Wrap Up

Well, by now everyone is safely home. 

Colin has a few words here to wrap up his experience:

On behalf of my fellow CEFT Coordinators (Mark, Paul, Rob and Ian) I would like to congratulate our 5 "Elite Travellers" on the way these young guys have conducted themselves over the last two weeks, I have been lucky enough to have had the pleasure of travelling with these guys and witnessing first hand, what no doubt, their customers see and experience when working hard in the field, "true die hard professionals" with a passion for their jobs and everything they do.

so... in clockwise order

Dave, Hastings Deering - It has been an absolute pleasure to meet you, I know you will continue to embrace every challenge and every opportunity that is presented to you and the ones you pursue... all the best in your new Leadership position and thanks for a great two weeks... don't worry Dave, it took two weeks but we got payback on Ellemarie on the last US flight... see photo!!

Matt, WesTrac NSW/ACT - Although I knew you only briefly before the trip, I have gotten to know you a lot more over the last two weeks, I can see your motivation for delivering the best, your love for your family and your work, makes me proud to say I know you... all the best in your new leadership role, I am sure you will continue to be the best at what ever you throw your hands to.

Andrew, William Adams - Probably the quieter one amongst us, a bit of a quiet achiever, I don't think I have ever met someone so keen to listen and learn both work and life skills, your a true professional, thanks for a great two weeks and good luck for the future, I also don't know anyone who has ever bought so many Cat hats as you did..... cheers...

Jason, Cavpower - I would have to say that your customers would have to be the most fortunate customers in the Dealership world, your passion for the Caterpillar Machine (particularly Scrapers), and for life, is simply "infectious", your presence in the group kept everyone one in fantastic spirits for the whole two weeks, not to mention everyone you met along the way, whether that be one of the Caterpillar or Dealer staff on a tour or course, or the stranger sitting next to you on one of our many flights, it is a pleasure to know you, all the best and keep doing what you do well....

Dusty, WesTrac WA - It has been great travelling with you for the last two weeks, the leadership you show and share with the rest of the group is a rare quality these days, I know everyone enjoyed your company and good spirits, keep practicing those "Dad Jokes" it was a lot of Pun, I mean "Fun" travelling with you... all the best in the future.

I think we can all be proud of these five guys, "the best of the best" rolled of the tongue many times during the trip, and thats what they are, well done guys and thanks for your commitment to the whole CEFT program for the last 12 months. speaking of commitment, it would be remiss of me not to mention one last person....

Ellemarie - on behalf of all the Dealerships and everyone involved in the program as well as all the families of the 5 guys on the trip, THANK YOU..... working with you over the last 18 months and travelling over the last two weeks has been an absolute pleasure, the work you put in behind the scenes and keeping everyone during the program and on the trip on track is unbelievable, you simply never stop, this program and this trip, would not have been so successful if not for your relentless work, again, on behalf of everyone THANK YOU....

Roll on Field Service Elite 2012..

regards Colin...


Colin really said it all very well, so all that is left for me to say is .....
When I first packed my bag for the USA trip, it was with some apprehension, having to spend 2 weeks travelling with a group of people that I do not know.

Today I realise how very lucky I am to now know this exceptional group of people. Listening to the discussions among themselves and with people we met along the way, I have gained an immense respect for them and the work they do everyday for Caterpillar, our Dealers and our Customers.
With people like Matt, Dusty, Jason, Andrew and Dave at the front-line, we can be assured that our customers will be well looked after. I hope they value the qualities in  these technicians, their knowledge, skill, dedication and most of all the passion that they have for their work.

To the Dealers and families, you should all be very proud of these guys and how they are leading the way for other technicians. Thank you for supporting them and giving them the opportunity to be a part of this experience.

Ellemarie

So, with all that said,  its time to officially close off the blog ...

...........   That's all Folks !!!!

Thursday 22nd

Meeting at the Staybridge lobby at 7:30am to go to Aurora.The bus was there on time and ready ...

 It is a 2.5 hr trip in the bus.  Most of the crew fell asleep somewhere along the road, and I am sure I even saw Jason squeeze in a few zzzz's.  But best of all was this little snap ....  we all know that falling asleep might result in someone making some fun out of it ...

We finally made it to Aurora around 10:15am and ready for the factory tour. Once again, we were not allowed to take any photo's in this faciltiy.

Aurora is the world wide design centre for Wheel Loaders and covers whole process from cutting the steel, forming, machining and painting of the frames and assembly of the machines. There are approx 3500 employees on site.  Machines include Medium and Large Wheel Loaders , 938 through 994, and 336D, 345D outside USA and the 349E and 345E  Tier 4 within USA and Europe. Mining shovels are also part of the plan but they are still deciding which models will be built in Aurora and all depends on facilty capability.
In summary Aurora manufactures 28 different machines and currently ship approximately 25 units per day.
As we toured through the facility, it was interesting to note all of the quality checks along the way during assembly, testing and also pre-delivery. We also saw CPS at work with the CPS boards and the use of ANDON system.  Standard work is broken into 20 minute segments based on a person's ability to remember the tasks required in this time frame.
We were lucky enought to have Joel Busker who is the structural design engineer for Large Wheel Loaders take us on the 5 hour tour.
Aurora displays the flags representative of the countries from which visitors will be for the week.

And the around 3:40pm we left Aurora to take the 2 hr trip to Chicago. We got stuck in a bit of traffic, but the views were good....

By the time we arrived at the hotel, checked in and cleaned up a bit, it was time to go and find somewhere for dinner. 
 Walked along Michigan Ave ( Magnificent Mile) on our way to Andy's Jazz Club for some dinner, which was worth the 20 minute walk and bit of getting lost

And then shortly after dinner, back to the hotel for a final celebration of the 2 weeks and the friends we have made ...

But of course, at the end of the day, its all about these guys and what they have achieved ...

So, now that we are getting towards the end of our trip, we have lots to reflect back on and even more to go and tell everyone at home. There are heaps of photo's to share and I am sure a lot of you will be very bored for the next few weeks being forced to suffer through the hundreds of pictures again and again and again ...

But the guys did want me to post the following messages on the blog for you all:

Before the Elite Field Team program, I worked for William Adams in Traralgon field service doing a job which I would not trade for anything else. After completing the program and meeting the Caterpillar people and also the Dealer people from both Holt and Ringpower in the USA, and the rest of the Australian team (both Caterpillar and dealer), I now know we all work for one worldwide team. Just seeing how passionate they all are about the Cat product and also the customers we all service, has made me realise that all though we all can be in different parts of the world, we are all reading off the same page. I think it is because of  people like this that the Caterpillar product is where it is today.
Also, hi to everyone at William Adams, hi to all at Traralgon branch and to my family and friends.
Andrew Uren

What has stood out to me has been the people: from the sincerity of Jeff at the Tinaja Hills facility through to being so readily accommodated at the Holt dealership by Chad and then  chatting with Holt's field serviceman Dave and discovering that we face the same challenges and joys on opposite sides of the world.
The others in the team who I am travelling with are a diverse bunch and each one adds something unique to the group. We have spent countless hours sharing experiences and discussing what customer service means for us. The enthusiasm amongst the group is infectious and we feed off each other's positivity. I doubt whether anyone in the team could possibly realize just how much I'm learning simply by observing them being themselves. "All I did was do my job and look where I am" is a phrase I've heard often this past week and it's easy to see how these guys are deemed to be elite simply by doing what comes naturally to them.

As we've had opportunity to visit a whole host of dealerships and Caterpillar facilities over the past couple of weeks, what has stood out to me has been the impact of being prepared.  Many times now we have arrived to a notice board welcoming us either personally or by our dealerships and immediately felt comfortable and at ease in the confidence that yes, we have arrived at the correct location on the correct day and our hosts are anticipating our arrival and are ready for us.
This is a lesson that can be taken back to field operations; a quick phone call to inform the customer that we are on our way will promote suitable machine availability and avoid misinterpretation of our service commitment, arriving prepared with the correct background information and corresponding parts and tooling will instill a feeling of confidence within the customer that we are well equipped to address his situation and a prompt and quality service report will confirm that we have indeed completed a comprehensive diagnosis and repair and returned the machine to full service expectations.
A lesson can also be taken from the book of the hospitality industry - i.e. a set table confirms to the guests that they are expected and appreciated.
I look forward to applying these principles to my daily activities.

While I'll remember the places and activities with great fondness, it is the people who have made it for me and I'm glad to know that these friendships will continue on well into the future.
Dave Nagel, Hastings Deering

On behalf of WesTrac NSW, I would like to thank all of the people involved in setting up the Field Service Elite program. I would also recommend to fellow technicians that the program has many advantages. The experience of being guided through the factories and talking to the field service technicians from different dealerships was invaluable.
I would like to thank the group for making the journey an A1 Experience from the start to finish. Hope that we can all stay in contact and make the future programs as successful and enjoyable as this year has been.
Matt Bailey, WesTrac WA

WOW ! What an awesome trip. The company I kept on this trip is far beyond my expectations and I have made some great friends. The places we went from LA through Texas to Orlando then back was an amazing selection of places that gave us a taste of the USA. The introduction of us to the US field technicians was great and to see that world wide we have the same challenges each day, the same passion for the Cat product and as much as the US vehicle is a much larger one, we all have much the same set-up.
To follow the Cat product in Peoria from the developmental testing and design to the proving in Tucson to how Cat deals with CPI both back in Peoria and how it is proven in Tucson and then dealt with.
It was a grand experience to meet the design engineers and to discuss problems us field technicians have with the people who actually design and write the schematics and manuals.
What an amazing experience and group. I am so wrapped that I had the opportunity to meet these guys and an awesome trip to the USA. Thank you
Jason Loney

Well USA. What can I say. The cars are biggers, shops and cities are massive. The people are super friendly too. This has been a trip of a life time. Not knowing any of the other seven in the group at the start, I can now truly say we have grown to be all good friends.  From the many challenges we had along the way, the rewards have been worth it.
Dustin Carter, WesTrac WA










Tomorrow we have a bit of free time in the morning before we head off for the airport and finally back home.

We will post one last blog tomorrow before we leave

Wednesday 21st

A 7:45am start this morning to do some more Caterpillar facility tours.

I knew the minute that I walked out the door, that these guys still have not had enough of looking at stuff...

Mike Kamp looked after us while in Peoria and transporting the group around and making sure that we get to do the things we wanted to. So this morning he turned up in his Jeep .....

We visited several Caterpillar facilities in East Peoria today.  
Photo's are not allowed at these facilities, so we are a bit short on pictures for the day.

First off was a tour of the machining and assembly of transmissions. This facility produces 196 different types of transmissions and 63% of  the parts required are manufactured here. All of the fabrications, heat treatment, machining, assembly and testing is done here.

Next stop was the fabrication and machining of tractor components. This facility is the largest fabrication facility that Caterpillar has world wide.

We had the opportunity to meet two design engineers on the D10T. Specific design discussion was on Hydraulic Lines. We saw how engineers use software to design and make changes. There was lots of discussion on serviceability and access, which the engineers were glad to make note of.

After lunch we had a tour of Building SS, Track Type Tractor Final Assembly.  Watching everyone's reaction as we entered the factory floor, was a common theme of "WOW!".  The whole facility was very impressive and a great opportunity to see CPS in action.
We did manage a couple of pics out the front of the building .....

This explains it all ......

We managed to get a last minute addition to our agenda to visit LC,  Service Learning.  Here Phil Adams (Product and Technical Training Supervisor) and Rick Beal were waiting to take us for a tour through their facility.

A quick photo opportunity ......

....  and then onto the stuff that really matters.  We were shown through the training facility, and made a stop in this lab that had the 3600 Gas Engine. Some very serious discussions going on here ....

...  until somebody decided that it was enough of that !! 

Phil and Rick ......

Of course,  there must always be a photo of either a car or a truck in our day ....

....  and could not walk away without getting one more picture of something that has Service written on it.

On the way back, we saw this unfortunate engine being put to good use in the training centre.

..  What can I say .....  Jason and Dusty

No, this will not fit into your luggage ..........

.....  but they did find some stuff in here that would.  More pressies for those back at home ....

One final glance at the big Caterpillar building that is so very famous, before we have to say goodbye to Peoria tomorrow morning.

We are all very tired and kept to a nice quiet dinner at Longhorn

Back on the bus by 9:15 and when I heard the laughter coming from the back of the bus at 9:16, this is what I saw ....

 Somehow it seems like we have been travelling for ages, but on the other hand its hard to believe that it is all coming to an end now. 

I will have some messages from the guys on the blog tomorrow, so keep looking.

Tuesday 20th

Today was NPI training at Edwards all day. We kicked off at 8:00 am with a session on Tier 4 engines. Our instructor Sam Nelson did a class room session on Tier 4 Interim engine & after treatment systems diagnostics.  She then took the group out to the workshop and spent some time on the practical side with discussion and answering questions. Lucky for the team, the machine used today for the sessions was a 320E. That meant no photo's, so we can only share with you some basic pics ...

Here is Sam talking through some of the Tier 4 issues with Dave and Andrew on the 320E

We also had a session on the new 795F AC OHT that we saw at Tucson.



Next up was the Schematics Group with Steve Davis and his team.  They wanted to meet with the guys to get some feedback on what technicians want to see on schematics and what information they need or do not need and what views are helpful.  This was really a session on collecting voice of customer where schematics group is getting user needs from technicians.

Here is Matt having a "Jason moment" with his grin just after he found out more about the hot links and interactive capability of the schematics on SIS.  I am pretty sure that this was Matt's best bit of the day.... being able to provide some feedback and requests and will mostly likely see some of these come true very soon.

After finishing off on the schematics, they had an NPI session with Mike Stobaugh on HEX. Once again the 320E was used for this training. There was no class room session, but everything was done out on the machine, so we cannot share any photo's with you.
But here is one we were allowed to take of the guys with Mike and Gerard who conducted the training.

The Shop Tools and Supplies group was last on the agenda for day. Now for those of  you who have been following the blog, you may remember that John Karson and his team donated some excellent tooling prizes to the 2nd and 3rd place getters.
What they wanted today is get some feedback from us on how they can communicate better with technicians on the tooling available and new information.  They shared some great ideas which we will all take away and work towards sharing information on shop tooling with technicians in Australia.

Then John announced that they had a surprise for the 5 guys and he gave them each a Caterpillar toolbag and also a mystery grey box ........

..  whatever is in there must be good judging by the look on Andrew's face.....

......... nope, they still won't share with the rest of us what they got .....

... but when they were not looking, I sneaked this photo.  The shop tools and supplies group presented each of the 5 guys with a digital torque wrench that is personalized by having their name engraved on it. 

Matt was very impressed by the whole thing and especially to see his name engraved ....
Dusty in the back ground there looks pretty happy too ..

It took a while for Jason to realise that this was actually his to take home ....

Andrew put his new cap on ( I think he must have collected every Cat hat he's seen on this trip) and showing off the prize ...

Yep,  Dave looks like he was happy too ....

Back into the workshop to compare   ....   and found they are all the same....

Here is John and his team who I guess would be fair to say are now sponsors of the Elite Field Team. A very  big  THANKS to Shop Tools & Supplies group for their support in this program, for wanting to get feedback from the technicians and also for offering to support us in the program again next year ! We will work towards getting more information out to technicians on the tooling available and also opening the feedback communication channel.

So, with all that excitement out of the way, we had to call it a day.  On the way out the guys wanted to stop to take a minute to read the sign along the road.  .....  mmmmm ?

They really were reading a sign. See, here it is .....

At 6pm Mike Kamp took us to the Burger Barge for dinner ..... 

Almost as excited as when he sees scrapers ...........

Chuck Boen, Parts & Service Manager / Equipment Management & Service Ops joined us for dinner tonight and took some photo's. 

He also captured most of us getting stuck into a very very greasy burger that just could not be any good for you, but tasted oh so very yummy.

Dusty had no problem getting this one finished ...

Jason and Matt was not going to leave anything behind on their plates either ....

No camera was going to get in the way of Andrew eating his burger ....

And I guess, if I am going to put those photo's on the blog, then it is only fair that I embarrass myself too ...

Needless to say, after that very unhealthy meal, we all needed some exercise, and went outside for a walk ..

Well, 5 of us made it as far as the chairs  ........  and doing it very tough ..

It was not long before they all spotted something really interesting that got the heart rate going again, and off they went ...

Yep, it's a car.  I would say that they have now all qualified to join the group of "Gear Heads" here in Peoria as Mike calls it.

Okay, so its Chuck's '68 Corvette that got all the attention .... Here is Chuck telling the story of how he came about buying a car that was stored in a hangar and had not been started in 21 years.

It was only a matter of time before somebody had to get in it ...

Jason also enjoyed this one, but he is still dreaming about all the yellow machines he wanted to take home over the last 2 weeks. ...

And finally, here is Brian Dennison, the entertainer for the evening. He was very good and reminded us after each song to check him out on youtube.  Go and take a look for yourselves ...

Today was an absolutely huge experience once again. We have met some fantastic people and learned even more about the pieces of the puzzle that puts Caterpillar together.

A really big thank you to Rick Beal who put today's  program together for us .  There was not one moment in the day where they did not have the full attention of the team and there was something in there for everybody to take home with them.

Tomorrow we are off to do some more facility tours and hopefully everyone will be on the bus at 7:45am