Goodyear

Challenges

According to the employees of Goodyear, they were initially having problems doing remote work and had to travel long distances and solely focus on on-site work. Having globally deployed Teams to more than 30,000 people in 2019, Goodyear already had an effective collaboration platform in place when it closed offices and its associates began working from home. Its associates had readily adopted Teams for document sharing, chat, and video meetings, and they were well-versed in working with colleagues remotely. “Our associates use Teams every single day to collaborate across the globe,” says Sherry Neubert, Vice President, and Chief Information Officer at Goodyear. However, it was looking for a solution to bring video into its manufacturing facilities. 

Initiatives

The company investigated more than 50 connected devices before selecting RealWear for its form factor and IP66 ruggedized rating for factory use. Goodyear liked the RealWear hardware and the hands-free operation it provided, but it recognized many limitations with the conferencing software for the device. Then in March 2020, Microsoft and RealWear announced their collaboration to put Teams on the RealWear device, and Goodyear had its solution. “We had a mature Team deployment and we understood its benefits, so we didn’t want to introduce a new collaboration tool. The moment Teams became available on RealWear was our deciding factor,” says Dallas Olson, Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Engineering at Goodyear. “When we added the device to Teams meetings, like any other device, adoption of the RealWear solution moved quickly.”

Initiatives

Goodyear appreciated the benefits of the team video conferencing feeds in the plant provided by the RealWear devices so much that it expanded on the idea with a cart-based solution. The TRICSS cart, or Teams Remote Installation Commissioning and Support System, which uses a laptop, external webcam, and a Bluetooth headset, can be used for stationary camera angles and placed in areas unsafe for people. “We often need a camera view of what’s happening inside a machine enclosure,” says Davis. “I can put the TRICCS in auto mode and add that view to the Teams meeting while I’m outside the fence with the RealWear devices showing a different view.” “Before we started using RealWear and Teams, I assumed I could only do my job on site. Now we can work remotely and reduce travel for ourselves and our vendors,” says Taylor Davis, an electrical engineer at the Process Development Center at Goodyear headquarters. “Instead of spending days traveling, I can be online in minutes with a subject matter expert to provide technical support or install a new piece of equipment. Microsoft Teams for RealWear is part of my everyday life to support my projects.”