responsibilities are incoming goods control (SQA + IQC + ICP) and module production supervision.
About yourself and your career and life path at the same time, what would you like to share with readers?
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been interested in engines, cars and how machines work. After technical school, I graduated as an automotive engineer at the Technical College in Budapest, where I was introduced to quality management and obtained a second degree. Since then, I have been working in the field of quality management in the automotive industry for more than 22 years. I have worked with calibration, suppliers, customers, engineers, area managers and middle managers. I’ve worked with countless suppliers and customers, from plastic injection moulding to metal machining and assembly.
My previous job was at Bridgestone Tatabánya, where I was in charge of incoming goods control, supplier handling and in-process control of rubber compounds. As fate would have it, I was assigned the same areas in SK On. In 2019, I started as a Quality Engineer and 1 year later I was promoted to a Leader position, where in addition to the aforementioned position, I was also assigned the Validation area as Engineering Manager. With the development and growth of the company, the departments were also restructured and merged, so I got confidence Manager Mr. Yoon Jung-hyuck and from 2022 I am working as the Head of IQC+ICP+SQA for the Komarom plant 1 and 2 cell and module of VW and module inter-production inspection of Ford.
Where did you first hear about SK On Hungary and how did you actually get involved with the company?
I heard about SK On from my current colleague, Gábor Abai, with whom I was also a colleague in my previous company. He told me positive experiences about his change, which attracted my interest, so I applied for and won the Quality Engineer position in the summer of 2019.
What were your first experiences and impressions of the company, and what has changed in you since you started?
When I joined the company in 2019, we were still based in the container office, as the factory was still under construction. That was when the installation of the machines started, and the first trial production runs were launched. It was a big challenge to learn the new technology and to set up the laboratories. Cultural and linguistic difficulties, Korean descriptions and work instructions were a problem at first, but Korean colleagues helped a lot to get started. Initially, my tasks covered several areas, from procurement, providing human resources, installing equipment to testing the first pieces. Looking back over the past 4 years, it has been a difficult but very challenging and rewarding time for me. I am proud that in a few years, almost from scratch, we have developed a team and a system that meets the automotive (IATF and VDA) requirements for both external and internal customers.
How do you see the company developing during your time here so far? What are you satisfied with and what do you think should be given more emphasis within the company?
The approximately 2 years between the ground breaking in 2018 and the delivery of the first series is a huge challenge and growth for any company. All areas have grown and developed at a very fast pace, which has been a demanding task to coordinate for both the Korean and Hungarian colleagues. Processes were still immature and communication with headquarters was difficult. Nevertheless, the main objectives set so far have been achieved, but this would have been easier with a more efficient flow of information.
The other thing is the company’s PR activities, which should have been given more emphasis from the start. Unfortunately, this was minimal at the beginning and there is now a lot of negative feedback in the media about the battery industry in general. This has a very negative impact on the recruitment of new employees and on the reputation, but we know that most of the negative reports in the media are unfounded. I feel good that there is hardly any change in my team and that the turnover is minimal. Nevertheless, I also consider it important to increase employee satisfaction and improve the working environment.
How do you look back on the changes that have affected you and your own development at SK On?
The last 4 years have been very busy for the company, both in terms of the development of the company, new projects and my own development and constantly changing responsibilities. I believe that Quality is a department where you can’t be bored, we need to have a comprehensive knowledge of all areas of the factory to be able to see through the processes and take the right measures in case of a problem or a complaint, in cooperation with the other departments. Every day is a challenge, a task to be solved, which in the case of our team is to detect non-compliance in order to prevent the problem as soon as possible. This can only be achieved through continuous learning, improvement, new machines, tests, which is a success and positive feedback for everyone. We still have a lot of room for improvement, which motivates me a lot.
Do you have and if so, what are your future plans within the company?
I also have long-term plans for the company. In the current year, the primary task is to implement Modular Manufacturing in line with Ford’s expectations, and to set up the associated IQC and PQC+OQC labs, team bonding, training and process development. In the longer term, the centre is in the process of developing and implementing a global quality control system, G-QMS. Furthermore, we plan to integrate the different departments and tasks of Komarom plant 1 and 2, which could be more efficient and flexible for the organisation in the future.
Would you be interested in sending a message to all the colleagues?
I would like to thank my team, all my technicians, foremen, assistants, and engineers who have been with me from the beginning and who have been going above and beyond to solve our tasks. I am proud of them, I am happy to work with them and I wish them good luck in their work this year, as well as happiness and health. In order to maintain our market advantage over our competitors, the first priority in electric cars is quality, trouble-free cells and modules. Therefore, I ask all employees to comply with the regulations and to exercise caution in their work. In closing, I would like to leave you with my motto: “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”