Nektar’s CCO, Barry Thomson, sat down with PNE’s Shawn Joinson to talk about Paperless Data Management and the Nektar platform.
Who is PNE?
Since 1910, millions of guests have enjoyed shows, exhibits, sporting events, amusement rides, concerts, cultural activities and, of course, the annual summer Fair at the PNE. Today, the PNE is the largest employer of youth in British Columbia, the longest running and best attended annual ticketed event in BC and the site of hundreds of famous events – from a live performance from the Beatles to the historic Miracle Mile. For the past ten decades the Pacific National Exhibition has showcased the best of Vancouver to the rest of Canada and the world.
Barry: What business challenges was PNE facing that motivated you to consider Nektar as a potential solution?
Shawn: We were looking for a way to be able to collect and track information quickly and efficiently as well as provide information to our staff; in essence, a Paperless Data Management solution. Keeping up our paper trail was time consuming and to go back and try and find information from a month or year ago was difficult. If we needed to edit a main document, it involved disposing of large amounts of paper and photocopying replacements. As our staff work outdoors, paperwork would often be dirty or wet and hard to read.
Barry: How has Nektar helped solve those challenges?
Shawn: The program designed by Nektar allows us to pull up documents within moments giving us an accurate snapshot of our day to day business. We have brought other departments on board, so they are able to check status on items as required.
We can now email our employees, add daily announcements and inspection lists, workplans and schedules so that everyone with an iPad has access.
Work Requests can be submitted by our ride technicians which are then issued as Work Orders or put into our Winter Work list to be completed at a later date. Our employees submit parts requests through Nektar which allows us to review past orders including amounts and vendor information. The ability to add photos to our reports and parts requests is also very beneficial and allows better understanding of issues or problems.
Barry: Why did you select Nektar as a solution partner over other potential vendors? What do you think is Nektar’s unique value proposition?
Shawn: Nektar was very willing to work with us to customize our program to our needs. We needed to be able to expand on the typical operational / non-operational options of online programs. We had a vision and they have the technology to bring it together for us!
Now that we are actively using the program, we find the service we receive if we have revisions, questions or problems has always been quick and efficient.
Barry: Have you documented any measurable data on the ROI of Nektar’s technology?
Shawn: The efficiencies are staggering. All our records are kept in one place at our fingertips! We no longer have to climb into our storage area and dig thru multiple boxes to find the information we need. Our technicians can be at a ride and pull up the ride information, manuals and logbook without having to come down to the office.
Barry: Are there any other use cases you can see Nektar’s paperless data management solutions providing benefit within your organization?
Shawn: We have already expanded our program to include Themed Attractions, Ride Operations and hope to bring our Games Department online shortly.
One area that we incorporated after the initial set up was our Propane Filling Form. This form allows us to charge out propane to other departments and provides information so we can schedule the tank to be filled. Although this was not in our thoughts initially it is one area that Nektar was able to adapt their program for our needs.
Barry: How are you using the collection and analysis of big data to make more informed, intelligent and well documented decisions in your company?
Shawn: We can look at the data we have collected throughout the season and make educated decisions about where to focus our energy and budget over the winter maintenance season.
Barry: Can you please summarize your overall experience with Nektar’s technology and how it’s improved business processes in your organization in three sentences or less.
Shawn: Having a customizable program like Nektar has allowed us to move into a paperless system that allows for better tracking and information retention which is very important in a safety sensitive work environment. Being able to get information quickly and in real time has improved our productivity and allows us to spend time in other areas.
