SUMMER ISSUE 2020: PREVIEW
Note:
The Summer Issue 2020 will be available online from July 1, 2020. Enjoy!
Dear Readers and Members of Transformer Technology Community,
Let’s take a look at what we accomplished leading up to the publication of this, our Summer Issue of Transformer Technology. First, and more than likely the most important accomplishment the Transformer Technology (TT) team made was making the transformation from a magazine to an on-line community, with a quarterly digital magazine to support that community. Our goal was to engage members of the community, and the most important way to do that was to change our thinking from a subscriber to a member-based community.
It all started with Curtus Duff, a young transformer design engineer who shared his experience and his hope for how he sees the future. His story The Journey of the Young Transformer Designer was the first Featured Article under this new format, one that had never been published before and the first of our new community approach: Publishing one great article or interview per week on a key selected topic, weekly news and career features, and special reprints of previous articles or interviews. The goal is to engage the community with as much value as possible. Curtus nailed the challenge.
Since the selected topic was Digitalization, Diagnostics and Monitoring, it was great to follow up with articles on the key topics. What followed was Chuck Baker’s continued story of Kevin, Brian and Andy as they navigated the difficult but critical task of implementing a Reliability Centered Maintenance program for their plant’s electrical system. That is near and dear to my heart. As the Founder and President of EPRA, the Electric Power Reliability Alliance, I live and breathe that challenge, and Chuck’s continuing saga is as real and raw as it gets. I can’t wait to hear what challenges they face next and how they will overcome them. Chuck knows that problem from the perspective of someone who led the development of one of the most robust transformer maintenance programs I have ever seen.
Great articles from industry professionals like Allan Rienstra, Corné Dames, Dominique Legrand, Tony McGrail and of course the team of Bob Rasor, Hali Moleski and Andy Shkolnik; all were featured week to week and added tremendous value. What we want to create is content that can either be read weekly and/or archived for future use. We want to be and are fast becoming the Body of Knowledge for anything transformer technology related. And, we have only just begun.
First, and more than likely the most important accomplishment the TT team made was making the transformation from a magazine to an on-line community, with a quarterly digital magazine to support that community.
Where do we go from here?
In our Fall issue, we start with a preview of what the season ahead brings. I will save more on that for later. But to keep with our ongoing technology themes, we are featuring those tremendously important components of all transformers: Bushings. We already have quite a line-up of articles and interviews for the TT community to access, and much like this Summer issue, we will compile all of those articles into one special Fall Issue, which will be published digitally in October.
We cannot disregard the elephant in the room – Covid 19. It seemed that the world just stopped as we all tried to grasp what it means to face a global pandemic. Locked down in our homes in a new work-from-home reality made Zoom stock zoom, and before long every technology platform seemed to jump on board: webinars, panels, virtual events and Forums (what we call the every-other-week panel discussion on one select topic at EPRA www.myepra.com/forums). Suddenly everyone was clamoring to make the leap from in-person events to digital platforms. With over 7,000 unique connections and very serious daily and weekly engagement, I am pleased to say that the Transformer Technology Community has made that great leap.
But now for the really fun part, when we create, not one-way communications, but two-way communications with our members.
Engage with us! Provide feedback to our authors leaving your comment under the articles and challenge us to deliver new content, not just something to wrap some advertising around. Get involved. Download! Share! Like and post! That is what a community does in the new digital age.
With over 7,000 unique connections and very serious daily and weekly engagement, I am pleased to say that the Transformer Technology Community has made that great leap from in-person engagement to digital platforms.
To provide ongoing support for the community we have created a space for Allied Members who will share, in a unique way, their fundamental values that align with our fundamental values at Transformer Technology. Additionally, we have added the Consultants Corner featuring those resources that you might need to serve our members in a consultative manner. When you are looking for someone to meet a specific need for professional engagement, look to the Consultants Corner for a list and profile.
All of us at Transformer Technology want to thank you, our members of the community for helping us, not only survive this pandemic, but thrive in the midst of it.
Alan Ross,
Editor in Chief, Transformer Technology
Engage with us! Provide feedback to our authors leaving your comment under the articles and challenge us to deliver new content. Get involved. Download! Share! Like and post! That is what a community does in the new digital age.
Alan M. Ross, CRL, CMRP
