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Tread Team Member Feature: Zhan Liau - Staff Software Engineer

Zhan-Liau

Could you please tell us about your background and your current role?

I’ve always loved building things. After graduating with a degree in Computer Engineering I started my career in a small startup creating video streaming software, which was then acquired by a larger business. There, I spent a few years experimenting with different technologies in the software networking and cloud space doing professional services for large companies. Here at Tread, I get to oversee the direction of new features, create things from scratch, and see their immediate impact.

What do you like most about your job?

The best part about my job at Tread is the collaborative nature of the work. It’s great seeing requirements and designs drafted directly from client’s needs, and then working closely with other team members to bring the designs to life. We have an all-star engineering team here, I’m constantly learning new things and getting to share my knowledge by mentoring others as well!

How do you like to spend time outside of work?

I love being outdoors! I’m working on my mountain bike skills in the warmer seasons, and I try to take extended trips to go snowboarding every winter. When I’m not doing that I’m either practicing guitar or playing video games with friends.

As a Staff Software Engineer, what’s an average work day like for you?

Nowadays my time is split evenly between working on code for features, reviewing and discussing technical details about upcoming features, and helping out other engineers with roadblocks. 

What’s your favorite Tread feature and why?

My favorite Tread feature is the geofencing/location reporting. Tread makes use of a real time data processing engine written in-house that allows us to provide context on drivers’ current locations and what stage they are at in the middle of their current job. All of this data is aggregated together into reports to give dispatchers a clear visual representation of how their fleet is doing.

From your perspective, how does Tread solve our customers’ challenges?

All industries should look towards technology as a way to boost efficiency. Increased efficiency means more time available to be spent on more important, creative things. Tread is the solution to the tediousness of pen and paper that exists in the construction industry today. By providing a digital solution that replicates our customers’ processes and generates insights into these existing processes, we take on that large part of their cognitive load that would otherwise have been spent on tasks like remembering to fax tickets, tracking drivers, and calculating invoices.

Is there a problem & solution that you’d love to work on in the future in the construction industry?

I’d like to continue working on improving operators’ experiences in the industry, as well as thinking of ways to make Tread’s solutions even more intuitive and easy to use.

 

If you’d like to learn more about how Tread can make your business more profitable, reach out to us to book your free demo!