In our company we decided to review the way of doing our job and positively impact our sustainability and that of those around us.
One of the issues that impact the sustainability of our company is the use of software technologies, hardware and virtual tools. The questions of how do we use technology? How far do we profit? and how much do we pay for this? They have been our guide to think about what we should in the future in this regard.
We observe, in the analysis of the answers to these concerns, that training and motivation is required so that people want to use the tools at their disposal. We have seen how the previous paradigm has generated problems with which the people of the organization have had to live together without knowing that different things can be done. Of the cases that we know; in engineering, for example, it is boring and a waste of time to draw the “same” plane, do the “same” calculation or write the “same” document many times; similarly, in construction it is risky to lose control and not have real-time information about the results; Consulting is expensive access to good calculation tools and seasonal use often does not make your purchase profitable.
On the cost side, we have paid many times for licenses of products that we use for a short time and we can not take full advantage of them. In other cases we have to pay for tools that are required all the time, even in times of lean times, and the price of software licenses is almost always high, since this is regulated by the market and not by the cost of production .
Part of the solution has been found by integrating the use of LINUX in our processes. There, you get tools from office applications to powerful simulation programs with open licenses and without cost.
When working with Linux in our processes we have found that there is also a change in the workers who use it, since it makes it necessary to study and have a closer interaction with the programming. We will be attentive to see more consequences, but these first already result in productivity and stimulate creativity, especially in workers in the most technical areas.
These types of decisions always come with their associated costs, to mention some of the ones we have had to assume:
1. Someone had to lead and this person had to get involved by putting
their feet in the mud. It required some experience in programming, time
reading manuals, understanding what the open software is about, a lot
of patience installing new software.
2. To live with the previous systems until getting to the new paradigm.
3. Study and support the work team when things do not work out how they are used to.
4. Look for tools that allow to make transparent the use of a different paradigm for clients, suppliers and third parties.
5. New people should receive training and support so that they can use the tools according to the needs of their position.
It is also good to know that there are consultants who can help in these transitions if the size of the organization so deserves it and that in a single computer two operational systems can coexist at the same time.
With great enthusiasm we are paying the cost that is much less than the benefit.
