Here be dragons
Ancient maps used by Western explorers would sometimes bear this mention “Here be Dragons” to indicate unknown overseas realms, rich with threats and perhaps, to the most adventurous minds… wonders. The Year of the Dragon has come again and we, at Siveco China, are feeling adventurous! Barely a few weeks into the new year, we have already entered unchartered territories and going forward, all sails out:
The Borgia map (c. 1439 AD) with the inscription “Hic etiam homines magna cornua habentes longitudine quatuor pedum, et sunt etiam serpentes tante magnitudinis, ut unum bovem comedant integrum.” (“Here there are even men who have large four-foot horns, and there are even serpents so large that they could eat an ox whole.”) Vatican Library.
– Our newly-started Chengdu operation (not officially announced yet… this is premium news for our subscribers!) already has 5 people working full time! The Chengdu team will focus on the Western provinces of China (Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet, Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Guangxi) and we expect two new projects to start in Sichuan before the end of Q1.
– Our initiative to grow the business in Southeast Asia, where we already have a significant customer base, is gaining speed. We are recruiting new partners to bid for the CMMS package in infrastructure and utilities projects in the region and several trips are planned in the coming weeks. This month’s partner article is dedicated to Southeast Asia.
– Our bluebee® cloud solution for facilities management is now operational on over 200 sites all over China. Some of our customers are a sight to behold with giant touch-screens (one of our clients boats the largest touch-screen in China) and dozens of tablets and mobile users. Talk about unchartered territories: this is not your grandpa’s CMMS/EAM (for more on the “death of EAM” see my interview in this month’s reliability section)!
Talking about grandparents: I have been here in China for over 12 years now! This is the second Year of the Dragon for me! Some things have changed, but many others haven’t. Technologies definitely have (although some of our CMMS competitors seem lost in the early 90s), yet the challenges we tackle haven’t. Implementing Preventive Maintenance still tops the list, which was also the topic of my first project in China, at a paper mill in Suzhou in 1998…
We are launching the latest edition of our annual “Maintenance in China” survey: this year’s edition of the survey is run in cooperation with academic partner Beihang Sino-French Engineering School (a joint program between Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and France’s Centrale Graduate School). Various international chambers of commerce and business associations will distribute the survey to their members in the coming two months. The survey is available online in either English or Chinese and takes only a few minutes to complete. This year’s respondents will have the chance to win an iPad!
In this month’s issue of our newsletter, you will find all the usual sections, some of which I already mentioned above. In addition, the Customer Story recaps our experience with automotive supplier Sogefi, this month’s tips & tricks section is dedicated to workflows in bluebee® cloud and our Latest News tell of our recent adventures.
Are there Dragons ahead? The ship’s captain has already warned his crew: there is no turning back! We will only return home our coffers filled with treasures and our eyes filled with wonders!
Bruno Lhopiteau
General Manager
Siveco China
General Manager
Siveco China
