Most industrial radios suffer from a fatal flaw: they don’t come with the needed functionality or support to justify giving every worker a device. That means workers don’t have a reliable way to communicate with each other, managers don’t have an efficient way to communicate with their workers, and there’s no way to guarantee workers receive real-time updates in case of an emergency.
This is unsustainable. We believe everyone deserves a smart radio.
Equipping every worker with an industrial two-way radio will benefit everyone within your facility. If the device you select is up to the task, workers can freely communicate with each other and stay safe in the facility, contractors can be included and informed as needed, and managers and executives can get more transparency into frontline operations.
Here are the top 10 reasons why industrial radios are just as important as any other tool on the worksite.
Key Takeaways:
- Provide every worker with an industrial radio to minimize safety risks during emergencies, when you can send immediate mass alerts directly to each device
- Smart industrial radios can improve productivity by streamlining communication and allowing workers to focus on their tasks without unnecessary chatter
- The Walt Smart Radio System by weavix® connects every worker with PT3 (voice, text and video) technology and real-time transcription and translations with AI, boosting efficiency, safety, and teamwork across the entire facility
1. Industrial Radios Offer Emergency Mass Alerts and Notifications
Safety is a top concern for every industrial worker, and rightfully so. Any time there’s an emergency on the worksite, the safety of your workers needs to be your top priority. But, when only a few workers at any given facility have easy access to reliable communication solutions, it becomes much more difficult to keep everyone safe. Traditional workforce danger alert systems rely a lot on hope: hope that your workers hear the sirens in their area, hope that your workers remember what sound and rhythm indicate the nature of the emergency. But hope isn’t a strategy. When seconds count, how can you be sure every one of your workers receives the information they need in a crisis?
That’s where Walt comes in. The Walt Smart Radio System by weavix can instantly send an emergency mass alert to everyone on your team with guaranteed delivery confirmation. These alerts will continuously go off as an alarm on their smart radio, and will vibrate with a full-screen notification until each individual worker acknowledges it. Our emergency mass alert system allows management to oversee evacuation activity, so they can ensure their crews reach the appropriate muster points quickly and safely.
Keep reading: Discover 5 ways mass notifications improve worker safety
2. Industrial Radio Systems Help Workers Stay in Touch with Their Colleagues
One of the most obvious reasons why every worker needs a radio workplace communication system is the ability to communicate with the rest of their crew. Whether it’s a small request from one crew member to another or a large change in direction for an entire project, being able to quickly share that message lets your crews adjust and act fast. And with the Walt Smart Radio system, every worker now has PT3 capabilities plus AI translation and transcription so they can resolve issues more efficiently.
“Certainly, when you consider that the workforce here is divided a little bit along language lines because of the demographic that we recruit from, you can just see the buzz of excitement that they’re going to be able to speak directly to each other through the translation tools and the immediate communication. It’s pretty cool. I think it’s going to change the culture for the better.”
– Michael Carter, VP Manufacturing at Stella & Chewy’s
Keep reading: Understand the importance of a real-time language translation device
3. Frontline Workers Can Contact Their Direct Supervisors When Necessary
There are many instances when workers need to reach their supervisor, who may be on another site or location, but only a few have access to an industrial two-way radio. In the best-case scenario, this can result in a costly game of “phone tag” leading to production delays. Worst-case: if there’s an emergency and only a few workers have access to radios, how will you know if everyone got the message to evacuate to the muster point?
When each of your workers has a Walt smart radio, you can reinforce the chain of command with permission-based channels. When everyone has an industrial digital radio, they can quickly reach their supervisor and other members of the crew for guidance. And Walt also lets supervisors issue emergency mass alerts to everyone on the team with guaranteed delivery confirmation. Because unless everyone on your team has a radio for real-time communication, any safety plan is just a suggestion.
The weavix smart radio also lets workers instantly report production delays, equipment status, safety concerns, and any other vital updates from the frontline. Not only does this practice help drive efficiency, but it gives management insights into what’s going on throughout the entire facility so workers can be more responsive when problems arise.
4. Industrial Two-Way Radios Provide Immediate Access to Subject Matter Experts
Just as it grants instant access to team members and managers, Walt industrial two-way radios can also connect frontline workers to your internal subject matter experts. It doesn’t matter if they’re on the other side of the facility or on the other side of the country. The weavix digital communications platform erases distance limitations so your workers can get the answers they need no matter where they’re located.
This type of setup is far more valuable than an industrial radio communications system where only a few of your workers have access to devices at any given time. When you enable every worker access to the Walt Smart Radio System, you are increasing productivity and safety for everyone on the worksite. So whenever frontline workers run into specialized issues, they’ll be able to get solutions fast.
5. Teams Stay Focused on Tasks without Unnecessary Chatter
Securing radio licenses from the FCC can be expensive, and managing multiple licenses can literally be a full-time job. So, while it’s no wonder most companies only have a few licenses for their radios, that means everyone uses the same channels. And even when only a few workers at a facility are provided with two-way radios systems, they’ll be bombarded with distracting radio chatter.
If every worker has a Walt, you might think that radio chatter and distractions would get even worse. But actually, the opposite is true.
The Walt Smart Radio System relies on a combination of LTE network and WiFi signals, so you don’t need to worry about FCC licensing at all. This means you can set up unlimited channels on your weavix radios, so your workers will only hear messages if they are one of the intended recipients, and they’ll be shielded from messages that aren’t relevant to their work. And that means no cross-chatter, and no distractions. As a bonus, because Walt works on LTE and WiFi, you can avoid paying costly FCC licensing fees.
Walt also comes with radio silencing options, and when activated, workers won’t hear audio playback of incoming messages. These messages will just come up on the screen of their Walt so they can read it later. But in the event of an emergency, any silencing features will be overridden so emergency alerts are delivered to everyone, instantly.
6. Radios in the Workplace Improve Productivity
McKinsey estimates that improving digital collaboration has the potential to increase productivity by up to 30% on the frontlines. With Walt radios, workplace communication reaches everyone. Industrial radio communication systems empower frontline workers by providing real-time messaging, AI-powered language translation, and access to critical information right when workers need it most.
When every frontline worker has a weavix radio, they can get their questions answered faster so they can focus on their jobs.
Keep reading: Learn how a real-time language translation device changes the frontline dynamic
7. Workers Get Notified of Specific PPE Requirements Based on Location
Certain areas within a facility require workers to wear specific personal protection equipment (PPE), but it can change from unit to unit. The PPE requirement can range from wearing fire-retardant (FR) clothing in designated areas to employing double hearing protection in others.
While signage throughout the area definitely helps keep your workers informed of the PPE requirements in these areas, automatically alerting them with geofenced-based messaging guarantees they’d know how to protect themselves before entering an area.
When every worker has a Walt smart radio, they can automatically receive notifications before entering these areas. This reduces risk and ensures your workers follow safety guidelines. Within our platform, you can digitally map out and mark the areas with additional precautions.
Then, once workers approach these sections in your facility, an alert will go off on their Walts, letting your workers know to wear the proper PPE. After exiting the geofenced area, they’ll be alerted again that specific PPE is no longer required.
8. Two-Way Radio for Industrial Use Sends Critical Facility Information Anytime It’s Needed
When a crane moves, a machine shuts down temporarily, or an area gets closed off due to safety concerns, your frontline workers need to know immediately. Not having this information can drastically slow down operations or even pose a safety risk to workers on the frontlines. However, unless every worker has a two-way radio for industrial use, there’s no way to ensure they’ll receive these updates in real time.
The Walt Smart Radio can help you overcome this challenge through our Internet of Workers™ platform. When you equip every frontline worker with a Walt, they’ll be more responsive to alerts and more empowered to do the right thing in any given situation. With Walt, you can reach your deskless workforce at any time, anywhere.
Keep reading: Explore the key differences between Internet of Things and Internet of Workers
9. Industrial Digital Radios Promote Teamwork and Trust Throughout Your Workforce
When workers can’t easily communicate with each other, it’s easy for them to feel isolated and disengaged. But when everyone has the best two-way radio for industrial use, communication is as easy as pushing a button.
If a worker is having an issue and needs an extra pair of hands, they can contact someone using PT3 technology to show them exactly what they need help with. Yes, you’re keeping your operations running, but from the worker’s perspective, they know their crew has their back whenever they need it.
With more communication and opportunities to bring your workforce together, weavix builds teamwork, trust and safety among your frontline. It all starts with giving everyone a voice.
Keep reading: Lost between digital and analog radio systems? Here’s a complete guide
10. Smart Industrial Radios Build a Connected Workforce
A connected workforce is a productive workforce. The weavix smart radio is built to drive productivity. So many connected worker apps go largely unused by the frontline because they weren’t designed to cater to their work environment or their needs. On the other hand, more and more companies in manufacturing, construction, and beyond are embracing the Walt smart radio because it’s specifically built with the needs of frontline workers in mind.
Walt offers multimedia communication capabilities and AI translation to every worker on your team. Plus, it’s the only Class 1 Div 2 radio that includes free replacements if it gets damaged. Considering most industrial radio vendors such as Motorola can take months to send replacements, it’s no wonder many companies have been reluctant to issue devices to every frontline employee.
We work directly with our customers to send out replacement Walts immediately. Because the only way to build a connected workforce is to make sure everyone on your team has a reliable device at all times.
Keep reading: Compare Motorola two-way radios and weavix to understand the differences
Empower Workers with the Best Two-Way Radio for Industrial Use
When you select the right smart industrial radio for your entire team, you’re addressing one of the root causes of productivity delays and communication barriers. On top of this, your safety guidelines will only be as effective as your workers’ ability to respond in real-time. If only 10% of your crew has a radio, what happens to the other 90% during an emergency?
Finally, while many industrial radios are thought to be too expensive to give to every worker, Walt comes in at an affordable rate with a managed service plan to quickly replace any damaged units at no additional cost. And because weavix only sells directly to our customers, our total cost of ownership (TCO) is often lower than other vendors like Motorola.
See how Walt can connect everyone on your team. Contact us today.
