Forestry Suppliers released five tips for surveying companies to increase their productivity and stay safe on the job following an exclusive interview with Andrews Survey & Engineering.
Jackson, MS – July 15, 2014 – To increase productivity for surveying businesses, Forestry Suppliers, a leading supplier of forestry, agricultural, environmental and surveying equipment for outdoor professionals, sought advice from long-time customer Byron Andrews, Vice President, of Andrews Survey & Engineering, Inc.
Since Andrews’ father founded the firm 36 years ago in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, they have completed projects ranging from small residential lots to large industrial projects in the Massachusetts area and in each of the New England states.
Working in the management and surveying areas of the business, Andrews says, “I really enjoy working in the outdoors. I also enjoy the challenge that a lot of our bigger survey projects bring, involving a substantial amount of historical research. Researching the history and the mathematical challenges of resolving the location of boundaries and putting together the plans, the more challenging a project, the more interesting it is.”
According to Andrews, challenging projects require increased productivity to complete the job on time. He recently shared five tips with the team at Forestry Suppliers to help his surveying peers improve their productivity on the job:
1. Always have the right equipment. “It’s a huge waste of time if you get out to a site and don’t have the equipment you need,” says Andrews. To avoid wasted time and unnecessary trips, Andrews keeps each of his field crew trucks stocked with anything they’ll need in the field. His crews also benefit from knowing that each truck is equipped with the same tools and supplies.
2. Ensure easy, quality communication. Andrews’ teams operate efficiently with Motorola two-way business radios. They chose the CLS Series (short for “Clear. Light. Simple.”) featuring ultra-high frequency (UHF), 1 watt, and 4 channels. “You have to have quality radios,” says Andrews. “Working on a construction site, it’s easy to have numerous crews talking on the same channel. It’s good to be able to switch to another channel. And the best thing for us was getting the detachable microphones.” Overall, the model should meet the needs of the operator in terms of frequency (VHF or UHF), range, number of channels and privacy.
3. Listen to your employees. “Always have an ear open to what your field personnel have to say,” says Andrews. “They’ll have a good idea what’s going on with a project, particularly with safety.” Listening to field crews and their ideas can make a big difference to ensure that a project runs smoothly and everyone is working safely.
4. Use new technology to your advantage. Companies must carefully choose which technology to implement throughout their business. For surveying, Andrews believes staying up to date with GPS and EDM technologies is essential for companies looking to stay competitive. “It’s important that we have staff who are experienced or quick learners.” In addition, Andrews is focused on new document management technologies to make it easier to organize and locate files.
5. Don’t forget about the basics. Despite advances in technology, Andrews emphasizes the continued importance of basic surveying tools. “You still need shovels, machetes, plumb bobs, and all the little stuff. Technology is not a replacement for knowledge.”
In addition to carrying hundreds of tools for professional surveyors, Forestry Suppliers is a Motorola authorized business two-way radio reseller offering RM Series, RDX Series, and CLS Series business radios and has carried Motorola products for more than 30 years. For more information on their selection of radios, contact their Technical Specialists at 800-430-5566 or visit them online.
About Forestry Suppliers
Forestry Suppliers, Inc. is a worldwide supplier and distributor of general-use and specialty products and equipment for natural resource professionals. Their annual catalog and website contains a complete selection for a wide range of outdoor industries, including forestry, agriculture, arboriculture, landscaping, horticulture, grounds maintenance, surveying, engineering, remote sensing, vegetation management, construction, home inspection, utilities, wildland fire fighting, geology and mining, archaeology, anthropology, parks and recreation, golf courses, wildlife management, fisheries and aquaculture, earth science education, environmental engineering, hazmat, and remediation. Founded in 1949 by Jim Craig, former Mississippi State Forester, Forestry Suppliers, Inc. maintains a distribution warehouse and administrative headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi. For more information about Forestry Suppliers, visit them online at http://www.forestry-suppliers.com.
About Andrews Survey & Engineering
Andrews Survey & Engineering, Inc. was founded in 1978 and incorporated in 1983 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. From its inception as a surveying and planning resource for the local Blackstone Valley, it has developed and expanded its resource database to include the greater Boston, Worcester, and Providence vicinity. The firm offers complete professional services pertinent to land surveying and civil engineering, including site planning, design, permitting, and development of projects. They have a wide range of experience on property surveys, topographic surveys, existing conditions surveys, and construction related services. Typical projects may range from the development of a single-family house lot, to the development of a multi-lot residential subdivision, to the development of large, complex commercial, educational, municipal or industrial projects. Fore more information about Andrews Survey & Engineering, visit them online at http://www.andrews-engineering.com or call 508-278-3897.