Saving a Week of Training with Simulators
As one of Quebec, Canada’s six forestry training centers, the Mont-Laurier Vocational School helps prepare a new generation of heavy equipment operators. The non-profit center collaborates with the region’s timber companies to provide students with practical hands-on experience including three months of field training alongside instructors in working logging camps. With a wide variety of equipment at its disposal, (harvesters, loaders, service trucks, simulators, and more) the school offers comprehensive instruction ranging from tree-felling to the operation and maintenance of harvest, loading, transport, and road construction equipment.
Operating heavy equipment within the confines of a timber harvest worksite involves a great deal of danger, responsibility, and stress. According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and similar studies, forestry sits atop the list of the most dangerous industries. It’s therefore no surprise that the industry is facing a severe skilled labor shortage. In addition, too many novice workers lack the experience, training, and confidence to safely operate heavy equipment on an active worksite.
With proficient operators in short supply, and because field training is costly and dangerous, logging companies look to training centers to help fill the void. In response, Mont-Laurier has redoubled its commitment to provide the industry with some of most skilled and best prepared foresters.
Read the case study here.
Counting the Costs of Safety Violations in the Construction Industry
The Costs of Construction Site Safety Violations
To help ensure safe and healthful working conditions, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established. Written with the best interest of workers – and employers – in mind, OSHA regulations are thorough, and infractions carry severe consequences. Employers may be reprimanded for violations ranging from failure to submit paperwork to a workplace fatality. And states that operate their own occupational safety plans are required to adopt penalties at least as stringent.
Intersection of Product Lifecycle Management and Climate Change
Until recently, initiatives to advance sustainability and combat climate change have primarily focused on improving product performance to minimize energy usage and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is enabling technologies and supporting that are contributing to a greener global economy in many ways.
For decades, product development organizations and manufacturers were often forced to choose between product performance and environmental stewardship without regard to externalized costs or long-term harm to the planet. As a result, sustainability practices were often implemented at the minimum levels required to satisfy regulatory requirements and shareholder expectations.
Today many organizations are taking initiative to an ailing planet. Designing sustainability into a product’s lifecycle offers holistic and integrated solution – and PLM is a critical tool.
Read the complete article in the February issue of Digital Engineering.
Waking up to the Digital World
Think back to last January. The economy was booming, machines were running day and night, 401k’s were soaring, and our biggest concern was finding additional labor. Fewer than 12 months later there are a whole new set of priorities and concerns. We discovered how vulnerable life and business can be, learned to adapt and improvise, and opportunistically embraced new approaches for getting things done.
At home, the kitchen table was transformed to accommodate distance learning for our children. We gave the Internet a workout with online ordering of everything from household supplies and groceries to pizza. And we gained a whole new appreciation for social gatherings with family and friends over the web.
Read the complete article in Plastics Technology Magazine.
Its All About Connectivity
To understand the impact, magnitude, and possibilities of connectivity, one needs to look no further than a piece of technology sitting right there on the desk. Think back a couple short decades ago. What if I had told you that people would one day carry a device – in their pocket mind you – that would instantly connect them to practically anyone in the world or provide on-demand access to any piece of information? Need to reach a friend driving in from Detroit? Just dial. Want to know the average high temperature of Botswana? Just type it in (its 90.9° by the way).
Back then one might have called this a futuristic pipe dream – today its simply known as a smart phone. This hand-held technology connects to massive networks and global search engines at the stroke of a query.
Today’s digital environment provides the foundation for unparalleled automation and connectivity. Organizations like CAVU Group are leveraging this openness to deliver new levels of access, responsiveness, and predictability.
Read more here.
The Changing Landscape of Manufacturing
A Native American proverb teaches that: We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors – we borrow it from our children. Armed with this understanding, organizations across industries and people around the globe are taking an increasingly active role as caretakers of the planet.
Each step toward sustainability – no matter how small – is a good one. And every company – no matter how small – should scrutinize operations to identify and eliminate areas of waste and negligence. For some, such as professional organizations, placing a recycling bin in the cafeteria or reducing paper and water usage might represent the pinnacle of commitment. For larger organizations, a more comprehensive plan is in order.
Because of the nature of their business – along with their impact both at local and globally – manufacturers are often under a microscope to take on a leading role. From examining suppliers to reducing energy usage and emissions, these companies have a unique opportunity (and responsibility) to make a significant and far-reaching impact. But to be truly meaningful, and provide more than incremental results, the undertaking must be planned, managed, tracked, and supported at the highest levels.
As demonstrated throughout its existence, the CAVU Group takes social responsibility very seriously. The company routinely supports local and extended communities through a variety of volunteer and social outreach programs. The company’s commitment toward a sustainable planet is just one more example.
Recently CAVU unveiled and began implementing a corporate strategy designed to advance sustainability by 33%. The process is tracked against an internal scorecard that measures progress throughout the product development and manufacturing process. The initiative, encompassing the entire product lifecycle, focuses on sustainability improvement across three primary segments – environmental, economic, and social.
Product Introduction
“We have multiple ways of scoring ourselves on sustainability,” explained CAVU’s Marketing Director, Carissa Smith. “From a marketing perspective we do this in the early upstream stages of product planning with steps to determine if the new product is inherently sustainable. Assuming we can validate the sustainability, we craft messaging and create campaigns that clearly communicates this to the world.”
CAVU is also investigating ways to best understand a product’s relationship with the consumer in terms of how it might satisfy sustainability requirements. In this way, next generation products are guided by the voice of sustainable-conscious customers regarding the manner products are designed, developed, used, and disposed of.
Research has shown that younger buyers will actively seek (and in fact are willing to spend a little more on) products that adhere to sustainable practices. Hence, incorporating customer “green” requirements into products and processes is good for the environment, building brand loyalty, and the bottom line.
Product Development
When considering the introduction of a new product, manufacturers must consider the impact of that product on the planet. It’s important to quantify as much as possible to what extent the product will reduce waste and otherwise impact sustainability. Ask questions such as: Can the product be manufactured from recycled material? Is the product itself biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable? How, if at all, will such raw material changes impact quality, manufacturability, or costs?
“We implement best practices to ensure that we’re properly disposing of or reusing manufacturing bi-products and we look at how that product is distributed,” said CAVU Safety & Compliance Officer, Brian Walters. “For example, we examine if the product can be shipped via ground transportation. We look at ways to reduce overnight shipping for our temperature-sensitive products to decrease our carbon footprint. Our goal is to advance sustainability while maintaining the highest quality and service standards.”
Beyond Profits
Environmentally friendly actions don’t have to be large to have an impact. Consistently reducing the amount of energy, water, and paper our businesses use can make a huge difference, both to the environment and to our pocketbooks. How much paper would you save over the course of a year, for instance, if you always ran double-sided copies? How much water is wasted each day by that dripping faucet in the washroom? Small and easy ways to go green – but over time will generate big results!
Organizations, regardless of type, size, or industry are often judged by their commitment to causes greater than the bottom line. Corporate responsibility must reach beyond shareholders, employees, and business goals into the immediate and extended community. For many, this means a tangible, measurable, and on-going commitment toward advancing sustainability. At CAVU Group we are proud to do our part.
Easy Estimates
There’s a lot to like about that fabrication shop that you walk into every day – from the press brake in the corner to the fiber laser you purchased a few years ago. And you have to be excited with the talented new welder you just hired; and don’t forget about that new nesting software that’s going to cut those piles of scrap in half. Now all you need are jobs to run.
“Machines and metal processing services are obviously important,” says Brad Stropes, COO at SecturaSoft. “These things set you apart from competitors. But, as critical as they are, none of them matter without sales. Because of this, most managers take an active hands-on role in sales support, and companies generally assign some of their most tenured employees with estimating responsibilities.”
Read more here.
Building Operator Confidence Through Simulation-Based Training
Manitowoc Captures Market Share with Simulation Solutions
When Manitowoc implemented a common control system across its diverse line of cranes, it recognized an opportunity to leverage simulators to support the marketing and sales program behind the initiative, as well as for operator training.
Read the case study here.