Wesley Saunders Email & Phone Number

Troy, Michigan, United States

I lead and manage a team of engineers and technicians to roll out diagnostic electrical test and control unit flashing solutions to vehicle manufacturers and value-added assemblers (VAAs) for all phases of vehicle production.I am involved in all stages of delivering projects of a cross-functional team from initiation to post-delivery support, including pre-sales meetings, concept development, customer site walks and meetings, technical planning, budget review and monitoring, electrical design, mechanical and electrical design reviews, prototype review and evaluation, test mules, software integration support, advanced fault finding, production management, delivery and commissioning coordination, field service requests and general customer interactions.I conduct performance reviews for existing team members and interviews for new team members. I am involved in the day-to-day running of our office and will always have time for my team and do my best to look out for improving their work environment and overall well-being.

Troy, Michigan

After immigrating from S4 Integration in South Africa, I continued my work on VBA scripting and developing diagnostic and flashing tools while integrating with the team and leading daily standup meetings.I regularly worked with large data sets to find failure patterns and analyze electrical tester performance. I wrote a Google Glasses demo application for automotive assembly line operator assistance. I performed test software configuration and parameterization for audio testing of vehicle speaker systems and wrote software for vehicle diagnostics (via CAN, LIN) and test systems.Additional tasks included project management, specifying solution hardware, interfacing with customers, customer site installation and commissioning, fault finding, and documentation creation.

Port Elizabeth Area, South Africa

I rejoined S4 Integration in 2018 (as S4 is part of the DSA group) to prepare for my immigration to the USA to join DSA Systems, Inc.While there, I programmed and debugged end-of-line (EOL) automotive diagnostic test procedures primarily using JAVA and a proprietary DSA software known as "PRODIS.Authoring." I developed and verified ODX data to communicate with ECUs in the above test procedures (on various communication buses such as CAN, LIN and protocols such as UDS). Building on this, I assisted in developing generic ODX test sequences and simulations. I collaborated with teams in multiple countries and worked on various customer diagnostic and flashing tools such as Karma Automotive, Faraday Future, and AM General.I actively wrote technical documentation and complex Excel macros using VBA for electrical wiring schematic generation.

Port Elizabeth Area, South Africa

I was promoted to Shift Superintendent in the Engineering division for Continental Tire SA and started my position in February 2015.Majority of my current daily tasks include the following:- Managing and leading a team of qualified technicians and artisans throughout the plant.- Managing project and planned maintenance activities.- Fast understanding of unfamiliar software, machines and processes for problem solving under complex conditions and in a high pressure environment.- Internal client satisfaction by interaction and communication with production staff to achieve KPI's and ensure production targets are met.- Minimizing waste by identifying and improving production processes using Lean Manufacturing techniques.- Monitoring production quality and taking necessary steps to resolve non-conformance's to ensure high quality products - DMAIC.- Proactively monitoring and managing machine breakdowns and maintenance improvements within the plant to minimize downtime.- Writing reports on shift and machine performance and ensuring efficient shift transition to and from adjacent shifts.- Ensure adherence to all health, safety and environment requirements for employees and contractors working on site.- Sustaining plant equipment availability by managing the efficient delivery of engineering services with minimal interruption to production (electricity, water, air and steam).http://www.continental.co.za/

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

After almost 2 years in a maintenance department at Continental Tire SA I was moved to the specialized engineering division known within the company as the "Controls and Drives Department". Here I worked in a team with 4 other technicians and 6 junior technicians whom we supervised.Before leaving my maintenance position, Continental Tire SA management saw leadership potential in me and placed me into an intensive 1 year course known as the "Leadership Entry Program" (LEP), presented by Experiential Technologies, which I started when I joined the Control and Drives division. In short, the LEP focuses on preparing potential leaders for leadership tasks through a framework built around 3 core modules: Leadership Personality, Leadership Behavior and Leadership under Complex Conditions.As a Control and Drive Technician I worked throughout the entire plant on all control systems and their components with a focus on an automated industrial environment. This included various software packages, PLC's, IPC's and AC/DC VSD/VFD Drives down to configuration level and Network switches to a fault finding level.My day to day duties included:Assisting maintenance on critical breakdowns; Creating, Restoring and Validating all Industrial PC hard drive images; managing back ups of software and PLC programs along with machine documentation and drawings; Setting up machine hard drives from scratch (loading all machine/plant software and configuration including joining domains and policies/permissions); basic electrical panel design and layout and specify hardware for machine upgrades; PLC programming including project creation and modifications to existing programs; setting up PLC configuration and RTX systems; installing Industrial PC's and Micro-master Drive commissioning.http://www.continental.co.za/

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

I began my journey at Continental Tire SA as an Electrical Technician in the Passenger and Light Truck Curing and Final Finishing department. In my position I was part of a team of 5 technicians that supervised a combined total of 40 instrument, electrical and mechanical artisans.My versatility and logical approach supported me in working throughout the Port Elizabeth plant, however majority of my time was spent in my department on automated tire spray booths, curing presses, conveyor systems, tire inspection and sorting machines, high-tech uniformity machines and dynamic balance machines. I often relieved my manager during his annual/sick leave for weeks at a time.My day to day responsibilities were more than that of a regular maintenance technician. They included advanced electrical fault finding (including fault finding on Siemens S5, S7 and Beckhoff PLC's and AC/DC motors and drives); performing root cause analysis and "5 Whys" on machine/system/part failures; analyze and eliminate repetitive process delays; ordering spare parts internally and externally via SAP P50; compiling and implementing planned maintenance work schedules; standing in for my manager on leaves of absence; provide 24/7 breakdown support and plant shift cover; being a designated department safety representative and performing in-house turn-key projects (Including project justification, funding requests, project timing, ordering of parts, conducting upgrades myself or employing a contracting company for project rollout, machine commissioning and compliance auditing, and project close-off).http://www.continental.co.za/

Port Elizabeth Area, South Africa

During my time at S4 Integration, I worked as a software developer creating highly specialized software for programming motor vehicle ECU's via production devices and after sales testers such as Porsche's PIWIS Tester. Majority of the programming was done in Java and relied on a strong logical thinking and process analyzing approach. Some of the diagnostic programming (CAN, LIN) I was involved with was for companies such as MAN Trucks, Porsche, General Motors and Fisker Automotive utilizing industry specific protocols (eg KW2000, Daimler Chrysler, etc) and devices such as Multi-Function Testers and DT2's.The work I was involved with included creating ODX data for the global standardization of ECU communication, Test case designing, Specification and requirement documents, Test case development, Simulation creation (simulations to emulate a vehicle's ECU), Test case assessment (Performing test procedures to bug-check the software, document all results) and continually work with and liaise with German colleagues via emails and telephone conferences.http://www.s4.co.za/

Port Elizabeth Area, South Africa

I started my career at Jendamark Automation where I was taught basic hand skills and how to operate workshop machinery including a surface mount soldering machine. I started out wiring electrical panels and installing sensors and general wiring to customer specific robotic cells. During this time I was also involved with the assembly of surface mount components to printed circuit boards and quality testing of these boards. After approximately 2-3 months I was moved into a Junior PLC programming position where I received training on Beckhoff PLC's and the programming thereof. The work I was involved with thereafter included: Reading and interpreting electrical schematics; Robotic cell cable routing and panel wiring; Beckhoff PLC programming, fault finding and debugging; 24/7 Breakdown support to customers; Basic project initiation and reporting.http://www.jendamark.co.za/

Executive Mba

In progress - Expected completion in 2026

Bachelor'S Degree, Electrical Engineering, Cum Laude

National Diploma, Electrical Engineering, Cum Laude

High School, Matric

Activities and Societies: Prefect; Deputy Head Boy; 1st Team Men's Hockey