Engineering Better Workflows
An Interview With Maxime Houle, Project Lead Developer at DSEL
What inspired you to pursue engineering, and how did you find your way into land development?
My father was a very successful chemical engineer which inspired me to focus on the STEM field, I was also always at the computer when I was younger, so studying computer engineering made sense to me.
In your role as Project Lead Developer at DSEL, what does a typical day look like for you?
A typical day involves checking in with my team’s tasks, helping out with any roadblocks they are facing, discussing problems the designers are having that could be resolved with automation, and then planning out solutions for the team to implement. In between the management tasks I like to stay involved in the coding with debugging and minor comments.
How do you bring together your background in computer and engineering skills with your work at DSEL?
My computer engineering background has significantly helped with my work at DSEL. One reason is the general engineering principles I learned in my degree allowed me to quickly understand and process civil engineering problems that our automation solutions were trying to solve when I was starting out.
What do you see as the most rewarding part of leading development projects?
The most rewarding part of leading a development team is definitely working through problems with the team and then hearing the enthusiastic reactions from the design department when it saves them hours of work.
Collaboration is a big part of your work. How do you approach working with different teams and stakeholders?
When working with different stakeholders I always aim to consider the different perspectives involved. This of course includes thinking about what others want, but also includes thinking about how they think about our AD department and it’s capabilities. I try to be clear about what is and isn’t possible within a time frame to keep communications clean and effective.
What’s one project or achievement at DSEL you’re especially proud of so far?
Part of my journey with DSEL involved inheriting our Lot Grading Automation Project, and working on this project has been part of my proudest moments here. Every improvement to the tool has felt very satisfying and noticeable every time a new job comes around, and we use the tool.
Outside of work, what motivates or inspires you?
Video games have always been a part of my life, and to this day I still get inspired by challenges and experiences provided by them. Overcoming challenges and discussing solutions with friends is one of the best experiences in life.