Location:
Meeting Minutes
Sustainability in Logistics Industry Panel
May 11, 2017 7:30 am to 9:00 am
Mount Royal University Bissett School of Business Bissett Boardroom, EB3047
CONFERENCE LINE INFORMATION
Phone: (587) 743-0439 passcode 4604020
Minute taker: Camille Granda
Meeting called by: Corrie Banks
Attendees: David Harvey, Sheila Person, Michael Saurette, Brian Fleming, William Merrill, Jim Brown, Trina Myatt, Lisa Thompson, Bryndis Whitson, Cindy Clark, Jean-Marc Lacasse, Katelyn Atley, Catherine H, Hathem S, Karen Blakmur, Bob Miller, Eric Rassmussen, Liana Gilmore, Dwayne Shauf, Gursh Bal, Kai Fahrion, Corrie Banks and Camille Granda
Meeting Agenda
7:30 – 7:35 a.m. Welcome & Introduction
7:35 – 8:25 a.m. Sustainability in Logistics Industry Panel
● Kai Fahrion, Virtuoso Electric
● Gursh Bal, Virtuoso Electric
● Dwayne Shauf, Bison Transport
● Liana Gilmour, DIRTT
Join us for a lively discussion on new and emerging sustainability trends in the logistics industry
8:25 a.m. – 8:55 a.m. Calgary Logistics Council Updates
● Member updates
● Project updates
● Upcoming events and activities
8:55 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Meeting Adjournment & Wrap up
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Sustainability in Logistics Industry Panel
Panel included:
Liana Gilmour, DIRTT Construction
· Distribution and Partner Relations at DIRRT for about 2 years
· Supply Chain Management at MRU
· Ensures that all partners are successful throughout DIRTT
Gursh Bal, Virtuoso Electric
· Started in Computer Science, then went to the green field
· Director of Business Development at Virtuoso Electric
· Energy and efficiency activist
Kai Fahrion, Virtuoso Electric
· Started as electrician in the oil and gas industry
· Director at Virtuoso Electric for over a year
· Specializes in: solar, commercial EV charging systems, LED energy systems
· Based in AB and BC
Dwayne Shauf, Bison Transport
· Been at Bison for over 3 years
· Values Bison’s team environment and values all levels of communication
Sustainability in Supply Chain1. How do you view/define business sustainability? What are some important things to consider?
Dwayne Shauf, Bison Transport
· Innovation, and the constant pursuit of company excellence
· While still keeping in mind costs as the return won’t be until a couple of years down the road
Gursh Bal, Virtuoso Electric
· Lean start-up has to be the core of everything (all our processes, our waste reduction, which in turn keep employees for a longer time period)
· “Always managing for today while preparing for tomorrow”
Kai Fahrion, Virtuoso Electric
· Consistently innovate through our operations
· Inspire each individual and their work which in turn help our industry
· Reduce our lighting, has the biggest effect on the bottom line
· Consistent advocacy through our workers
Liana Gilmour, DIRTT Construction
· Behavioral, operational (lean and JIT solutions) and design (moving away from consumption behavior)
· Economics needs to match sustainability practices
2. In what ways has your company embraced environmental sustainability in your operations and what have been the impacts?
Kai Fahrion and Gursh Bal, Virtuoso Electric
· Improvement on wire locations
· Equal wiring: low-wiring, Ethernet, etc.
· ROI or payback period (based on our decisions)
Dwayne Shauf, Bison Transport
· Biggest problem: Fuel Burn, changes take 4-5 years to see a drastic change in ROI
· Solution - Driver Coaching: not using crude, not accelerating quickly, avoiding braking too hard, etc.
· Solar panels for each truck
· Reduction in $39million in greenhouse gases
· ECM and ELDs: to track information and ensure overall safety and sustainability efforts
Liana Gilmour, DIRTT Construction
· Building information modeling: ICE (ERP system) - all computer based, writes all the CNC codes which allows for JIT and lean management
· This in turn reduces paper costs and other unnecessary support roles
3. Can you elaborate on the importance of sustainable practices in consideration to employees? What actions can be made to help with suitability of a workforce?
Kai Fahrion, Virtuoso Electric
· Limit visits to customers
· “Help employees build their career and in turn they will help you”
· Educate the individual constantly
Gursh Bal, Virtuoso Electric
· Aligning individuals’ passion to Virtuoso’s vision and mission
· Advocacy: allowing workers to do jobs outside of his/her job scope, follow their passions, “career not just a job”, having the hire do their research in why they want to join, etc.
Dwayne Shauf, Bison Transport
· Bison has always been very people-oriented, its what has attracted him to the company and has made him abide to the company values and culture for so long
· Value the right cultural fit and pursuing excellence over actual individual skill
· 4DX Frank and Covey: employee engagement, states goals with the biggest gap, ($14million in waste), 7 Habits of Highly Effective Employees, Driver Finishing Program (13-week program), etc.
· Biggest Challenge: making sure we don’t overstaff or understaff (how to manage that work-load appropriately)
Liana Gilmour, DIRTT Construction
· Focus on culture and values, far beyond education and experience
· Hire for cultural fit first
· Flat-structured company: you therefore see the return right away
· Focus on the people and being diverse in their roles
· Have leadership buy into these ideas
· Vision of the company then becomes tangible
4. How has recent technology advances helped your organization advance sustainable practices and how will this technology affect sustainability in the supply chain industry?
Kai Fahrion, Virtuoso Electric
· EV and solar
Gursh Bal, Virtuoso Electric
· Challenge the construction model
· Predictive technology
· Challenges: Industry moves so fast and new adoptions of disruptive technology challenge day-to-day and future business
Dwayne Shauf, Bison Transport
· Solar energy has allowed Bison to be more cost effective
· Autonomous trucks believe the driver still needs to be present and cannot be fully autonomous due to safety concerns (tire checks, winter condition, etc.)
· Facial recognition systems that analyze the drivers sleeping patterns, and if they are too fatigued
· Have had ELDs for about 2 years now
· Believe the future involves workers working alongside technology
Liana Gilmour, DIRTT Construction
· Educate people, because DIRTT is challenging the way technology works through ICE (Innovative Programing Model)
· “Challenge each individual and each SILO and connect the differences”
5. How do you project sustainable practices will change in the future?
Kai Fahrion, Virtuoso Electric
· It will make everything easier
· With advances to technology, people will move alongside this technology
· Belief in the “sustainable side of time”
Gursh Bal, Virtuoso Electric
· It will set a social sustainability standard
· Will prove government challenges, because it is so slow to adapt to these technology changes
· Balance between our work and lifestyle
· We challenge the standard of living and excellence within our industry (being physically well, personally well, etc.)
Dwayne Shauf, Bison Transport
· Lots of disruption in technology
· So much change, biggest challenge will be the public’s degree of comfort to these changes (safety, value, challenges, etc.)
Liana Gilmour, DIRTT Construction
· “Individuals bench mark of culture has changed: including their sense of purpose”
· Have quality of life but still have that sense of purpose if we allow technology to change our views
· Address sustainability to the business case
· “What is the big-thing that we are striving for”
Open Questions
3. Calgary Logistics Council Updates
3.1. Member Updates
3.2. Project Updates
3.3. Upcoming Events and Activities
June 8, 2017 – CLC Annual General Meeting
Location: Al Azhar Shrine Center, 5225 - 101 Street NW
· A1: All members must familiarize themselves with updated bylaws prior to the AGM
4. Meeting Adjournment and Wrap Up