Learning Communities with Ryan Chan
It is my pleasure to welcome Ryan Chan who is the founder of Upkeep. Ryan has done a lot of work in building online maintenance communities..
He went to University of California Berkeley and graduated as a chemical engineer. His first job was at a manufacturing company where he noticed several opportunities for improvement in the technology that was being utilized at the time.
These gaps gave me the idea to build a software that could:
- Assist maintenance engineers and facility managers
- Improve workforce collaboration
- Improve parts inventory management
- And improve overall asset management
While building on these aspects for the past four years, his team has grown to 120 people and serves over 3000 customers. Apart from all these accomplishments, they have built an online community based on:
- Online education
- Providing digital resources for those who need to learn online
- Doing good for the industry by building connections and bringing it to the spotlight.
Where did you start on Slack?
We had a vision to build the largest digital maintenance community where people could educate, learn and maintain connection in the industry. It was both for those who needed to grow their careers and share what they have learnt.
How has the COVID-19 Pandemic affected the growth of this platform?
Since the inception of the pandemic. a lot of people have been forced to stay and work from home. Many of them seek platforms such as Slack in search of answers to their questions. We have continued to see a demonstrated potential for growth of this community since the beginning of the pandemic.
How is the pandemic shifting the traditional learning models?
Traditionally, people had to learn on the job and from professionals who have had years of experience. However, the pandemic has forced some people out of these traditional models to remote learning. This has been remarkable because as opposed to learning from one individual, we receive insights from professionals across the globe and in different industries.
How has the digital community helped other people apart from the professionals?
The major advantage is the wider range of perspectives than what you would normally receive from one source. Over 5000 people going through similar challenges offering varying solutions.
They also share different success stories of how their businesses have dealt with the pandemic. This gives better exposure than in the absence of a digital platform.
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Have you noticed how this channel has helped during the pandemic?
Yes, indeed. The platform has enabled people to connect in a difficult time and build a sense of comradery in the industry. People continue to help each other learn in maintenance engineering.
Do you see people sharing more than they did before the pandemic?
The new way of work has become the new normal and people are realizing that. They are now seeing the need to share and learn on this digital platform. Through this, reliability as an industry has shifted increasingly to the digital world.
Do you think that this new way of learning is effective?
I do not believe it is as effective as in-person learning would be. It is much better to learn through seeing and doing. Therefore, this new way of learning can never fully replace the traditional learning. However, it increases our exposure to different challenges and solutions.
What are the other advantages of this online community?
The community has increased the digital presence of this industry and made more people excited about it. There is also a lot of content being shared online hence the rich diversity of resources.
How does someone join the online Maintenance Community?
You can go to Upkeep.com, fill a brief form and start sharing on the platform.
So far, what are the successes of this online community?
A key success is that 5000 people joined and we have held 33 successful webinars, Q and As and maintenance carnivores. We also enjoy the fact that we created a platform for people to share and learn.
What can you tell those seeking to optimize on this platform?
Ask tons of questions and do not be shy. Participate as much as possible.
Key takeaway
Online learning is the new normal in the COVID-19 environment. People should get on board to extend their knowledge and for exposure.
Where can people find You?
I am very active on Linkedin. My name is Ryan Chan and you can also find me on UpKeep.org
Your Favorite Resources
There are many helpful resources once you join the platform. We even post books for free.
Eruditio Links:
Ryan Chan Links:
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