My recent trip with Operation Flinders brought up many aspects that astounded me but few moreso than the logistics involved in making it all happen.
It is a big, complex operation, with detailed systems to ensure every item is covered.
Some internal systems that keep the show on the road are amazingly simple.
One of these is a having a rubber band surrounding spare VHF radio batteries. With a rubber band around a battery, you can assume it is charged, while no rubber band around the battery means it is not. Simple!
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These systems are relevant to any business. I often look closely at businesses, and any well-run business fascinates me. I am sure there are times Operation Flinders doesn't run smoothly, but from my perspective, it operates like the proverbial Swiss watch.
Operation Flinders has five exercises a year. Multiply the exercise I was on by five to get an idea of the scale of the operation.
- Participants (students): 96
- Adults in the field: 45
- Adults at base camp: 18
- Total number on Yankaninna Station: 159
- Cost of exercise four: $404,000
- Food consumed: 8.5 tonnes
- Volunteer hours: 4750
In the operations room, there is a big whiteboard that clearly says "If it's not on the whiteboard, it doesn't happen". That is pretty clear and concise.
I know a lot of businesses that use the good old fashioned whiteboard. I also have one of these in my office.
There are all sorts of electronic ways to keep track of tasks, but something you can physically see all the time does work pretty well.
There were 11 teams out in the field during my trip. We were required to radio in our position every two hours.
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The system used to track the teams was a combination of logging the position in a book, and using a magnet to show where the various teams were at any time.
In the morning, we radioed in our intended movements for the day, and also a list of inventories at our campsites, including water, food and firewood on hand.
It is important to know where teams are for a few reasons. Firstly, to ensure the teams don't overlap.
Secondly, if there is a medical or some other type of emergency, the teams can be reached in a timely manner.
Another area of interest to me was the logistics shed.
This is where all the equipment is held. We packed the participants' backpacks using equipment from the "logs" shed. This is also where a truck picks up the participants' packs and takes them out to the insertion point.
Again, a very simple system of roping the packs together with a label to identify the correct team. It was quite clear which packs belonged to which teams and where they were to be taken.
I know a few agribusinesses that run with the precision of Operation Flinders.
Operation Flinders measures and reviews everything it does and aims for constant improvement - as do the very best agribusinesses.
- Details: bagshawagriconsulting.com.au
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