Product Launch Number one! – What is clavis up to at the Moment?

[authorBox image=”http://uzuner-solutions.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jennifer-Jandl-WebCoW-Produkteinführung.png” name=”Jennifer Jandl”]Our sales and marketing colleague Jennifer invites you to take a look behind the scenes of our upcoming product launch. She describes which product is concerned, how tumultuous the last months have been and how much passion and energy every one of us has contributed.[/authorBox]

Our first product is keeping us pretty busy at the moment. Software can not only facilitate the creation of risk assessments for large-scale plants with a high hazard potential, but also measurably increase the employees’ safety. Our product WebCoW has been developed to support exactly this process. By providing lots of useful additional functions, it helps achieve an accident-free work environment.

For several weeks we have been working on a premiere: After many years of project work we have now developed our first product. A big part of our team is engaged in the technical implementation and the strategic launch of the product. But in the end, everyone has a finger in the pie – even the people who are not directly involved like to think outside their own project box and give valuable feedback. Our first product turns out to be a highly exciting internal project.

Work Safety – That’s what it’s all about!

What we usually do is develop individual software for companies. For years we have been implementing customer-specific adaptations of the existing SAP systems in large refineries. The main focus is work safety. Hearing this word usually makes people think of ergonomic office chairs and the proper placement of light sources above the work place.

But the workplaces and tasks we deal with are a special case: When maintaining large-scale plants, people work with high temperatures or gas-filled containers. It’s vitally important to ensure that the pipes and power supplies are cut off and that all other safety precautions are taken before anyone starts to work. Unfortunately, there are still many accidents with serious consequences. For this reason, companies that operate such plants are obliged to assess the hazards of every task before it is performed.

It’s possible to do that on paper. But if the employees’ safety is taken seriously, hazard catalogs and lists for appropriate controls become too comprehensive to be used properly.

Software for the efficient Implementation of Controls

Software helps to keep all risks in view. It even enables companies to assess the controls and to trace how safety-enhancing preparations turn an initial risk into a low residual risk.

Every company with work orders subject to monitoring is well advised to take advantage of a software-based solution to efficiently create risk assessments, increase risk awareness and improve safety. However, many companies go their own way when it comes to software systems, so there are different versions of planning and ERP systems. If we worked with the companies’ already existing systems, we would have to develop a new solution for almost every site.

Therefore, we offer risk assessment as a web application: Via the browser, employees from all over the world use the same application, the same safety standard and the knowledge of their colleagues from overseas. That’s why we’ve developed WebCoW (Control of Work for the web).

Keep the tried and trusted, develop something new

It goes without saying that many years of project experience, our profound knowledge of the industry and the understanding of the companies’ processes are particularly advantageous for our work. All solutions that have proven their worth in practice are being incorporated little by little into our product. Fortunately, our present customers support us: Companies that have developed and established sophisticated models to improve safety gladly provide their expert knowledge and their optimized catalogs to make others benefit equally. After all, it’s not about promoting the success of a single player, but to save lives worldwide.

But of course we also philosophize, learn from current cases and ensure that the technology in place is always state-of-the-art. “Wouldn’t it be much easier if there was a direct link to…?” – And then we optimize further.

We at clavis are happy to work on something that can really make a difference. After we had implemented our solution in a large German refinery, the subsequent turnaround (complete shutdown and maintenance of a plant) was completed without any accidents. Let’s allow ourselves a little immodesty here: We’re really proud! 🙂

What’s going on at clavis now?

WebCoW is the main issue of the year. We’re still working on this topic by designing, developing, testing, talking to users, collecting feedback, re-designing and developing further. Also, we’re making plans for upcoming features: There’s a lot to consider and there are so many features we want our WebCoW to have because they’re super useful for the people out there working on oil platforms or in cooling towers.

We would love to implement all at once – but fortunately there are people in our team who point out limits and priorities and thereby steer things in the right direction.

At the same time the marketing team processes the topic for different channels. First of all, we as technology laymen had to grasp what WebCoW can do. Then we had to inform ourselves thoroughly about the relevant industries to understand why it is so good that this monster software can do what it does.

Moreover, we’re preparing new content for our website as well as information material and print media. As we like to think ahead, we’re also planning our presence at the A+A (trade fair for work safety) next year. When we went there last year we already felt that our software would provide added value instead of being a “generic” product that just copies existing top solutions.

Especially Wafa, our colleague in Tunisia, is already in touch with many Arab companies looking forward to the release of our product. As work safety seems to have become an issue only recently there, many people are still working with minimal solutions. For me, such a cooperation with different cultures makes our work even more exciting.

When will the Product be ready?

The first version has gone live the other day, which means that we will soon have more feedback from users on site. At the same time, we’re developing new additional features. Our goal is to see our WebCoW growing with every update.

Watch out: We are on the go!