While the protests advocating for social justice and racial equality have been powerful and inspiring, some have coopted the movement for their own personal gain.
While the protests advocating for social justice and racial equality have been powerful and inspiring, some have coopted the movement for their own personal gain. Looters and vandals have caused millions of dollars in property damage – overwhelmingly impacting many small businesses who were already struggling due to the pandemic shut-down.
Senior Project Engineer and long-time Oakland resident Yasha Ghaffarzadeh watched in disbelief as significant damage was done to downtown Oakland area amidst the protests.
"It really upset me that all the damage was taking away from the message that the protesters were fighting for to convey," he explains. "Sadly, a lot of America is unable or unwilling to see the difference between the protesters and the rioters/looters."
Outside of his work at Webcor, Yasha serves as the head coach of the Oakland Warthogs Youth Rugby Program, where he helps inner-city kids with academic tutoring, career development, and mentorship while playing rugby.
"I thought that with whatever little influence I have within the Oakland and rugby community, I needed to do something," he recalls.
Yasha immediately got to work, calling for volunteers by posting videos and sharing messages through social media.
The response was immediate from volunteers and businesses alike – with some companies providing tools like brooms, shovels, trash-pickers, trash bags, paint removers, and gloves. Yasha took it upon himself to purchase painting supplies and reached out to a friend who owns a screen-printing shop (Brand Marinade) to provide t-shirts and face masks that volunteers could handout to homeless residents.
Over a forty-five volunteers from the rugby program & community pitched in on June 6th for the first volunteer effort in Downtown Oakland. Webcorians including Project Managers Ryan Hoyt and Megan Zahnow were among the volunteers who came for the day to help out.
The team worked for hours, cleaning graffiti, fixing damages, and collecting enough trash to fill two 5 CY dumpsters.
"For those wondering how they can help the movement, I really encourage people to get out there and do something – even if it's small!"
On May 12th, the SFO Boarding Area B team successfully completed stage 2, achieving a major milestone for the design-build project.
The SFO BAB T1 project is getting ready for takeoff.
On May 12th, the SFO Boarding Area B team successfully completed stage 2, achieving a major milestone for the design-build project.
The newest phase adds nine new gates to Terminal 1, including an operations hub for American Airlines. This adds to the first 9 gates which were added in stage one, which were allocated to Southwest and JetBlue. In total, the Austin-Webcor JV team has provided 18 new gates to Boarding Area B, with the total project spanning over 544,630 square feet.
The road to achieving this milestone was far from easy. Situated in an active airport, the jobsite presented numerous logistical challenges.
"Boarding Area B is surrounded by two active terminals, which means we are always building around active/aircraft operations and full-speed construction from neighboring projects," explains Assistant Project Manager Hugh Tan.
To help overcome these challenges, the team held multiple weekly coordination meetings with the airport, airlines, and other concerning parties. Additionally, the Austin-Webcor JV team was able to rely on subcontracting partners who had ample airport experience.
Superintendent Chris Salmon recalls one instance in which subcontractors were tasked with demolishing the entire tile of five large restrooms and replacing it with tile from Italy in just over a two-week period – with owner walks and events "smack-dab in the middle".
"Having experienced subcontractors was tremendously helpful since they already know the procedures to conduct work at an active airport," explains Chris. "They are all also used to the last-minute changes."
The joint venture team credits their success to their relentless desire to continuously improve. While there was an adjustment period in getting used to working as a JV, the team soon hit their stride.
"I believe that both companies have grown for the better," notes Superintendent Chris Salmon. "We have all had to wear many hats in order to keep our project open and have had to adapt/adjust to every new order that has come out."
Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the team persevered to keep the jobsite safe and were permitted to keep their jobsite open throughout the stay-at-home orders.
"Secret sauce – that's what we call it," explains Hugh. "We have an extremely high performing team and we take pride on our delivery and the end product. You will naturally get influenced by the positive vibe and excel on what you do."
Next on deck? The team is now working on stage 3, which will provide a total of 24 gates, and is set to be completed in quarter two of 2021.
As shelter-at-home orders expire throughout California, one of the measures Webcor is taking as the first phase of returning to the office involves a daily self-check-in.
As shelter-at-home orders expire throughout California, one of the measures Webcor is taking as the first phase of returning to the office involves a daily self-check-in. To get to the short questionnaire, you point your smartphone camera at a QR code, and, just like magic, the form appears.
This isn't the first use of QR codes at Webcor. It won't be the last.
A Little Background
QR -- which stands for Quick Response -- is a type of barcode, a machine-readable optical label that contains information about the item to which it is attached. Invented in 1994 by the Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave to replace limited UPC codes and help track vehicles and parts, QR codes can store URLs that take users to websites, eliminating the need to type the URL into a browser.
With the introduction of social media and content marketing, QR codes surged in popularity. It costs nothing to create one, they can be added easily to print and digital content, and both iPhones and newer Android phones can scan them directly from their cameras without the use of an independent app. (For older Android phones, a free QR Scan app or Google Lens does the trick.)
As QR codes gained traction, marketers began adopting them for uses like packaging. For example, you can scan the code on a product package to get more detailed information about the product, a video demonstration, or a discount coupon. The department store Macy's incorporated QR codes into in-store signage. They have been used on billboards and even plane and train tickets. In 2012, one South Korean convenience store chain built a sculpture that displayed a QR code during hours of low store traffic, attracting considerable attention.
When first touted as a communication and marketing tool, QR codes attracted a lot of criticism, mainly because they are unattractive. Since then, largely because so much data can be read from them, they have found their way into a wide variety of applications, including Snapchat "Snap Codes," as well as apps like LinkedIn and Venmo.
Grassroots Development
Until the check-in code, printed on posters at all Webcor locations, none of the QR codes adopted in the company have been official initiatives. Rather, the development has happened at the grass-roots level, a bottom-up approach to adopting technology to solve problems and improve processes.
Webcor Carpentry's work at Block 33 was behind one of the first uses of QR codes. "Kerriann McDermott (Webcor Carpentry senior project director) had a door-related idea for using QR code," says Carpentry Project Engineer Joseph Bolous, who presented on the door solution at Webcor's September 2019 Innovation Evening. "There are a ton of doors at Block 33 and, surprisingly, a lot goes into DFH (doors, frames, and hardware)."
Before developing the QR code solution, workers printed out hardware schedules that contained all the details, such as openings and swings for each opening). "They would just tape a piece of paper to the door that could get torn off and thrown away. If anything changed, you had to find all 100 openings and replace every piece of paper taped to every door."
Instead, a sticker with a QR code and door opening number was placed on each door frame. Scanning the code gave workers access to a Smartsheet that contained all the information needed for that door. If something changed, the change was located in just one place, in the Smartsheet. "Scanning the QR code always gave you the most current information," Joseph says.
Joseph had no problem getting his manager and project foreman to buy into the concept; getting buy-in higher up is a key for successful innovation at Webcor. "We need to make some adjustments the next time we use these to make it easier," he says, explaining that it wasn't as user-friendly as it might have been for field operations. "Only foremen could use it," he adds, although he has already figured out ways to resolve the issue. "It was a good start, and it definitely helped us in the office."
He has been working with other Webcor Carpentry employees who want to implement it to make it a quicker process to set up.
Scan and Go
Milton Rodas, currently senior safety manager at Webcor's 960 W 7th Street project, developed the Scan & Go Program that is now being used on virtually all projects. Scan & Go posters deployed throughout project sites display QR codes for a variety of safety documentation activities.
Employing QR codes makes it quick and easy to access web-based data tools in the field, Milton says. Developing the concept was a case of using creativity, innovation, willingness, and skill to apply an old technology to improve a process. "Scan & Go requires no install, no updates to your phone or tablet, and it's all web-based. If updates are needed, they're made on the back end of the data tools being accessed. The end-user is never aware of it." The use of QR codes also replaces expensive single-gadget licenses for apps that perform similar functions.
Among the processes incorporated into Scan & Go that used to be difficult and complicated are inspection tracking and record logging. To resolve the challenge, Milton combined Smartsheet, Adobe Photoshop, and QR codes. "The idea was to have a Graphic Access Point (GAP) that could be posted at the jobsite where construction workers can access a number of online data-entry forms that feed Webcor-managed data sets," he explains. "The online forms were created to make it easy to collect safety documentation from subcontractors as well as hot work permits, equipment inspections (for equipment like scissor lifts, forklifts, aerial lifts, scaffolds, ladders, and fall protection equipment), rigging equipment inspections, and Speak Up for Safety reports."
Like the QR codes for door frames, the Scan & Go program was presented at an Innovation Evening.
"The innovation won't end with Scan & Go," Milton says. "The future holds even more dynamic ways of accessing data sets and online forms, without having to install anything, and using tools already available to all of us at Webcor, and for which we don't have to invest in expensive licensing."
Scan & Go's adoption was an upgrade at Block 33, which had also developed a QR code for the digital collection of safety paperwork based on an idea presented by an intern.
More QR Codes
There is another QR code at the 960 W 7th project. It's large and visible to anybody walking by the project. Scanning it opens a web page with information about the project.
In another use case, a flyer was posted at the project where a subcontractor's employee passed away; the QR code opened the GoFundMe page where employees could donate to a fund for the employee's family.
On the digital signage at Webcor's offices and some projects, information about articles appearing on Webster have included QR codes employees can scan to take them directly to the content.
More great uses of QR codes are undoubtedly on the way, including direct links to tool training, employee verification of training, and codes linked to project web pages to share logistics, upcoming changes, or real-time hazards. Since it costs nothing to create or use them, QR codes are tailor-made for problem-solving and process-improving.
