At EID, people are the foundation of our company and EID is today a combination of their stories, experiences and passions, over 40 years of projects and relationships, which allows us to continue to grow and reach to every corner of the world. In this section, we introduce you to our team members, those whose commitment and dedication make EID what it is today.
Today we have the opportunity to talk to Ana Barros, Head of Product Engineering & Product Manager at EID. Her role in being responsible for the delivery of high-quality products, plays a critical role in leading the product engineering team. Ana’s career offers us a valuable perspective on the innovation that is rooted within EID DNA and the achievements our company has made over the years.
- You joined EID at a very young age, in 1988. What was the beginning of your journey in a company in this field like and what have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced over the years?
EID was only the second company I worked for, so I ended up being quite impressed with the Research and Development (R&D) capabilities that the company had, both in terms of products and solutions, it was quite unique and different from what I was used to at my previous role.
One of the biggest challenges I had back was to accept the proposal to join the Product Engineering Department. Even though I realised that my engineering background was not specifically in electronic engineering, however this challenge led me to increase my knowledge by going back to studying, which I continue to do to this day. Making this change into a new role is one of the best decisions I ever made!
- In your opinion, as an engineer, can you highlight a more innovative project that EID has developed and describe what your role was in it?
Over the years we’ve had numerous cutting-edge projects, for me the most significant one was the development of the PRC-525 Tactical Radio (Multiband), which belongs to a new gen of high-performance software-defined digital radios, as well as the development of all the accessories for this model. At the time, the PRC-525 was the smallest radio available on the market. So, it made it extremely challenging to fit all the necessary hardware inside the frame and guarantee all its specifications, including its robustness. Those were intense years of incredible development for the time, which I reminisce with great pride!
At the time, I was a ‘Product Engineer’ responsible for drawing up the Product Dossier, bringing together in one place all the information on the PRC-525. This portfolio defines the product from the perspective of the Development Project and is what enables its industrial production-
I learnt a lot in this early stage of my career, working across different areas.
- As head of Product Engineering and Product Management, what are the emerging trends that you believe EID should focus on in the coming years in order to remain competitive and innovative in the market?
One of the most recent trends today is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and it you can’t stay away from this. EID is already developing its systems and must continue to invest in the development and integration of AI into our systems and products, which will continuously make them technologically advanced, increase the operational efficiency and effectiveness, so we can continue to satisfy customer needs and provide them with added value, while guaranteeing communications security.
Augmented Reality (AR) as well as Virtual Reality (VR) is another trend that I believe is important for the company to remain competitive in today’s market. These technologies, combined with our excellent ability to develop and create new multilevel products and turnkey solutions, will allow us to evolve and meet our customers’ most specific demands.
Lastly, maintaining and increasing our sustainability policy, always with the aim of finding new engineering solutions for our products that minimise their environmental impact, for example by using new materials and new sustainable practices, will continue to be one of our concerns and priorities.
- With your experience at EID and having gone through several internal changes in terms of management and structure, you certainly have a valuable perspective on the company’s culture and working environment. What would you highlight as the main benefits of working at EID today that could serve as motivation for anyone wanting to join our team?
One of EID’s strengths has always been the good atmosphere among employees and the mutual support. The organisation of small events (indoor and outdoor), both on the initiative of the employees and the company, allows and increases the strengthening of relationships between colleagues and the wellbeing within the team.
Recently, the fact that EID has embraced a hybrid working model has led to a shift in the way the company works and boosted morale, due to the increased quality of life of employees, the consequent reduction in costs and increase in productivity.
The possibility of moving between the various departments is another benefit that I believe opens up opportunities for employee growth and development.
EID’s structural organisation allows for flexible contact at all levels of the company’s hierarchy, allowing employees to be involved and engage in making certain decisions, which in my opinion is a certain plus.
Continuous training, health insurance and, last but not least, the fact that EID remains at the forefront of technology, challenging our ability to develop and create new products and new solutions that are technologically advanced, is an excellent motivation for personal development.
