Alireza Pishrouyan joined our company with a strong background in control systems and automation engineering. Before joining us, he gained valuable experience as an automation engineer at well-known companies like ArcelorMittal. Since starting at Verhaert On-site Consulting, Alireza has set up a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system from scratch at Volvo Cars, technology that gathers real-time data from equipment, monitors processes and allows operators to supervise systems remotely. It’s a key piece in automation, improving safety, reducing downtime and keeping complex operations running smoothly.
What was your role as a SCADA engineer?
As a SCADA engineer at Volvo, I designed the system layout, created, implemented and programmed the SCADA platform. This replaced a previous IT system, improving safety, reducing downtime and enabling remote management. By connecting data from line PLCs to the monitoring server, this system helps operations managers at Volvo quickly identify and address human or equipment issues.
Which skills or qualities do you think are most important for someone in your role?
You’ll often need to dive deep into the systems, projects and outcomes to understand it all, so being proactive and having a genuine curiosity about automation makes a big difference. And technically, the most crucial skill is understanding communication. You need to understand how to get the data from one or more devices, analyze and translate it to the right application.
What’s something you’ve learned here that you didn’t expect?
I significantly developed my project and time management skills. In previous projects, this either wasn’t as critical or was sometimes handled for me, but here it was essential to meet a tight schedule and keep multiple teams informed. What I definitely didn’t expect was that I would be setting up a pilot project integrating OPC UA as the new communication method between PLCs, screens and IT at Volvo. With little documentation or in-house expertise, it was intimidating at first, but I taught myself how it works and now it’s even planned for rollout in other countries.
What originally attracted you to join Verhaert On-site Consulting?
I first heard about the company through other consultants who spoke highly of it, and my positive impression was confirmed during my first interview with Dirk, Business Unit Director of Verhaert Consulting. I liked the wide range of clients, many deeply rooted in Belgian industries, and the openness about where you might be placed. This gave me a sense of security and continuity. I also really appreciated the professional, well-structured onboarding, showing that the people who work here truly know their field.
Can you share a memorable moment from working as a consultant?
I felt really proud when the first SCADA project launched. It was a completely new setup, so everyone was stressed and management put a lot of pressure on us to justify their investment. As a new engineer, and especially as an on-site consultant, it took time to convince them it would work because the results aren’t visible until the very end. When the pilot went live successfully, everyone was genuinely happy.