Listen to the one that knows- - the operator. He (or she) is the one who uses the machine day after day and in twenty different ways. They are the folks who have to live with every nuance and who can make your job as an engineer easy- - or hard.
Technical advancements in all aspects of machinery and control systems continue at an astounding pace. Scanning the field for the newest developments and monitoring them until viable for industrial situations is crucial to designing products with staying power.
See the qualifications page for more information on engineered projects.