Our people: Nancy Xue

As a project engineer for tools at MAPAL China in Shanghai, Nancy Xue is making her way in what is supposedly a male domain.

Nancy Xue, Project Engineer at MAPAL China

The Chinese site requires intelligent solutions for the growing requirements in terms of tool inventory, warehouse optimisation and tool management. Project Engineer Nancy Xue specialises in tool manufacturing. What inspires her about her employer is the drive towards constant improvement, but also the interpersonal aspect.

“I am responsible for designing the tools and calculating the prices”, Nancy Xue says, describing her area of activity at MAPAL China Ltd.


In addition to the sales company, MAPAL also has a large production company in Shanghai that specialises in PCD tools, solid carbide tools and indexable inserts. Nineteen sales offices in strategically important metropolitan areas ensure short response times in terms of customer support, sales and service.

MAPAL is the first professional stop for the engineering graduate, who joined the company in 2012 and has been able to gain experience in sales and purchasing along the way. Today she is an experienced project engineer in the Technology Expert Team. “As a project engineer, my first priority is to meet the demands of the fast-growing Chinese market. I deal with how we can implement the machining of a complete workpiece for our customers and optimise the accuracy of machining.”

Customer satisfaction as the ultimate aspect

In a recent project, she and her team designed the machining process of a component from an electric motor and successfully offered it to the customer. The tools have now been produced and are being used for pre-machining in Dalian in northern China. Nancy tested the tools in close coordination with the machine engineer right from the start. “If we encountered a problem during the machining process commissioning, I had to check whether it was due to the tool design, the cutting data or the production conditions on site. And then I solved the problem together with the machine manufacturer’s co-workers.”, Nancy elaborates. Good surface finish, long tool life and perfect lead time – these are just some of the criteria that determine the success of a workpiece. If customer requirements are met, nothing stands in the way of series production. Nancy knows then that she has done a good job with her team.

｢自分達のツールで生産が問題なく成功裏に行われることが、注文を受けることよりもはるかに重要である｣と彼女は考えています。

開発の自由

マパールグループ内では、さらなるトレーニングが決定的な要因となっています。技術、分野、部品ごとに定期的にトレーニングコースを開催し、実践的なノウハウを伝授しています。コンテンツは正確に開発され、通常、最新の知見や現在のお客様のニーズに基づいています。｢さらにトレーニングを積まなければ行き詰ってしまいます。だから私はこのようなオファーがあるととてもやる気が出るんです。スキルを向上させて、キャリアアップするのを助けてくれますから｣とナンシーは語ります。

古き良き友人のように

社員間の模範的な結束力とチームの協力体制は、ナンシーが今日まで会社にいる多くの理由の一部であると言えます。もしマパールが人であれば、｢古き良き友人」と表現できるのではないでしょうか。｢いろいろなことを教えてくれる人。いつも頼れる人、そして私の人生に新しい友人を連れてくる人｣ナンシーは、マパールが労働環境の改善やトレーニング方法に積極的に関与してくれたことを雇用主に感謝しています。エスプリは伝染します。というのは、チームビルディングを目的としたイベントの多くがスタッフ自身の手で企画されるようになったからです。

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