The discovery process involved speaking to various equipment operators, supervisors and other stakeholders in parallel of reviewing equipment data. We analyzed the brief further and spoke to people to understand the actual underlying problems because of which there was a need to significantly reduce the carbon footprint.

From our research, we found that equipment operators sometimes fail to efficiently use an equipment - due to habit or ignorance.

Also a lot of operators don't prefer a raised finger approach for coaching. The challenge was the constantly motivate them, while imparting indirect coaching.

The Problem
 

Why was changing operators' behaviour so crucial?

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• IDLING TIME

  • A major contributing factor is machine idling time.

  • When you want to use your car to get from point A to B, you typically start the engine and drive off right away. But with heavy equipment, it is not that simple. Before an excavator or a bulldozer starts it's functioning, it's engine needs to be started and kept idle for a while. If the equipment operator wants to get a cup of coffee, they can't really switch off the engine, get their coffee, start the engine and get back to work.

  • There are specific ideal idle times for individual equipment depending on several factors like type, size, engine capacity, weather, etc. If those ideal idle times are not followed properly, it increases the equipment's fuel consumption instantly as well as its carbon emission over time. Idling by itself is a major factor influencing an equipment's carbon footprint.
     

• EXTREME CLIMATES

  • This is more crucial in extreme climates. For instance, a bulldozer operator working in the extreme cold of Northern Canada wouldn't be able to survive if they don't keep the engine (and hence the cabin heating) on, even when the equipment is not carrying out its dedicated tasks