MD ROBOTICS

"Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?"
-- Robert Browning

MacDonald Dettwiler Space and Advanced Robotics, Ltd. (MD Robotics) has literally allowed humankind’s reach and grasp to extend to the heavens. The Brampton, Ontario, company developed and built a mechanical arm known as the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator (SRMS).

SRMS, nicknamed Canadarm, is a remotely controlled payload-handling device, and has performed flawlessly on more than 50 shuttle missions, placing satellites into their proper orbit and retrieving malfunctioning ones for repair.

Its most notable mission was the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope. The SRMS was used as a mobile work platform for astronauts during the numerous space walks that were required to fix the faulty telescope. Canadarm played a critical role in retrieving the satellite, placing it in the cargo bay for repairs, and then re-deploying it.

Currently the company is working on next generation robotics for the International Space Station.

Why DB/Text® WebPublisher?

When MD Robotics decided to venture into corporate cyberspace, Librarian Tim Tripp quickly came to the conclusion that Inmagic’s DB/Text WebPublisher was the best way to disseminate information on the company’s intranet.

"DB/Text WebPublisher is flexible and easy to use," says Tripp, who is in his seventh year as the company’s librarian. "Without knowing a lick of html, I can deliver a database with no problem. It’s pretty easy to customize. If you know a little html or Java Script, you have the capability of really beefing it up. And the set-up was problem-free.

"People who use it love the fact they can quickly search databases online and find things from their desk. Now they take it for granted. If it were difficult to use, I would have lots of complaints. But I haven’t had any complaints."

Tripp considered Microsoft Access before settling on DB/Text WebPublisher.

"I’ve been asked why I don’t use Access," says Tripp. "That’s an easy decision to explain. If we used Access, we would have an on-going need for a software consultant. We would need help developing an interface and a report design, and the cost of that would far exceed what it costs to buy DB/Text WebPublisher and the add-ons."

Versatile Performer

Tripp, who trained on the DOS version of DB/TextWorks® while doing his Master in Information Studies at Halifax’s Dalhousie University, finds the uses for DB/Text WebPublisher constantly expanding.

Some of the applications MD Robotics has implemented on the intranet with DB/Text WebPublisher include:

• Internal technical documents database (provides engineering work records, engineering notebooks, informal documentation);
• Staff database (lists employees, their phone numbers, and locations linked to building floor maps);
• Orders Database (tracks purchase orders and financial reports);
• Physical Archives Database (supplies information on anything offsite – financial records, technical equipment, etc.);
• Acronyms Database (lists the many aerospace industry acronyms which helps new employees pick up the terms);
• Business Process Textbase (details company policies and procedures);
• Customer and competitive intelligence database (provides links to web sites, annual reports, ticker symbols, press releases and internal informational resources);
• lessons Learned Knowledgebase (captures valuable lessons from project experience);

Like many enlightened organizations today, MD Robotics seeks quick and timely company-wide dissemination of business experience so adjustments can be made to improve future performance. That’s where DB/Text WebPublisher and the Lessons Learned Knowledgebase come in.

As project teams encounter situations they record their experiences so colleagues can repeat successful strategies and avoid problematic ones. The Lessons Learned Knowedgebase includes subjects such as: The desirability of reusing common equipment designs rather than trying to "reinvent the wheel," and the importance of having a project team seated together rather than scattered throughout the company’s headquarters.

"People in the company certainly communicated their experiences before we had the intranet," says Tripp. "But there is no question DB/Text WebPublisher makes it easier to share information in a more thorough and effective manner.

"With DB/Text WebPublisher, the database is automatically updated. The browser uses canned searches, and the underlying structure (DB/Textworks) allows us to slice and dice the business issues in a variety of ways."

Interactive component

DB/Text Interactive WebPublisher is a fully ODBC-compliant system that enables end users to submit requests for internal information in one central area, input information directly into the textbase, and review in-house resource databases.

MD Robotics utilizes DB/Text Interactive WebPublisher to create interactive knowledgebases. "It is a great tool for doing surveys," said Tripp. "I’ve created a number of survey databases, sent out an email asking people to go to the database input form on the intranet, and we have received valuable feedback that is automatically imported into the database for analysis.

"I know management really likes the idea of having the capacity to be interactive. The fact that we can solicit feedback from staff on process improvement or on our competitors and have it automatically captured in the appropriate database for others to draw upon, makes the Interactive WebPublisher a fabulous knowledge management tool."

Cost Savings

And they don’t mind the savings: "I am no longer printing up dozens of copies of corporate procedures," Tripp said. "I am no longer maintaining 150 copies of ISO 9000 manuals.

"When someone needs a copy of any of these documents, they can pull it down from the web. It has saved us a lot of money in printing and paper costs."

Back to the future

While MD Robotics is best known for its exploits in space, that cutting edge technology has a more "down to earth" application. The company has recently designed and built three robotically animated dinosaurs for Universal Studios’ Island of Adventure Theme Park.

From recreating the past to helping shape the future, MD Robotics’ reach certainly has exceeded its grasp.

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Revised: 03/19/04