Thursday, February 10- Join Jim and James as they discuss the latest product launch from Energy Worldnet (EWN). Now with TRACER Asset Management, you can manage your #assets in the Energy Worldnet system the same way you manage your workforce. Smart #tools for hardworking #people.
Quick Links:
James Cross on Linkedin
Jim Schauer on Linkedin
Episode Transcript
[0:00] [music]
Jim Schauer: [0:24] Good morning, everyone. Welcome to this episode of “Coffee with Jim & James.” James, how are you doing this morning?
James Cross: [0:30] Man, Jimmy, where are you, man?
Jim: [0:33] I’m in Studio B. And you look like you’re in my studio.
James: [0:38] You’re welcome.
Jim: [0:39] Where are you at?
James: [0:40] Hold on. Hold on a second. Let’s do this right.
[0:43] [background sounds only]
Jim: [0:43] What’s that thing?
[0:44] [background sounds only]
Jim: [0:44] Whoa. What are you doing here?
James: [0:55] What’s up, brother?
Jim: [0:56] What’s up, brother?
James: [0:57] Man, this is a special day. We got to do it right.
Jim: [1:01] I tell you what ‑‑ we are doing it right. It’s a big day. It’s a big week. It’s a big time of history at Energy Worldnet, and I couldn’t be more excited.
James: [1:11] A lot of work. A lot of work this week. Full transparency ‑‑ we are live. Well, not live. We’re live from Tracer Week…
Jim: [1:19] Yes. Yes.
James: [1:20] here in Decatur, Texas, at our home base. We were thinking about this show, and this is something we’ve never done, is, other than out at trade shows, we’ve never done a live episode together.
Jim: [1:33] We haven’t. We haven’t. Maybe we threw some of the audience members today with that little trick at the beginning.
James: [1:38] It’s a little tricky.
Jim: [1:39] I liked it. I liked it.
James: [1:42] Too bad. I’ll tell you what ‑‑ we’re doing something special because it’s a special week. For those that don’t know, Tracer, our new asset management solution, came out yesterday. We’re recording, like I said, a week before. We had a really tough choice to make.
Jim: [1:57] We did. We really did.
[1:59] [crosstalk]
James: [1:59] because our hundredth episode landed on the same week as Tracer’s rollout. Tracer was a big project, so we made a choice. We really couldn’t move the 100th episode. That’s non‑negotiable.
[2:14] We talked about it, and we thought, what better way to really do our first one together side by side?
Jim: [2:20] Absolutely. I’m excited to be here. This is great.
James: [2:23] Big week for Jimmy. Let’s bring people along on this journey a little bit. It’s been almost two years in the making, but I remember, your title changed to VP of enterprise asset management.
Jim: [2:37] Yeah, that happened in the spring of 2021, is when it actually officially happened.
James: [2:42] A lot of those conversations started before that, but that change perked a lot of people in the industry, “What’s going on? What are you guys doing over there?”
[2:52] We’ve kept it close to the vest. A lot of hard work, you and the teams that supported the TRACER project. What was that like for you, that journey down there?
Jim: [3:03] It’s incredible. This journey started 18, 24 months ago for the company, when we really listened to our customers and heard of a need, want and the desire to. The way that the industry trust us with their people, they want to trust us with their assets and they’ve realized that the assets are a critical portion of that.
[3:23] It came about from listening, going forward and exploring some things. Then I got involved. Just with my history in the industry, a lot of people were asking me questions, “How our assets this, how our that.” Again, it went all over. We got a lot of feedback from it, but it’s been a long journey.
James: [3:43] I want to jump into the origin story, but before that, I want to just catch up everybody who may have not seen, been on social media or saw some of the press release, some of the other stuff right now.
Jim: [3:56] Right.
James: [3:57] Real quick, just in case our audience leaves within three weeks, tell everybody what TRACER is, who does it serve, what purpose does it serve and, then, where can they learn more. Let’s cover that now.
Jim: [4:12] Let me do it real quick. The same way that we take care of people with their qualifications and we take care of people with their certifications, the part of the three‑legged stool is now taking care of assets.
[4:25] When you think about that, putting assets ‑‑ one of the most important parts of the projects out there in the energy industry right now ‑‑ it’s really getting all those in a format that you can use them whether it’s out in the field or in the office, get updates right away, know if a machine is ready to go to work or wait, there’s some issues. It’s a safety tool. Somebody can scan it and instantly know.
James: [4:47] I see you keep doing this. It’s mobile?
Jim: [4:50] It’s mobile. It’s in the office and I love the mobile platform. The safety aspect. When you think about a technician, he or she scanning a fusion machine and saying, “Oh, wait.”
James: [4:58] It works in the field?
Jim: [4:59] Yeah, or a green checkmark, let’s go. Let’s get to work on it. The beautiful thing about this, it’s a global solution. Anybody that is tracking assets anywhere in the world can use TRACER. It goes all over the world.
James: [5:14] That’s right. One last thing.
Jim: [5:17] Yes.
James: [5:18] If you don’t know this answer, I’m going to leave.
Jim: [5:20] Oh, boy.
James: [5:20] Where can they go to learn more, just so we cover it? What’s the website?
Jim: [5:24] Well, TRACER.
James: [5:26] ewntracer.com.
Jim: [5:27] ewntracer.com is the official website. ewntracer.com, or they could go to the EWN website too, and there’s probably some links in there or some ways to get to each other, or contact me.
James: [5:44] Absolutely. Let’s tell, how I always like the origin stories. It’s one of my favorite parts when we bring guests on. Let’s bring people along on what that origin story of, EEM back at that point, but what turned out to be Tracer. I want to start really by the early adopter program.
Jim: [6:09] Sure.
James: [6:10] It’s something we rolled out and it’s been an integral part of the success of Tracer and getting that product out. There’s so many folks behind the scenes and within the industry that have given their input. Let’s talk about that a little bit and let people know about early adopter.
Jim: [6:27] Early adopter is again, like you said, a wonderful thing that we at Energy Worldnet have embraced, adopted and brought to life. It is not part of Tracer. Actually, Tracer’s part of the early adopter program.
James: [6:41] The fruit of the labor from that.
Jim: [6:43] It is. It’s really us reaching out to the industry looking at subject‑matter experts to all across the industry of people giving us feedback. Giving us their input and giving us their ideas and giving us their wish list. Giving us what would work well in the industry.
[6:59] That’s the key to it is that, having that early adopter program, I view it as big ears that listen and listen to what people are saying out there. Then taking that back and digesting it and then mapping it out, roadmaps.
[7:15] In my mind I’m seeing sheets and sheets and sheets of flow and everything. The early adopter program is wonderful and it’s ongoing. Tracer’s just one of them. We’re going to be using this more and more.
James: [7:28] There are several projects going on at any given time. Here’s my plea to the industry. If you’re looking for a way to get involved, a way to make a difference, you want to be a part of a project that will make a difference in our industry, get involved with that early adopter program.
[7:48] We’ll share some information on that. Jimmy, this Tracer, if you wonder what the fruits of that labor can look like, Tracer is that. If you’re wondering if we’re over there drawing in the dirt with a stick, maybe sometimes.
Jim: [8:08] Sometimes, back at napkins.
James: [8:10] Absolutely. This is the result. This is some of those success.
Jim: [8:15] I think the word that keeps coming to my head is collaboration, relationships, communication. All those words come into play. It’s very important to know that one person’s idea could have a huge impact on a project.
[8:30] They may or may not and we may or may not know it until we start to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. That’s a beautiful part is that when it starts to come together, that’s exciting.
James: [8:40] It is exciting. We said all the time, we’re a 28‑year‑old company. We really rolled that early adopter out in the past year and a half, year. It’s a huge change for our company. Not change. We were doing it all along but formalizing it.
[9:01] We’re seeing those results. Jimmy, I want to ask you a few more things.
Jim: [9:04] Oh boy, put me on the spot, James.
James: [9:06] Directly about Tracer. Want Tracer why now? What makes Tracer different?
Jim: [9:16] It gets back to listening to our customers as to what they need, want and desire. That’s first and foremost. That’s how it was born. Then we started to ask questions to operators, to contractors, to regulators.
[9:30] Again, assets for the most part are certified but not regulated as in the formal government sense. A lot of people like the idea of keeping the same adherence to excellence with their assets as they do with their people.
James: [9:46] People are their greatest asset.
Jim: [9:47] They are. Then after the people do come the assets, the part that’s out in the field. It came together that way. Wanted to be better, wanted to be better in the industry.
[9:58] Everybody that we’ve talked to about this has said that, “Wow, this will give us a great…Be better, best path. Understand what we have, being proactive, being safer.” All those things by knowing that your assets are in the right shape at the right place at the right time.
James: [10:16] There’s a data element of it, I think it’s really important and we talk about it all the time. Asset management isn’t new. We can go out there and find asset management, but the kicker here is, the connection and having that data in the same place.
[10:33] If you are qualifying or certifying your people, that connection there, breaking down some of those walls within the data, those silos and creating something down the road that we’re going to be able to…One‑stop place to pull in and go. This job is ready to go.
Jim: [10:54] We do give people that option now. If people aren’t in the qualification world, but they’re very heavy in the asset where they can use Tracer. Maybe they don’t use qualifications or maybe they use certifications for manufacturers and assets.
[11:07] Then you said the trifecta if they have people out there that are doing OQ task, and they do items that need to be certified. People certified as well as their assets.
[11:16] Imagine picking up a mobile device out in the field and somebody comes on a job site and you could check a person, their OQ, their certifications. “By the way, those are the assets you’re using, let me check those too.” Boom, boom, boom. Let’s get to work.
James: [11:31] That’s the world I want to live in.
Jim: [11:32] It’s exciting. It really is exciting.
James: [11:33] It is, that’s why I want to get started in this. Jimmy, I know we have a webinar coming up at the end of the month.
Jim: [11:39] On the 24th.
James: [11:40] 24th, we’ll share some info about that. We’re going to actually be demoing the product in there, or showing some of that.
Jim: [11:48] We will. Definitely.
James: [11:49] Talking about some of those benefits is probably the best way other than picking up the phone and reaching out, to getting that flyover of how Tracer can help your company and your assets. 24th.
Jim: [12:06] 24th. We will show some of the screens and some of the navigation. If people before then, they want to get involved, if they go to ewntracer.com, there’s a big button there. It says, “Request a demo.”
[12:19] If you want to see what the product looks like, just to become more aware, educate yourself as to some of the possibilities of the tools that are out here, we’d love to show it to you. Absolutely.
James: [12:30] ewntracer.com for those. I’ll say it one more time because I’m that guy. ewntracer.com. If you want to learn more of course, reach out to Jimmy. Jim, it’s a big week. It’s been fun getting to fellowship with you.
[12:46] Selfishly, Jimmy and I had coffee together every morning while he’s been in town.
Jim: [12:51] It’s been wonderful.
James: [12:51] This week, it’s been nice to catch up. We’ve got some weather coming in, some things to do. Man, congratulations on the release. I know is a big moment to get here. A lot of work. Congratulations to our team that’s behind.
Jim: [13:08] The teams.
James: [13:08] So many fantastic people involved in this project. Congratulations, the Energy Worldnet for an awesome product launch. Man, it’s good to see you. It’s good to see as well.
Jim: [13:18] Good to see you, brother.
James: [13:21] I appreciate you.
Jim: [13:22] That’s wonderful.
James: [13:23] Audience, you know what to do. This guy can hook you up, get you set up with the right people. ewntracer.com.
Jim: [13:30] Thanks, sir. I appreciate it. All right. Have a great day. We’ll see you next time on “Coffee With Jim & James.”
[13:36] [background music]
James: [13:36] [inaudible].
Jim: [13:38] I like it. I like to hear a little dance out, maybe a little bit, like I usually do. I do.
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