In the fall, I visited one of our major parcel and post distribution sites near Ancaster, Ontario. This time around, my site visit looked a little bit different; I was at a desk in London, Ontario. Project Manager, John Bernado, toured me around the updated site using a 3D modelling software. More than 100 kilometers away, I could see the project’s most recent developments! John’s computer mouse, screensharing, and narration gave me an unforgettable online tour.
Although I could not see the team in action, I learned more about project managing operations during this site visit. We were lucky to have access to these technologies, as I passed through steel bars to see the mezzanine and top floor within seconds. The 3D render of the project showed details that I would not have seen otherwise. 3D rendered green, pink, and grey conveyor belts outlined completed and future tasks. In person, I could only use the best of my imagination to see a final product. Zooming over the top floor at a bird’s eye view, past the completed sortation conveyors, I saw the impressive organization of the delivery truck lanes. With the use of this technology, John hid different walls and sections to give me a better understanding on the detailed work our team is accomplishing.
Only a few months after my last site visit, our team had already successfully installed the remaining conveyors systems on the top floor and started installations for the parcel and post distribution area. John explained that luckily, we were using this software before any COVID-19 restrictions. With the new work-from-home order, we faced the challenge head-on by applying our previous knowledge and tools with the 3D render.