Check-In System Helps With Remote Communication
Mowi employees often find themselves in remote locations where electronic communication can be difficult.
When they are, they have a new check-in communication system implemented by Kelly Osborne in 2018 that allows them to communicate with home base from hard-to-reach areas that helps them be safe, and feel safer.
Boris Montana, who is the Maintenance Manager in the Infrastructure Group in the Saltwater Operations department, notes that while traveling to north Vancouver Island from Campbell River, there is no cellular phone service. The check-in system uses group messages and texting to fill in those gaps and makes communication possible.
“Every user of this group travelling outside of Campbell River needs to send a quick text message before departure and at arrival,” he explains. “The message before departure includes departure location, destination, the number of people in vehicle if more than one and the estimated time of arrival (ETA). Any other member of the group who sees the message will acknowledge it.
“If a traveller has not reported arrival 30 minutes past the specified ETA, any other user of the group will initiate a check process by sending a text and calling the traveller, checking on their status. If communication is not established with the traveller, the calls are directed to people who should have seen the traveller at arrival point. If that is not successful, the next call would go to emergency response.”
Mowi trucks also have a Spot (spot satellite messenger) tracking system.
“This device sends satellite message to a web-based platform, reporting the location of the device. It also has an S.O.S. button that allows us to send an emergency message if necessary,” he adds. “The check-in messaging group system provides us with redundancy when travelling on these roads without cell service, and allows more than one person to be aware that someone from our team is travelling.”
Mowi has seven users in the maintenance department including four field technicians, and another six members of the Operations department.
The system improves communication within the team, so everyone knows where other team members are going, and where. It’s also good for team building, as team members communicate and converse regularly.
“I think it make us feel safer as we know someone will come look for us if we don’t report to our destination on time,” he says. “If a Spot device is on board and activated, there are higher chances they can find us. Someone is watching our back!”