By Michael Pearsall, P.Eng., CVS, FEC – President, SAVE International
What is the Value of Snow?
It is a crisp winter morning in Niagara as I write this and there is a lot more snow piled up outside then I have seen in this area for years. I am glad I kept my little snow blower and didn’t get rid of it – like my neighbours did after a couple years where you could almost mow the lawn year-round. I have lived much of my life in areas with more snow, so it would not be surprising to see me move to Arizona and pack a snow shovel or two.
A few years ago, I went through a period where I completed a number of successful value studies related to snow removal and winter maintenance operations. I was reflecting one recent morning as I was shoveling that, despite all the talk around snow in those studies, the value of snow never came up.
When you are focused on snow removal, particularly by manual means, it is easy to put a negative value on snow. I can think of a number of un-wanted functions the snow is fulfilling. However, if you take off your hat and put on the toque of the kids playing in the snow across the street, you have a different perspective.
One of the things I absolutely love about the Value Methodology (VM) is how it has taught me, in a structured way, to look at everything from a few different perspectives. To look at the world in terms of functions, both wanted and un-wanted.
Besides enjoying snow, I have been busy with a few other activities lately. I was honoured to prepare a message as part of the Society of Japanese Value Engineering (SJVE) 53rd Value Engineering Kansai Conference. This event is scheduled for February 18, 2022 in Osaka, Japan and will be followed by on-demand delivery during February 21-28, 2022. I really wish the global situation was different and I could be there in person.
On January 8, I had the pleasure of virtually attending the winter board meeting of the Miles Value Foundation (MVF). Not only is it rewarding to see all the exciting projects the MVF is working on, it is also a pleasure to sit with the depth and breadth of VM knowledge and history that is found in the members of that board.
On January 21-22, we had a virtual meeting of the SAVE International Board of Directors, and I am happy to report 100% of the Board members were in attendance for the full two days. I am thankful for the digital tools we have available these days to allow us to have a very productive meeting on-line. One big aspect of our discussion was setting the budget for 2022 – SAVE is currently in a sound financial situation; however, the status quo is not sustainable. SAVE must continue to evolve and respond to things ranging from emerging technology changes to global pandemics. While new certifications are up, maintenance is not where I would like to see them. There have also been membership shifts we need to manage.
On a positive front, we have the new Education Committee fully functioning now and with it a great opportunity to modernize the “Educate” part of our mantra. As I looked around the virtual table, I was pleased to see the diverse representation; however, I think we need to do better at getting global input to all our major decisions. We had excellent global participation in our recent Tiger Teams and preparation of the VM Guide, and we need to continue that trend.
Yes, it can be challenging dealing with a wide range of time zones. However, there is a great deal of value in the result and outcome from having more global focus at SAVE.
Going back to my poor under-valued snow. Snow can actually have value in many different ways. In many areas of the world, the water stored in the snowpack and released in the spring freshet is vital to life. If you run a ski resort, snow has recreational value to you and your guests. Conversely, you may operate a snow-removal company and see money falling from the sky in commercial value as it snows. There are many more perspectives you could view.
To warm you up again from the snow, I want to close with turning your thoughts back to Arizona. I urge you to check out John Corcoran’s column for more details on the 2022 Value Summit. We are moving forward with this year’s Summit to be held in-person this June in Arizona and we need members to commit to presentations, education sessions and courses.
AND…if you get a chance, ask a 10-year old how they value snow!
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