bill lo-pg电子官方
product requirement engineer, design and product development
“i see ikea having the courage to innovate by using new materials.”
how did you get started in ikea and what have you done so far?
i was in hong kong working for an office furniture company and i saw the job advertisement on the ikea website. i was looking for ways to develop myself and this job seemed like a good way. i got the job and moved to sweden. i have a lot to learn here. at the same time, i have learned a lot from my colleagues. they taught me everything regarding the product development process, materials and the requirements that we have behind the products. sometimes our customers see a table and think it is just a table. but what is hidden behind it is that we have done a lot regarding materials, surfaces, safety, durability and much more.
why did you want to work with ikea?
one of the main reasons is that ikea has a really good reputation. when i saw the ad i applied and did some background research. the feedback and reviews of the company are positive. i thought i could be really happy working for ikea.
what are the most inspiring responsibilities or tasks you have in your current role?
i like working with products that use new materials. then we have to develop a lot of requirements and look into factors like mechanical properties, uv resistance, how it reacts to heat and humidity and much more. it’s new for me so i’m happy to work with it. i think it’s good that ikea is willing to work with new materials. i worked in furniture industry before, but not using new materials. in ikea we try. maybe it will fail sometimes, but we want to move forward because it’s environmentally friendly.
what advice would you give someone thinking about this job?
it’s a good company to work for because you have lots of freedom. and you get lots of support from others. the culture that i’ve been experiencing in ikea is that we accept failure and learn from it. and then i really remember our leader said that you shouldn’t ask for permission. you should ask for forgiveness.
what is your favourite aspect of the ikea culture and values?
tillsammans. everything we do is together as a team and we support each other. and i like our dare-to-be-different culture. we are not just satisfied with our current range. we are developing more with different designs and materials. we always ask: can we do it better?