Daan Huft Process Engineer

At VDL Smart Spaces, we produce construction modules for a Dutch construction group. Daan Huft has been working as a process engineer at VDL Smart Spaces since September 2022. We ask him exactly what this job entails and what he thinks of working at VDL!

Daan, how did you end up at VDL Smart Spaces? 

‘I did a trial internship at VDL Smart Spaces while studying business administration at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. I enjoyed it so much that I got back in touch with the company after graduating and was offered a job as a process engineer. I have been doing this job for 18 months now and really enjoy it.’

What does the job of process engineer involve? 

'At VDL Smart Spaces, we produce construction modules for homes and as a process engineer, I follow the entire production process. I analyse the production process to see what stands out and where any bottlenecks may be. Based on these analyses, we are continuously optimising our production process.

You have actually started your career in a relatively new organisation. How has that been for you?

‘In 2022, we switched from producing buses to building modules for homes. So we set up a whole new organisation here, which meant we had to discover everything all over again. From logistical processes to how we should organise production. It was a great challenge to get the whole team working on it, and it was a case of trial and error. Even now, we are still continuously implementing improvements in all processes to be able to work together more efficiently and deliver higher quality.‘

What makes working at VDL fun?

’What I like is the contact with my colleagues on the work floor. What do they think is important in the design of the production line and how can we, from an engineering perspective, incorporate that into our processes. My highlight so far at VDL Smart Spaces has been setting up our first production line. When I started here, we still had a temporary production line and were in the process of setting up the factory. I had a coordinating role in this and it was great fun to do!’