The heavy industries of energy, mining, utilities, construction, and manufacturing are reckoning with the reality of the fourth industrial revolution and what that means for their workforce. The entire flow of business is changing for these heavy industries, especially those impacted by global supply chains. Trade patterns are rapidly shifting. International events like COVID-19 are driving changes in demand. And politically motivated trade wars have a ripple effect across these industries.

In the face of these changes, organizations need the competitive advantage of digital transformation to survive and thrive. In fact, organizations that understand digital transformation earn 26% more profit than others — key as new global entrants create more and more competition.

Heavy industry participants that embrace digital transformation will gain enormous opportunities to improve operations, performance, and communications. But, these organizations need to support digital transformation across the entire enterprise, including their deskless workers, which make up 80% of the global workforce.

Voice-first multimodal collaboration software like Orion, designed for the deskless workforce, complements company-wide digitalization strategies and enables organizations to empower and connect their deskless workers. Here are three ways companies can improve team operations, performance, and communications with intelligent collaboration tools.

#1 Transformative Team Collaboration

All heavy industry teams —  from front gate security staff, above or below ground mining personnel, factory floor workers, construction vehicle drivers, and more — need solutions for seamless communication and collaboration that go beyond simple two-way communications typical of push-to-talk (PTT) devices or radios. Opening the door to digital transformation with an advanced collaboration platform typically reserved for deskbound workers enables companies to connect their workers in ways that increase productivity.

Real-time collaboration means users can connect from anywhere. Unlike low-quality, bulky radios, digital tools allow collaboration from any distance, network, and device. Engaging tools that use LTE cellular data, 5G, mesh, or Wi-Fi allows for limitless connectivity between users.

Ubiquitous connectivity on ruggedized devices is critical for many heavy industries. Construction workers are dispersed basement-to-rooftop. Security teams tasked with protecting large manufacturing facilities might be dispersed building-to-building. And energy or mining organizations are typically in remote locations with workers above and below ground.

Devices that support connectivity in all locations, no matter how remote or complex, creates the opportunity for advanced geolocation intelligence and processes. Each employee’s geolocation allows for better response, safety, and accountability while also offering advantages with automated processes triggered by geofencing activities. These geofenced triggers can include safety protocols that support workers in dangerous areas or zones of a warehouse or send lone worker alerts to managers. The system can ping a worker’s location every 30 seconds or every 3 meters moved with an always-on dialogue with the workers’ device.

This location intelligence is mission-critical in places like mine sites or large refineries, where managers need to know where their workers are with precision and without requiring workers to regularly check-in.

Centralized visibility is also key to collaboration. Traditional communications tools limit the ability of managers to monitor the status and location of frontline workers. Orion’s collaboration console provides access to crucial information like maps that demonstrate where employees or assets are located or who is online and active at any time. Centralized visibility also allows users to catch up on archived, logged, and documented messages before, during, or after shifts and stay connected while off-duty or offsite. This means managers have immediate access to onsite teams, enabling them to manage urgent situations should they arise.

Native language ability is also an essential part of team collaboration. Today’s heavy industry participants rely on an increasingly diverse and multilingual workforce or operate across several countries and languages. Language translation skills powered by artificial intelligence ensure workers receive the correct information regardless of the language they speak. This precision provides unmatched operational improvements among multilingual teams, supports a diverse workforce, and enables companies to hire contractors irrespective of their language.

Finally, today’s deskless workers need the ability to communicate with their team members on one device. Frequently, teams and managers require multiple devices or radios to communicate one-to-one or with different groups and through various media like text or documents. Switching between numerous devices wastes time and requires workers to carry multiple devices to ensure they are fully connected. Companies need to streamline all communications with one device with a multimodal user experience that natively includes voice, text, photos, videos, and PDFs to meet all of the user’s needs.

#2 Process Automation

Automating processes with Orion’s voice-first collaboration software opens up boundless possibilities that promote greater efficiency for routine and repetitive processes as well as urgent and dynamic processes. Routine tasks can be moved from workers to automated bots. These bots support voice-activated SOPs, built to speed-up operations and allow workers to complete tasks more independently.

Take the example of the dockworker who starts an unloading workflow when he or she documents the arrival of a new shipment. By sending a picture of the arrival, he or she triggers a response that deploys resources efficiently to that location. In another example, cleaning crews can track and log their work while maintaining the ability to coordinate and access assistance when they need it.

Additional routine tasks like environment inspections, workplace audits, and safety checklists often rely on manual, paper-based processes. Paper checklists are a key component of safety and regulatory compliance documentation. However, these checklists typically remain on paper, rarely entered into monitoring systems, or, at best, are manually entered into a computer.

This is last-century methodology and is a waste of time and resources. Today’s deskless workers should be able to use voice to talk through checklists that are instantly recorded, logged, and archived. For instance, a worker uses voice to answer questions like “Have you been authorized to use this equipment?”, “Have you been trained to use this equipment?”, or “Does this equipment need to be serviced?”.

Each of these questions and answers can then trigger the next step or alert managers, engineers, or other workers of any intermediary steps that need to be taken.

Process automation is also key in dynamic or urgent situations. In the case of the cleaning crew, lone worker safety workflows can be triggered by voice-commands like “help-help” that alert security and managers to the workers’ exact location, deploy immediate assistance, and record all subsequent activity.

Collaboration tools, like Orion, integrate with IoT elements, such as environmental sensors, enhanced location sensors, vehicle tracking to provide automated status alerts, proximity-based notifications, and more. The intelligence gained by connecting these systems with workers allows organizations to deploy resources where they are needed, monitor the status of complex and expensive equipment, and keep track of worker safety and locations.

Geofencing triggers can be used to notify teams to prepare and deploy assets for loading, unloading, or various production phases. Organizations that link their transportation workers and warehouse or manufacturing workers with the same collaboration tools can further the automation process. Instead of relying on the dockworker to start an automated workflow, trucks can trigger geofenced workflows to deploy unloading crews once they enter a certain vicinity.

No matter how a heavy industry organization operates, intelligent collaboration tools can help. Additional examples of automated SOPs include safety SOPs, regulatory requirements, lone worker emergencies, health, safety, and environment processes, and Return-to-Work protocols.

#3 Access to Critical Information with Connected Systems

Unlike radios, intelligent collaboration tools amplify worker abilities with instant access to the necessary information they need to do their jobs well. This includes the ability to communicate directly with SMEs as well as the ability to directly connect workers to the information in systems like supply chain management (SCM), work order management, contractor management systems, and more.

Connecting workers with systems immediately amplifies any worker’s ability and intelligence, including new employees and contractors. The use of contractors continues to rise in certain heavy industries like energy, utilities, mining, and transportation, making intelligence amplification an increasingly essential part of ensuring all workers perform at maximum efficiency on Day 1.

Now, new employees and contractors have immediate access to integrated workflows and information they need to get up to speed fast. Collaboration tools that work on any device can be quickly shared with contractors, allowing them to easily access critical information and communicate or integrate with existing groups, subject matter experts (SMEs), backend systems, and knowledge bases.

Enhanced Collaboration with Orion

Organizations in heavy industries that still rely on two-way radios are missing an enormous opportunity to increase productivity and improve the safety of their deskless workforce. Intelligent collaboration tools provide so much more than these two-way devices, which only provide simple communications — and quite frankly do a poor job at that.

Orion enables organizations to unlock this potential through transformative team collaboration, automated processes, and access to critical information with connected systems.

Learn more about Orion solutions for Construction, Facilities Management, Energy & Mining, Manufacturing, Security, and Transportation & Logistics.

You might also like:

• Safe Return to Work: Empowering Deskless Workers with Orion and IBM Watson
• Voice in the Workplace Report
• MBTA and Transdev Partner with Orion Labs for Advanced Communication, Dispatch, & Auditing
• Energy and Mining Case Study: How a Global Energy & Mining Corporation Streamlined Communication and Automated Safety Processes
• Orion solutions for Industrial Operations

Transdev is using Orion’s Communication, Dispatch, and Automation Platform to keep Paratransit Services moving for its Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service across 58 cities and towns during the COVID-19 Response

SAN FRANCISCO – April 21, 2020 – Orion Labs, the leading communication and automation platform for frontline workers, today announced that Transdev will be implementing Orion to deliver their critical transport services as part of the response to the COVID-19 public health crisis in service to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) contract, one of the largest public transit agencies in the United States.

Request more information about Orion solutions for Transportation

Transdev is the operating partner for MBTA’s door-to-door paratransit service, The RIDE, an essential transportation “safety net” for seniors and the disabled to access essential services. Orion’s platform enables dispatchers to communicate with and manage hundreds of buses and vehicles while their dispatch teams are able to work from home. Transdev is using multiple Orion services including the Orion Dispatch Console, location services, and Orion’s advanced automation and workflow tools. Transdev is also automating their regulatory compliance by utilizing Orion message recording, archiving, and retrieval features.

“Greater Boston Area residents depend on The RIDE to access essential services,” said Jim Nihan, Manager of Paratransit Operations at MBTA. “Transdev chose Orion’s dispatch and cloud communication platform to ensure reliable public transportation and to protect the health of our customers and our contractor’s employees.”

“The MBTA RIDE service requires a modern, voice-first communication platform for their essential work,” said Gregory Taylor, CEO of Orion. “Orion’s real-time voice communication, context, and automation enables Transdev and MBTA to support a greatly increased level of service with improved efficiency and flexibility. Orion’s solution solves an urgent need for companies like Transdev when serving workers on the frontline. We are honored to be part of this important work to keep dispatchers, drivers, and customers safe and connected to critical services.”

About Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, more commonly known as the T, is one of the oldest public transit systems in the United States. It’s also the largest transit system in Massachusetts. As a division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the MBTA provides subway, bus, Commuter Rail, ferry, and paratransit service to eastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. To learn more, visit mbta.com.

About Transdev

Based near Chicago, Transdev is the largest private-sector operator of multiple modes of transit in North America, including bus, rail, streetcar, paratransit, and shuttle services. Transdev is committed to being the trusted partner of cities and transit authorities through quality execution and innovations in mobility. Its parent company, Transdev Group, is a leading global operator and integrator of mobility solutions in 17 countries and provides passengers every day the freedom to connect to what they care about in their cities. www.transdevna.com

About Orion

Orion Labs Inc. is the enterprise voice-first platform to connect frontline workers. Our customers transform their workforce productivity and safety with instant communication, AI Workflows, advanced location services, and software integrations. Orion was recently named an IDC Innovator and won a 2019 Edison Award for Materials Science & Engineering. Orion is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading investors. For more information, visit www.orionlabs.io.

Stay in touch with Orion Labs | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

Media contact:

Vanessa Naylon
Orion Labs, Inc.
415-800-5467
press@orionlabs.io

If you’ve ever tried to introduce a new tool to your organization, you’re probably familiar with how difficult it can be. Here are some of the common roadblocks that can prevent adoption of a new communication tool within your team.

Sometimes, team members feel bogged down by their primary responsibilities along with other tools and software they’re already using. This makes them less likely to fully adopt new technologies. Or perhaps management hasn’t taken the time to learn the new system. When that happens, teams feel like they don’t have to learn it either.

However, there are certain techniques you can use to encourage the adoption and usage of a new communication tool. In this post, we’ll share why these challenges arise when implementing a new communications platform like Orion — and more importantly, how to overcome it.

Why Might Your Team Have Trouble with a New Tool?

Whether your team is accustomed to less sophisticated tools like land mobile radios (LMRs), consumer-grade walkie-talkies, or even text messaging, it can be difficult to get them to implement a new and more efficient way of communicating.

This tends to happen when teams have to continue using previous communication methods during the trial. Employees may not want to put in time to learn a new system if they have to rely on old ways to get work done. Just to keep the business running, they’ll revert back to the existing technologies because everyone else is using them.

Too Few People in the Trial Group

One of the biggest reasons that this challenge arises is that too few team members are assigned to the trial group. That means only a few people can actually try out the new communication tool for themselves. When that happens, it’s difficult to effectively judge how that tool would work when rolled out across the entire team.

For example, if you have a 20-person team but only 10 workers are testing out the new technology, only half of your team can assess the value of it. Even worse, those people are typically managers and higher-level employees as opposed to the workers who would be using it on a daily basis.

However, with Orion, there’s no limit to how many people can participate in a trial. You also have the flexibility to increase or decrease the number of users at any time. Having the ability to get everyone on board is key in order to get full buy-in from your team.

Not Enough Managers in the Trial Group

At the same time, adoption relies on more than just individual contributors. You also need to make sure your managers are leading by example and using the tool themselves. If not, workers will feel less compelled to adopt it themselves.

Combat this challenge early on in the rollout process by asking team leads to conduct training that emphasizes why you’re making this change and how it will benefit teams (and the entire business).

Offer Internal Support

Provide employees with an internal contact who can offer them additional help or support if they need it. This person should have contact information for the Orion support team should any larger issues or concerns arise.

Communication Is Important: Offer Incentives

You can even gamify adoption by offering small incentives. The incentive could be as small as a $10 Starbucks or Amazon gift card. Award it to the first person who replies to an Orion message during the initial few weeks of the rollout.

We Can Help

As with any new communication tool you introduce into your business, you might run into some of these challenges. The good news is: we’re always here to help! For more resources to get your team up and running or to schedule a training with Orion, visit our support page or contact us at support@orionlabs.io.

Orion Labs expands its product portfolio with the new Orion Radio Bridge for interoperability with traditional land mobile radio (LMR) systems and launches AppTalk Plus for Android via collaboration with device manufacturers Kyocera Mobile and Sonim Technologies.

Orion broadens its customer reach through collaboration with JPS Interoperability Solutions around its RoIP API. Orion further expands its ecosystem through an integration with Mutualink’s interoperability system.

ORLANDO, Fla. and SAN FRANCISCO, March 06, 2018  — (IWCE Conference & Expo) – Orion Labs, the fast-growing voice platform for teams in business, enterprise, and government organizations, today announced several updates and engagements with industry leaders, designed to make it easier for organizations to improve responsiveness and productivity through powerful new voice technology. These updates come as enterprises increasingly look to voice as the interface to access and input information, and to trigger time-saving automated processes.

Orion’s mobile app turns select Android phones with dedicated physical push-to-talk (PTT) buttons into smart walkie-talkies. Compatible phones include the Sonim XP7, the recently announced, FirstNet approved Sonim XP8, the Kyocera DuraForce Pro, and the Kyocera DuraForce XD. By simply downloading the Orion app from the Google Play Store onto one of these compatible handsets, users will immediately be able to talk with other Orion users, see group members’ real-time location, and access features like Orion Translator for real-time language translation and Orion’s IFTTT integration.

The new Orion Radio Bridge allows organizations with traditional land mobile radio (LMR) systems to extend the range and reach of their communications without requiring additional radios or signal-boosting equipment. The Orion Radio Bridge connects to most existing LMR systems, such as Radio over IP (RoIP), and enables any organization to take advantage of Orion features without overhauling their existing setups. Through Orion Radio Bridge, people using push-to-talk radio handsets can connect to others on the Orion Voice Platform, whether they’re using Onyx smart walkie-talkies, smartphones, tablets, or other devices.

By integrating with the JPS RoIP API, LMR systems that utilize radio gateways from JPS Interoperability Solutions gain access to the Orion Voice Platform. This includes Orion’s advanced voice and virtual assistant technology, including Orion AI Workflows, in addition to Orion’s award-winning push-to-talk service.

Further, through an integration with Mutualink’s Interoperable Response and Preparedness Platform (IRAPP), the Orion Voice Platform extends to Mutualink’s nationwide customer base, which can often include multi-agency incident resolution. This includes interoperability with a rapidly growing list of agencies representing over 1,000 LMR systems across the US.

“There is a massive and profound shift across the real-time voice market,” said Jesse Robbins, CEO and Founder of Orion Labs. “Today we are expanding Orion’s constellation of products and integrations that make a new category of voice applications and services available to the entire ecosystem. We’re honored to work with industry leaders like Sonim, Kyocera, JPS Interop, and Mutualink as we build a world powered by voice.”

AppTalk Plus and Orion Radio Bridge come as Orion continues an aggressive product pipeline intended to make voice more flexible and functional for any type of organization. Recent announcements have also included enhancements to Orion Pro, the subscription-based Push-to-Talk solution for businesses, and Orion Labs’ newly launched talk button feature that turns the Orion iOS application into a walkie-talkie app, helping users choose voice tools that fit the way they work.

Orion AppTalk Plus is available for Orion Labs customers today, with the purchase of a compatible device. Orion Radio Bridge is available for pre-order, and will be ready for deployment in Q2 2018.

Orion Labs is at IWCE Conference & Expo this week in Orlando, Florida. Stop by booth 3274 for demos of AppTalk Plus, Orion Radio Bridge, and Orion Labs’ voice and virtual assistant technologies and devices.

About Orion Labs
Orion Labs is transforming the way teams communicate and work using the power of their voice. Orion’s award-winning platform delivers secure, real-time voice communication across a constellation of connected devices, applications, and services. Orion gives mobile teams a heads-up, eyes-free experience that enables them to communicate without losing focus, across any distance, anywhere in the world. Orion recently won the 2018 “IoT Wearables Innovation Vendor of the Year” Award from IoT Breakthrough and has been recognized as a Hot Vendor by Aragon Research.

The company was founded by cloud infrastructure pioneers Jesse Robbins and Greg Albrecht who were inspired by their experiences using traditional radios as firefighters and EMTs. Orion Labs is backed by leading investors and is based in San Francisco, CA.