“Right off the bat, when I picked HearMe up, it’s very compact and easy to use. Especially the charging of the units. Since we are providing factory tours all over the place, we want to make sure that when we get to a new site, charged units are ready to go. The way you guys designed this means we’re setting tours up very easily.”
– Jude Tremblay, Technical Resources Engineer, CCPPA
Executive Overview
The Canadian Concrete Pipe and Precast Association (CCPPA) represents concrete pipe producers and manufacturers across Canada. They are a not-for-profit association that was established to protect and advocate for their members.
One of the ways they advocate is through education and government relations. The CCPPA has been instrumental in helping organizations and members build knowledge about concrete and precast pipe and other precast products. Whether it’s guiding engineering staff from municipalities or consulting engineers through concrete facilities, CCPPA experts share firsthand experiences of design engineering in production for infrastructure.
Business Challenges
The members of the CCPPA have plants that manufacture everything from concrete pipes to girders and bridges. The education provided by experts on design engineering and resilient underground civil infrastructure is crucial to members of the CCPPA and to organizations who utilize their services.
Naturally, the most significant challenge in delivering tours in manufacturing plants is noise. The machinery used during the manufacturing process is quite heavy, weighing up to 40 tonnes each, and creates environmental noise and distractions for factory tour-goers.
The CCPPA realized that to guarantee the best visitor experiences for their members; they needed to find a portable tour guide solution that would solve their background noise problems while offering a solution that was easy for guides to manage.
With subject matter experts available on every factory tour, it was important that the elimination of noise extended to plant staff, not just tour guides.
Solution
The CCPPA contacted AudioConexus for help, to evaluate the HearMe Tour Guide System, a solution known for providing better factory tours in other manufacturing plants such as General Motors, Mercedes Benz, and John Deere.
The HearMe solution solved the CCPPA’s noise issue in any one of their members’ manufacturing facilities. The tour guide equipment boosted the organization’s confidence because they didn’t have to worry about factory noise while on a plant tour.
Using a Pin-Type Microphone to speak (a substitute to a head-worn boom microphone), tour guides pass a small transmitter to supervisors or team leaders on factory floors with ease, without compromising the quality of the tour experience.
“The pin-type microphone was the right way to go because it can be easily passed around. That was one of our goals for better tours. […] The advantage of being able to hand it to someone on the floor, in charge of a specific aspect of production so that they can share their expertise with guests is really important.”
– Jude Tremblay, Technical Resources Engineer, CCPPA
An additional benefit was savings in time. The CCPPA enjoys the low maintenance and fast system set up. Tour guide systems are often travelling across the country, used by a variety of leaders and experts in their field. Ease-of-use means less time spent on training.
Key Outcomes
The association has so far only received positive feedback about their tour guide systems. The CCPPA is thrilled to report that everyone hears what is said; even in larger group settings. With education being a part of their key mandate, clear communication between subject matter experts and their guests has greatly improved the tour experience for everyone.
Using the tour guide system, they look forward to continuing to share knowledge and build relationships with visiting engineers, municipalities and their valued members.
Business Results
- Elimination of Noise and Distractions
- Enhanced Relationships between Members and Visitors
- Enhanced Tour Quality and Consistency
- Portable with Little to No Training Required
Share your subject matter expertise on your factory tours and share compelling stories with your guests.
If you’re a manufacturer that wants to improve the visitor experience on your plant floor, learn why a HearMe Tour Guide System is right for you.