September/October 2016 | The Davey Bulletin 23
DIGITAL AND FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION CAN WORK TOGETHER
Smartphones, tablets and laptops can
connect to each other from thousands
of miles away. Apps like Skype or
Snapchat connect people – even in
remote locations – through these
devices like never before.
Today's technological landscape
provides us with a million ways to
communicate. It sounds perfect for
tree care companies large and small.
And yet, despite so many different
options, clear and concise commu-
nication remains a challenge in the
arboriculture industry.
At Davey, we view electronic devices
as an excellent tool to supplement
traditional, face-to-face communication.
We've started rolling out our Fleet
Solutions program, which installs
tablets inside the cabs of our trucks to
give our employees access to training
videos, digital inspection and job
briefing forms, electronic safety
tailgate documents and other materials.
We can tap in to these devices at-will
to send information instantly – a critical
element in, say, storm response and
other events.
But we don't rely solely on electronic
communication. Davey sends roving
Skills Trainers out to the field to
reinforce training and other messages
available electronically. Skills trainers
are experienced employees with
advanced arboriculture training. Rather
than preach or lecture, skills trainers
work alongside field employees
to raise their competency and
efficiency levels.
Face-to-face interactions like those
experienced with a skills trainer show
field employees firsthand the expertise
and knowledge driving the kinds
of digital communications available
through the fleet solutions program.
The results are measurable. Digital job
briefing and inspection forms are one
way we've improved efficiency. Safety
and training videos delivered electron-
ically, backed up by experiences with
skills trainers, have helped lower
incident frequencies. Crews who
receive these types of communication
work at the highest and safest levels.
Clearly improved communication with
employees yields a positive return.
But we must recognize that there
is no one single solution to delivering
important information to crew
members. To that end, we understand
that, like electronic devices, improving
communication with employees is a
moving target. We have to keep an
open mind and be willing to try new
methods of communicating if they
can help our employees work even
more safely and efficiently than they
are today.
by Steve Marshall, Davey Tree Executive Vice President of Operations
(reprinted from TCI Magazine)
Using Fleet Solutions devices for vehicle inspections
is a digital communication that improves efficiency.
Digital communications to and among employees are beneficial, but
they should supplement, not replace, face-to-face interactions.
