Four pillars: Industry and Standards As part of the BFPA’s newly introduced strategic four pillars, the Industry and Standards strategy team, of which I am Team Leader, is busy focusing its work on our Association-approved mission statement to increase the relevance and efficacy of the BFPA’s work in promoting and recognising standards development, technical excellence and innovation. Standards work relevant to our industry is, of course, of vital importance and therefore I believe this information should be easily accessible and digestible by all interested parties. This is precisely what my team and I have set out to achieve during 2023 and beyond. I am fortunate to be able to lead a strategy team comprising eight dedicated members. This team includes Team Member Rich Graham of HUSCO International Partners Ltd, Ian Bannister and Ken Stephens of IMH, Paul Williamson of Bosh Rexroth, Rob Johnson of Fortress Safety and David Quigley of Hydac. Fresh ideas My team and I are also delighted to have Lucy Tuckey, the BFPA’s Standards Project Administrator on our team. Lucy joined the Association during the early part of 2022 following Standards Project Manager Yvonne Pearman’s retirement. Lucy brings with her abundant experience in project and personnel management. Members of our strategy team meet regularly in person or online via Zoom or Teams to move our strategy plans forward, form ideas and volunteer to undertake additional work whenever we can. We are keen to further bolster membership and involvement within both the strategy teams and technical committees. I believe the four pillars initiative is critically important and, based on feedback following the BFPA’s strategy review in 2021, the membership certainly holds the same view. One point I would like to make from the outset is that most people who serve on the four pillars’ strategy teams, as well as on BFPA technical committees, do so unremunerated. However, we are all here because we passionately believe it is the right thing to do for the good of our industry. Enhanced website collateral As Team Leader for the Industry and Standards pillar, one of the main projects my team and I have proposed to the board is that of increasing the accessibility of fluid power documents, standards and guidelines. One way we are setting out to achieve this is by establishing a new standards landing page on the BFPA website. This will introduce each of the technical standards teams and provide key ‘takeaway’ information about them. It is also planned that the page will include a series of video cameos from the Chairs of each technical team, in which they will introduce their team colleagues, which area of hydraulics or pneumatics each team is responsible for and why they deem the work they undertake as of key importance. Digital-format catalogue My team and I are also in the process of compiling a new catalogue of standards. A catalogue comprising lists of standards is already available, but we believe a new catalogue in a digital ‘flipbook’ format online will be considerably more user friendly. This will make information more easily accessible and navigable. For example, if a young engineer, having just joined a company from university, is working on a hydraulic system and needs to know what standards apply, then the online catalogue should be able to provide all the answers in a speedy and convenient fashion. Indeed, because of the critical importance of young people entering our industry we really need to think like they do and become more IT savvy. Young people recognise the convenience of information technology and social business media. Therefore, so should we. Go-to resource The catalogue will include a guide comprising all the most important standards for each technical category: fluids, accumulators, hoses etc. This will help to guide visitors directly to the The importance of seamless information access 30 www.bfpa.co.uk By Neal Milne, Senior Technical Service Manager, Global OEM, LANXESS, and Team Leader, the BFPA’s Industry and Standards strategy pillar. Neal Milne: Increasing the accessibility of fluid power documents, standards and guidelines.
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