What refrigeration engineering has to do with Defence software integration

Having spent the first 15 years of his career working on refrigeration installations for major UK supermarkets, Clive Abrahams had become very good at getting immersed in technical problem-solving and research and development. But as commercial pressures intensified and margins tightened across the sector, he decided he needed to find a new specialism.

His return to college just before the millennium to retrain in IT proved to be a defining decision. Whilst when he made the move, people were being hired left, right and centre because of the feared ‘millennium bug’, and then were being ‘let go’ just as fast when the bug proved to have very little bite, his decision nonetheless opened the door to roles at organisations including QinetiQ at Boscombe Down and Abbey Wood, where he became involved in software projects supporting aviation engineering teams. One of those early projects was helping to build and code the TIMS database for the Typhoon programme, and this would later shape the thinking behind tlmNexus’ critically important product, Resolve.

As with many valuable people, when he was made redundant, the timing coincided with an opportunity. Having already crossed paths with several future tlmNexus colleagues, he joined the business in 2010 as one of its early team members. At the time, there were around thirty people; today, the organisation has more than doubled in size.

Bringing a different perspective

Coming from a non-military background has influenced the way Clive approaches integration work. “Working alongside the military, you see how processes can become very siloed. Sometimes you need someone looking at things from a slightly different angle and asking ‘why?’ and not just ‘how?’.”

Clive had worked in customer-facing retail environments as well as hands-on engineering work and this shaped his practical, people-focused mindset. Listening, understanding pressure points, and translating technical change into operational benefit became core strengths that continue to define his work today.

Building Resolve across platforms

 Soon after joining tlmNexus, Clive became closely involved in expanding Resolve beyond its original Typhoon environment. Working alongside Tony Graves, (who has since retired from his pivotal senior role in building tlmNexus), Clive supported project teams across multiple locations, travelling frequently to RAF Coningsby and RNAS Culdrose while helping to embed the system into new platforms.

The rollouts to Merlin and Chinook helicopters around 2012 were particularly demanding.

“Winning hearts and minds was the hardest part,” Clive remembers. “You cannot just rebadge an existing system; you have to understand how each team operates. Even within the same regulatory environment, every platform has its own nuances and ways of working.”

Those deployments required long hours, extensive training sessions, and a willingness to adapt the product based on real operational feedback. The outcome was not only broader adoption but also increased return on investment for customers and sustained growth for tlmNexus.

EIS (Enhanced Integration Support): the role today

 In his current position within EIS, the focus is on bridging the gap between technical capability and operational reality.

Clive’s day-to-day work spans customer engagement, service desk support, and helping front-line teams to manage maintenance, airworthiness, and safety processes through tlmNexus applications. The emphasis is less on coding and more on understanding people.

“The art of integration is listening. You have to balance what the customer needs with what is sustainable for the business. Sometimes that means knowing when to go the extra mile, and when not to give too much away in the desire to help.”

Face-to-face engagement remains a cornerstone of his approach. While remote collaboration tools are useful, he believes real progress usually comes from sitting alongside users and understanding their environment firsthand.

Projects that made a difference

Among the achievements Clive is most proud of is the transformation of the MOD’s F760 Narrative Fault Reporting process. Previously managed through disconnected Excel documents and email chains, the workflow made tracking and accountability difficult.

Clive worked with multiple stakeholders, to help design and implement an end-to-end process within Resolve. This change took months of consultation, negotiation, and training.

“It was not just about technology. It was about trust; helping people to see that the new way would make their jobs easier, not harder.”

Another memorable achievement came during a Lynx rollout, where entrenched working practices initially met strong resistance. Through persistence, collaboration with platform leaders, and clear communication of the bigger picture, adoption eventually took hold, leading to future platforms such as Wildcat.

Culture and collaboration

Having witnessed tlmNexus grow from a small team into a larger SME (Small-to-Medium Enterprise) Clive believes trust and autonomy are defining cultural strengths.

“We are trusted to get on with the job,” he elaborates. “Experience counts in the eyes of our senior management team, and there isn’t constant micromanagement, which makes a big difference to how effectively you can support customers.”

The collaborative environment allows integration engineers to draw on in-house expertise across development, service delivery, and customer success teams, ensuring that solutions reflect both operational realities and technical innovation.

A practical outlook on technology

While enthusiastic about innovation, Clive retains a grounded perspective on emerging trends such as AI. “Technology needs to serve real operational needs,” he says, “and we must always keep that front of mind as we continue to develop solutions, rather than creating technology just because we can.”

Life beyond work

Outside work, Clive’s life is centred around the beauty of the Cotswolds, where he and his family have lived for several years. Cycling through back lanes, and keeping on top of the house and garden provide a balance to a career spent navigating complex defence environments.

A long-standing passion for classic cars including rebuilding engines and restoring vehicles, draws on the same methodical mindset that underpins his professional approach.

Something not everyone knows about Clive

Few things reveal Clive’s personal resolve* more clearly than how he tackled a deep fear of heights: not by avoiding it, but by undertaking a series of parachute jumps.

*Pun intended…

Looking ahead

After more than a decade at tlmNexus, Clive continues to be motivated by solving problems that genuinely help customers.

“When a ticket gets resolved quickly, or a process starts running more smoothly, you know you’ve made a difference. That’s what keeps me going,” he smiles.