NEWS

Feltham CLC conducted a 3 month evaluation of the DigiMemo with reluctant writers from schools in their catchment, the results of which were very encouraging...

"The pupils and teachers benefited from the ability to 'digitise' work that was created in the pupils' regular exercise book.  This enabled editing in annotation style, and also up leveling in Word, reducing the need to 'spoil' the appearance of the original work, and also giving a printed final copy of the improved work.

The incorporation of an ICT element was a huge benefit to target pupils, increasing their desire to write, and also to edit, therefore improving the standard and quality of the written work."

Senior Tutor, Simone Hunter - Feltham CLC

To read the full report please click here.

 

TOTAL - Success Story & Video TOTAL Africa & Middle East Division SAFE-TO-LOAD vehicle inspection with ArioForm for Windows. Enhanced Product Transportation Safety See more

(Please click the link above to view the video) TOTAL is the fifth largest publicly-traded integrated international oil and gas company, and a world-class chemicals manufacturer. The group operates in more than 130 countries and has 111,773 employees. In 2009, overall sales for the TOTAL Group reached €131.3 billion (about $170 billion USD). TOTAL transports oil and gas every day. Efficient risk management for product transportation is supported by action plans tailored to each mode of transportation. Ariolis’ innovative solution, ArioForm for Windows, was chosen by TOTAL to greatly enhance road transportation security in Africa and the Middle East. The solution is used to inspect the safety of trucks before they enter the gasoline storage facilities through the use of a digital tablet and pen that captures and converts data relating to the safety of the vehicles. The data is transferred to a PC via a USB connection, and the software converts the handwriting to a digital format. The data is then automatically analyzed, and converted to tables and pie charts that provide statistics on anomalies found on the vehicles during the safety checks. Trucks that do not comply with Total’s safety requirements are not allowed to load and transport gasoline. Philippe Delécluse, Transport Manager for TOTAL’s Africa and Middle East Division explained the importance of Ariolis’ solution, “One of the main challenges we faced was to ensure that the obligation to do a safety check on the vehicles was respected at each one of our 300 storage facilities in the region. In the past, these safety checks have been done sporadically, and the data has often not been recorded and analyzed. With Ariolis’ solution, it is no longer necessary to re-enter the data, and the statistics are automatically generated. This enables us to ensure that vehicles that are not in compliance are not allowed to transport our products. It also ensures that anomalies are logged and analyzed. Total’s 55 subsidiaries located in 48 countries in Africa and the Middle East are responsible for following-up with the trucking companies by putting in place action plans to incite them to correct anomalies found. The goal is to reduce the number of anomalies, and also to ensure that vehicles in poor condition are not allowed on the roads. It is all about security, safety measures and avoiding accidents.” Road accidents account for nearly 80% of Total’s transportation accidents, thus warranting the special attention paid to this challenge. Improved Safety Performance Tracking TOTAL chose Ariolis’ solution because it is easy to implement and user-friendly. “What really attracted us to the solution is that it does not change the users’ habits, Delécluse continued. The employees inspecting the trucks are comfortable with carrying out the inspections using a pen and a paper form. Adding the tablet brings additional comfort as it serves as a rigid support for the paper form while it records the information as the form is filled out. The form itself is the same one that the inspectors are accustomed to using. Therefore, there is no need for special training. Most importantly, now the data are automatically recorded, analyzed and managed, and the results are received instantly.” With the former “pen and paper” method, it was necessary to enter the handwritten data in a computer, and it often took one or two months for the regional subsidiaries to get the data, if it was received at all. Therefore, ArioForm for Windows saves time in essentially two respects – there is no longer the need to re-enter the data collected on the forms, and no longer the need to wait for the data to arrive and take action on it. This means the subsidiaries have all the information they need in a timely manner to ensure that anomalies are detected and eliminated. The statistics generated by the data collected provide safety performance tracking indicators. The results from the automatic analysis include the primary anomalies detected per storage facility, the number of anomalies per transporter, the main anomalies detected, the vehicles showing defects, and other critical safety factors. The Safe-to-Load vehicle safety checks are now part of TOTAL’s twelve “Golden Rules” (compulsory tasks and rules to adhere to). It is important to note that TOTAL does not own any trucks in the regions -- the trucks and the drivers are leased by TOTAL. With ArioForm, the subsidiaries in the region now have all the information they need to ensure the trucking companies adhere to the security compliance rules set forward by TOTAL. The data gathered with Safe-to-Load enables the subsidiaries to detect trucking companies with repeated anomalies, and vehicles with repeated anomalies. If a trucking company does not comply with the safety requirements, it will lose its contract with TOTAL. Rapid Return on Investment TOTAL’s product evaluation process included a business case concerning the ROI for the acquisition of ArioForm for Windows. Philippe Delécluse calculated the number of items from the safety checks that needed to be entered into a computer, and the time required to enter the data. His study revealed that the number of items to be recopied came to about fourteen million yearly. It became clear that, in addition to improving security on the roads through systematic vehicle safety checks, TOTAL would also save money in terms of time and resources with Ariolis’ solution. “The cost of the solution is reasonable, and it corresponds perfectly to our requirements. In addition, the Safe-to-Load form using ArioForm for Windows is in compliance with the company’s overall risk management policy,” said Delécluse. Flexibility for Specific Requirements TOTAL made the decision to adopt ArioForm for Windows based not only on the technology, but also on the fact that Ariolis was willing to adapt its solution to TOTAL’s requirements. “Ariolis adapted its software to our specifications, which enabled us to take the solution on board as a “TOTAL-branded” product. Even the user manual was customized and simplified for our users.” “We are entirely satisfied with the partnership with Ariolis and the solution. It was delivered on time and to our specifications. The technical support is efficient and quick. As a referenced supplier at TOTAL, we are positively open to continuing to work with Ariolis on future projects,” concluded Delécluse. Business needs: • Systematic vehicle safety checks with Safe-to-Load • Improve product transportation safety • Homogeneous solution for all subsidiaries • Data collected and analyzed automatically • The Safe-to-Load vehicle safety check has become a “Golden Rule” at TOTAL Problems: • Safety checks were carried out sporadically • Data was often not recorded and analyzed • The process required improvement and streamlining to increase utilization by inspectors • The roads in a region can be of poor quality, thus reinforcing the need for safety checks • Required a solution based on a previous, well understood system Solutions: • ArioForm for Windows enables capture, consolidation and analysis of data • Solution adapted to TOTAL’s specifications • TOTAL-branded solution for increased uptake in the field Benefits: • Solution eliminates re-entering data and thus translates to cost savings • Efficiency is increased through automatic analysis of data • The automatically analyzed data is converted into knowledge, thus enabling the subsidiaries to quickly implement action plans • An affordable solution, usable on a large scale, and yielding an almost immediate ROI • Solution complies with TOTAL’s overall risk management policy BETT 2011 Date: 12th – 15th January 2011 Time: TBA Venue: Olympia, Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX Synopsis: BETT is the world’s largest education technology exhibition