Arrow Glass – Northeastern, PA
A Project Manager's Perspective
In this video, we sit down with Justin Vislosky at Arrow Glass to hear what it’s like as a project manager – the challenges and common complaints, interaction between the office and fab shop, PartnerPak, and of course the RhinoFab.
As a project manager before the Rhino?
That cell phone wouldn't stop. We want more frames in. We need more frames, more frames, more frames. A delivery of three or four.
And then a couple of days later, another delivery of two or three. And it just it took a while because you're manually cutting everything.
You had to do a cut list and all that.
I understand you've also used the machine?
Yes. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. And it's tough at first because I don't know how to change all the drill bits and everything. But it’s very easy once you get the hang of it. And it just literally, all you have to do is load the rollers, hit the button on the side and it just keeps feeding stock lengths after stock lengths. It's cutting and prepping it. All I'm doing is putting a sticker on it and placing it over on the side on a pallet or something like that.
Very easy to learn? Pretty much anybody could take it up?
Yes, I would say absolutely. Me. I took it up and I knew nothing about glass, glazing or aluminum at all. Period. I was a draftsman.
And now I can run the RhinoFab and PartnerPak.
What is your interaction between the office and the Rhino?
Walt (the Operations Manager) and I come up fab sheets for jobs. We’ll go out in the field, measure and then we come back. He makes the fab sheets. I order the glass; I check to make sure the fab sheets are correct. Then he and I will go down and make sure the materials are there. Either he or I will load it up or the shop guy (will load it up). I watch it and I make sure all the parts are labeled and double check as the frame goes out as well, like quality control. Other times it’s the guys in the shop (doing quality control).
You use PartnerPak?
Yes, I have. And I do still. I use it all the time. And I actually use it sometimes to incorporate it into my CAD drawings. I'll draw it up on PartnerPak and you can actually convert it to a CAD file or a .dwg. And then I use that, label it, and then we're all good. And I submit it.
Was it easy to learn?
Absolutely. It literally was easier than learning AutoCAD. And I know AutoCAD. And AutoCAD is ridiculous. It's (AutoCAD) one of the hardest programs ever. PartnerPak is very easy. You know, panels, rows, moment makes a frame for you.
So as a Project Manager where has the advantages come with using the Rhino?
You can actually get more frames installed on a job site instead of getting a delivery of two frames, you can get a delivery of 20 frames and everything's already prepped ready to go. So it makes it way easier for install. Plus, the biggest thing is quantity. They always want more. We have a job where there's seventy-two (72) windows. Seventy-two (72) are on site right now, so they can just put them right in with the glass. It makes it easier on that end.
What about your customer service relationship with the DeMichele Group? Have you had to deal with them?
Yes, I actually talked to somebody a couple of times and they literally are on my computer. They'll go right into TeamView and that's it. I don't have to worry about anything. Next thing I know, PartnerPak’s working, updated. Anything I need.
They're there for you?
Yes, always. And I've called actually about the Rhino too because our fabricator down there was having a problem with it. And they called and walked us right through every issue. Taken care of…I'd say half an hour.
What would you say to a potential customer
for a Rhino?
Obviously, you look at it. It's overwhelming at first. Walter and I and the owner went and it was like – wow – look at this big thing. But it's very easy and it's totally worth it. Because it eliminates human error. It cuts square. Everything is all the same exact size you need. Holes… everything. It literally eliminates human error and it's quick. We could put three or four jobs in there and do them within a week. Maybe even a couple of days. And that's three or four jobs when that would take us months.
What would you say if management came in and said, “We're unplugging the Rhino.”?
Find a new project manager!