Moving from whiteboards to digital scheduling is now, not in the future
Too often we find that business units work separately from one another, but we all know that to function properly the whole business needs to be able to work in unison. Managing the coordination of teams to deliver the same quality of results day-in-day-out requires discipline, intellect, and scheduling software capable of handling the complexities of modern, safety focused projects and jobs.
The launch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled with paramount focus on the safety of the astronauts and everyone involved. The safety of your team is critical, so why not use a job scheduling system designed to keep your teams safe and your work on time?
Every customer should feel like they are your most important customer every time you engage with them. To achieve this is pretty easy once you break it down into the first principles:
- Know your business and constraints
- Deliver on time with the service that was paid for
- Provide accurate information when asked and communicate quickly if things are not working
- Invoice quickly and accurately
Delivering on time and to the quality the customer expects can be difficult if your systems aren’t up to scratch. Without scheduling software it will be nearly impossible to see how you’re going to complete the job and where you need to allocate your resources.
For SpaceX, the astronauts enter the spacecraft at T-minus 2 hours and 15 minutes via a crew access arm. Ground crew then ensure the astronauts are safely buckled up inside the spacecraft before closing the hatch at T-minus 1 hour and 50 minutes. When the schedule has to be this precise, whiteboards simply won’t do. The only real solution in 2020 is scheduling with the aid of digital technologies.
With scheduling software it is easy to navigate the ins and outs of all your ongoing works and projects. All data can be stored and viewed in one-system from a mobile, tablet, or computer, making it easier to access the data you need, when you need it.
Don’t let whiteboards be the downfall of your business. With digital, paperless scheduling software you’ll be able to reach for the stars in no time.
Do you think Space X engineers maintain paper checklists for nuts and bolts or do they have the tools to manage by exception through digital automation?
Transport companies have been following the guiding principles of safety management for decades. Many still rely on paper and manual systems, while others have transitioned to a paperless approach, but irrespective operators all know the importance of providing service and maintaining safety standards. Sometimes this means using a whiteboard, paper manifests, and a manual Voice/SMS process. You must complete the job, right?
When looking to the future, and imagining how your business would measure against a company like SpaceX, the thought is daunting, but what if you could match and in some ways better their operational excellence. Would you undertake that journey if it was cost effective?
Adding the ability to take key business processes and improve them by swapping to paperless technology like scheduling software provides a huge step in the right direction.
At T-minus 38 minutes the SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for the propellant load. The loading continues until seven minutes before lift off when the engine chill prior to launch commences. Safety with a procedure like this is paramount. Do you think SpaceX waits for their teams for a paper signature? Of course not, the process must finish before the mistake can take effect…
Using technology within your business allows for consistent outcomes no matter who is driving the truck (or spaceship). The ability to over-deliver becomes easier and the skills you need to fulfil the job requirements are reduced with scheduling software and a paper-free system.
One minute before liftoff the command flight computer begins the final pre-launch checks, before the propellant tank pressurisation to flight pressure begins. Truck drivers may not be in spaceflight, but pre-start checklists are just as important whether on the road or in space. In fact we would argue that the risk to community is higher in transport than undertaking explorative space flights.
It is easier for safety to be a priority and a standard component of every job with one-system for your entire business. Fatigue management, pre-start checklists, site assessments, and driver declarations can be provided and baked into the system for ease of use. Mobile technology makes this feasible and simple to achieve.
The SpaceX business model requires that they deliver their payload for payment. Automating invoicing without client conflict can sometimes be harder than landing a rocket upside down.
In a world where it feels like the walls are squeezing you from every side, the way you conduct business must change to ensure that your business maintains its competitive advantage. When you think about the needs and complexities of a transport company today, compared to the past, it’s no wonder that owners are looking to sell, transition, or pass the reins onto new generations.
Around 2.5 minutes after liftoff the Falcon 9’s first stage booster will separate from the upper stage and begin preparations for a landing back on earth. Most of this process is automated, so why can’t your invoicing processes be the same?
Having an integrated approach is pivotal and you can’t achieve the same results with multiple systems working disparately, whether they’re paper or electronic. Using a seamless approach from sales through to customer success is crucial. Any time you require your operations team to use an additional system creates more complications and frustrations it should be avoided at all costs.
The rocket will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, executing a flip maneuver before firing its engine for a boost-back burn and entry burn. Your team may not be able to execute flips, but with scheduling software and a paperless system they can get pretty close.
It’s better to have every step from jobs, to safety, to timesheet capture as part of a controlled workflow, rather than capturing them in bits and pieces with no centralised database. Thanks to paperless technology you can automate processes at the touch of a button so one form flows into the next until the job is completed, invoiced and paid for.
Having one-system for all of your operational needs could be the solution your business needs. Think of the future like SpaceX does and you’ll be on your way to a smarter business in no time.
The team at Kynection might not be Space engineers and astronauts, but we have made many companies fly! Please contact us at contact@kynection.com or 1300 786 272 to discuss how we can launch your business off the ground.
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