2013 Issue

43 needing a part to repair a machine critical to a production pro- cess. When asked how soon he needed the part, of course his answer wasASAP. Thinking tomyself about theneedandexpense of chartering a jet to fly the part, I asked if FedEx next morning delivery would beOK. He said, “No, just ship it UPSGround; that will be soon enough.” I’ve since learned to clarify what this term means, and it’s spared me lots of unnecessary pressure trying to perform in a hurry. • As engineers, many of us are involved with ubiquitous submit- tals, either preparing them or reviewing them. In the last four to five years, the number of pages that comprise most submit- tals has increased by a factor of 3 to 6! Of course, the reason is that manufacturers are publishing literature in PDF format, and most suppliers just include every document that might have the slightest relevance to the project. The need to present only the requested information in a clear and concise format seems to have been lost. Now we’re saving trees at the expense of obfuscating the needed data. • The number of digits to the right of the decimal point onmodern hand-held calculators is a least ten, thanks to the computing power of its microchip. But, would you please spareme all those extra digits and limit your response to THREE significant digits? As engineers, you used to know that the answer to a problem could not be expressed with any more significant digits than the least accurate measurement. It makes us chuckle to review a quotation that includes an estimate for labor and materials expressed as $29,345.50. Are we expected to believe that the estimator is really that accurate? Certainly a quote for $29,300 will be much easier for the customer to absorb and remember. • The social networks of Facebook and LinkedIn are gainingmore traction in today’s business world. And Twitter delivers headline news to millions in staccato fashion. Many baby boomers have Facebook accounts as a way to stay in touch with children and grandchildren. Some organizations (e.g., ASHRAE) are encour- aging local chapters to have Facebook accounts to maintain contact with younger members. While LinkedIn may be a con- duit for getting your name out to possible future employers, it can be as useful tool for many to network with consultants and clients. To summarize: social networks’ place in the business arena is here to stay, use them but don’t be abused by them. I’m not really down on the new electronic tools that make our lives so much easier. Increasingly faster computers have revolutionized our businesses, making us so much more productive. One of the great advantages of our timesaving computers is the increased opportunity for good old-fashioned face-to-face contact with customers and associates. Research has shown that a phone call is only 40 percent as effective as a personal meeting; so maybe an email is 30 percent as effective, and a fax perhaps 20 percent. So let’s celebrate the ever-accelerating electronic age, and increase our face time; it’s still by far the best way to communicate. NEED YOUR BUSINESS TO FLY? Flight Instructions Available at Bank of Utah. Gary Nielsen iFly at the Salomon Center Ogden, UT Fawn Robinson Gary’s Banker Call 801-409-5055 1-800-516-5559