MEP Engineer – Role and Function in Modern World

When you are a part of the company since its inception, you contribute a lot to its development, you move forward and write its history, one day it becomes more than just a job. For the distant eye, routine and boring work turns into an interesting and great adventure. Where "there is always a need for a person who will make important decisions in difficult situations".

Mamuka Jakhaya joined the company "Verge" from the first steps. Since its inception, he has been the head of its project team and chief engineer. Together with him, we are talking about a profession that is not so popular in our country, but without him, our life and everyday life would be unimaginable.

MEP engineering, the same engineering communications that combines electrical and mechanical direction, ensures the smooth operation of the building. From the very beginning of the construction, for the full development of the project, along with the architect and constructors, the involvement of the engineering communications specialist is necessary and decisive. In order to become a professional in this field, you need a lot of hard work and foresight, because it combines functionally different directions and all the "little things" are equally important.

In the interview, Mamuka tells us what is required and what difficulties an engineering field specialist has to deal with in today's conditions and how much the mentioned profession is in demand and developing in Georgia.

- Mamuka What is your interest in the field of engineering, why did you choose MEP engineering?

- To tell you the truth, when choosing a profession, I did not have much information about this direction in particular. In general, I was interested in the field of construction, I wanted to work with drawings, construction planning, etc. I was interested in the working principles of various mechanisms, their disassembly and assembly was a pleasant process for me (I admit, disassembly was better for me than assembly - this is a joke). Therefore, at that moment, I considered it the most optimal option to get an education in the field of construction. During university, I realized that architecture and construction engineering were less interesting to me, and other aspects, such as the engineering of internal mechanical and electrical systems of a building, were more prominent. The Technical University of Georgia had such a structure: at some stage I chose a specific direction from general education, at the first opportunity I chose the department of water supply, heating, air supply and ventilation, where I continued my studies and finally became an engineer of mechanical systems of the building.

- Immediately after completing your studies, you began practical work and gained quite a lot of experience. Can you tell us from your perspective what is required of an engineering communications specialist today?

– MEP Engineering In general, it covers a very large scale. The system is divided into two major positions, the mechanical and electrical parts. The mentioned categories are also divided into subcategories, therefore a lot of knowledge and experience is needed (taking into account functionally different directions) in order to become MEP engineer. It is very rare for a person to have the same knowledge in all fields, that's why I say that I am a mechanical part engineer because I have more knowledge and experience in this field. This is a constantly developing field, where every day you can see news, make some optimizations, system comparison, analysis, experiment... therefore, if you are interested and eager in this direction, it is not really a routine job. However, the environment you work in is very important to enable you to realize all this.

- Since we mentioned realization and development, we will ask you here - to what extent did the company where you are now allow you to do this? It is interesting how your and Verge's path crossed?

- "Verge" was established in 2019 And I have been with this company almost since its inception. I have a long-standing relationship with the director of the company, Giorgi Chincharauli. It was through this field that we got to know each other. We worked together in a design company, as well as in a supervisory company. We got to know the working principles of the field, project management in general, we learned the pluses and minuses in this direction. Ideologically, our thoughts about the field coincided for the most part, later cooperation turned into friendship, the idea of creating "Verge" appeared and soon it was created. This is a company that is built on team principles and really allows the employee to develop.

As for the activity, I am the head of the project team in this company, which means directly participating in the creation of the "skeleton" of the projects together with the project team, monitoring the progress of each work, relationship with the customer, drawing up schedules, resource allocation, quality control, etc.

- What does working in such an organization mean to you?

- When you work in a company where you are one of the first employees and have known since its foundation, you develop a different attitude towards it. You don't look at it as an ordinary job, you have the desire to create more and you know that years later, when this company reaches a large scale, you will be proud, because you are also a brick in its construction. It is a great incentive when a business started from scratch grows step by step and becomes successful before your eyes.

At this stage we are a progressive, steadily growing company, we try to improve every day, make fewer mistakes and learn from each mistake. We have an approach to be judged by the quality of the work we do, and the products we create speak of our professionalism. There were times when we were not fully satisfied with the result and thought that we could do better. We always take this as a reality, correct it and try to improve more. We want each created product to be better than the previous one, at least a little, and continue to move forward in this way.

- What opportunities does "Verge" offer to team members today?

- as of today,"I can't" There is a mid-caliber player on the market, but this is just the beginning. Although the company has a 4-year history, specialists who work in this field work here 8-10 years old Experience strengthens your back. Over 4 years, the company has achieved more than expected. Along with experienced personnel, our team also consists of young members, for most of whom "Verge" is their first professional job. This means that the company gives young people an opportunity to express themselves, as well as more opportunities to easily adapt to the work environment, to test themselves and realize themselves. You will agree that I will remember everything in life that happens for the first time. So is the first job, the first income and the feeling of living independently. Although it is a natural process, it is a bit painful for us when the paths of the company and the people working in it cross, although we are also proud of the fact that people leave here with more professional knowledge and a professionally formed mindset.

- What difficulties does the professional staff in this field face and how do they deal with it?

- There are many challenges and difficulties in the field of engineering, however, if there was a unit of measurement of professionalism, it would probably depend on how easily you handle difficult tasks for others.

- On your example, if you can remember the biggest challenge, as well as an obstacle that you successfully overcame?

- It will be difficult for me to say what was the most difficult moment, but I will tell you what helped me more in this field. It is about making decisions independently. It may sound simple, but when you are faced with an issue where you and no one else have to make a decision, you should do it without too much hesitation and not be afraid of making mistakes. Due to the fact that we have to study other projects in both design and installation aspects, there are many inaccuracies in the analysis of projects, and learning from mistakes is the biggest teacher.

- You often hear the worry that there is a shortage of experienced employees in your field as well...

- This is really a problem, it does not only apply to the engineering field, in general we can say that there is a lack of professional employees in this field in the country. There are some reasons for this, some very simple reasons, which would take us too far to talk about, but I will mention at least one of them. This is a duty that is not fulfilled by higher and vocational schools. For example, in the project direction, we mainly focus on students who have a certain basic education, so that they can already master certain directions. I am proud to say that I have already heard from many that after the internship period with us, they understood and learned much more about their profession than during the years spent at the university.

 - Under such conditions, how do you see the development of the mentioned field?

- Only by raising the level of education, by more practical education, by promoting more professional activities, by sharing knowledge.

- Is this profession in demand, popular and developing today?

- It is clearly in demand and promising, perhaps less popular. As for development, if you are determined and purposeful, you will be appreciated in all areas. If you believe that determination and hard work to achieve a goal are appreciated, then you are in the right place.

– Explain why your profession is so responsible…

- In general, if we call the work we do a profession, then irresponsibility in any profession is unacceptable. Specifically in our field, we work on areas whose functioning is vital. We are in contact with security systems, evacuation systems, building management systems during emergency and emergency situations, which, believe me, requires high responsibility and accuracy.

- What do you think is the most important thing in this field today and what are the modern trends?

- This field is developing every day, what was an innovation yesterday, may become standard tomorrow, and the day after that it will be obsolete. We must try to support trends and always think about development.

- How do you envision the role and function of MEP engineering in the next few years, when technologies are changing and advancing so rapidly?

- Maybe the future 5-10 years Even if it is the peak of technological development, I think this profession is not destined to become extinct. Technological development will create new challenges, so there will always be a need for a person who will make the right and important decisions in difficult situations.