SEMA News—December 2020

HERITAGE

Cool Fuel

By Drew Hardin

Photography by Eric Dahlquist, Petersen Publishing Company Archive

Mark Donohue’s Sunoco-blue Penske-Hilton Camaro dominated the ’68 Trans-Am season, winning 10 of the series’ 13 races (including eight in a row). Donohue had such a big points lead over the teams backed by Ford and American Motors going into the Mission Bell 250 that Motor Trend’s Eric Dahlquist wondered in a December 1968 article, “The Race for Second,” if the Penske crew would even show up at Riverside Raceway.

But show up they did, and they took the race as seriously as ever, even with such a commanding lead in the series. Donohue captured the pole position, setting a course record and becoming the first sedan driver to average 100 mph around the Riverside track.

One secret to Donohue’s success was power. “Donohue was trying out a new cam,” plus “slightly redesigned” combustion chambers in the 302 V8’s alloy heads, Dahlquist reported. Those and “a very limited-edition cross-ram dual four-barrel manifold that looks like a junior edition of a Chrysler NASCAR Hemi manifold” helped the small-block make between 455 and 460 hp at 7,000 rpm. Ford’s tunnel-port 302, on the other hand, topped out at 440 hp at 8,000 rpm (and was notoriously unreliable during the season), while the 290-derived AMC mill made just 435 horses at 7,000 rpm.

And then there were Penske’s pit stops, which were as quick and efficient as those done by NASCAR’s famous Wood Brothers, Dahlquist wrote. Penske himself, quoted in Dave Friedman’s “Trans-Am, the Pony Car Wars 1966–1972,” said “our pit stops were a critical part of our program, and we practiced them continuously. If you check the records, you will find that Mark won numerous races because our pit crews could get him in and out of the pits faster than much of our competition.”

In Dahlquist’s photo of this pit stop for fuel, Donohue replenished his fluids while Penske, at the front of the car in the light shirt and dark slacks, supervised the activity.

Notice the two-tone drum at the upper right of the photo? That’s the pit fuel tank, and the white lower color isn’t paint—it’s frost. Penske’s team had figured out that cold fuel contracts, so they placed a 30-gal. fuel tank inside the 55-gal. drum and then packed the drum with acetone and dry ice. At 42°F, the Sunoco 260 race gas shrunk so much that 23 gal. would fit in the Camaro’s 22-gal. tank.

“The advantage Donohue gets from the cool fuel is difficult to calculate, since his Camaro holds the track record for gas gulping as well as speed, but he might otherwise be seriously handicapped,” Dahlquist wrote.

The heat was oppressive on that day in early September. Dahlquist said that ambient temperatures were well over 100°F, and Friedman said that tire engineers recorded a track temperature of 133°F.

“The intense heat extracted a terrible toll,” Dahlquist wrote. “Temperature and oil-pressure gauges replaced the tachometer as a speed governor—the higher the former got, the lower the latter became and the slower you went.”

Donohue’s Camaro was not immune. The “seemingly invincible machine began smoking and finally retired on lap 60 with a burned piston,” Dahlquist said. A “surprised” Horst Kwech, driving the number-two Mustang on Carroll Shelby’s team, took the lead and eventually won the race, with Peter Revson’s Javelin coming in second.

SEMA News—December 2020

INTERNET

By Joe Dysart

Four Quick Video Marketing Solutions Internet

Getting comfortable attending a web video meeting for the first time can take as little as five minutes.

Cool new tools have emerged for remote workers.

With remote workers now a critical component of many businesses, managers and staff are increasingly turning to easy-to-use video meeting software to assemble quick get-togethers over the internet. The tools differ from more sophisticated teams collaboration software in that they generally focus primarily on gathering people together for video meetings and perhaps working with a few barebones collaboration tools.

However, the tools offer a distinct advantage over many teams collaboration software packages in that the learning curve is extremely short. You can get comfortable with some tools (Zoom, for example) in as little as five minutes.

The good news about remote working facilitated by web video meetings is that increasing numbers of businesses are getting comfortable with the idea, and increasing numbers of firms are seeing that remote working can actually increase productivity. For example, a January 2020 survey from GetApp, a software review hub, found that 36% of those surveyed reported working remotely at least one day per week, and 58% reported working remotely at least once a month.

“The study uncovered just how profoundly technology is evolving our workplace,” said Thibaut de Lataillade, global vice president for GetApp.

Meanwhile, a July 2019 study released by the Centre of Economics and Business Research found that 93% of all workers surveyed said virtual/remote working enabled them to manage their time more effectively, and 68% of part-time workers in the same study said working remotely allowed them to get more work done, given that they would spend less time commuting.

“Remote work has long been heralded as a key productivity hack,” said Tim Manahan, chief marketing officer for Citrix Systems, an IT services firm. “Now there’s proof that workers with flexible arrangements are likely to get more done.”

Generally, you’ll find that the top web video meeting tools offer most of the same functions. Key distinguishing characteristics amid the offerings are audio/video signal reliability, security and special perks. The easiest way to unearth those differences is to narrow your choices to a few and put each through its paces to see its real-world performance in terms of signal reliability, security and any idiosyncratic perks.

Otherwise, you should expect to see an easy-to-use system no matter what top video meeting software you chose, along with standard features such as screen sharing, meeting recording, written transcripts of meetings, good security, and system ability to integrate with popular business applications.

Here’s a rundown of the top four web video meetings solutions according to G2 Crowd (www.g2.com/categories/video-conferencing/free), a software review site that features hundreds of thousands of reviews from business users:

Zoom (https://zoom.us); 4.5 of 5 stars; 22,000+ reviews; pricing starts at free: One of the most popular video meeting alternatives, Zoom saw the use of its service balloon from 10 million in March 2019 to 200 million in March 2020 (during the start of the coronavirus epidemic), according to Eric Yuan, company CEO. The company experienced some bumps along the way with reports of “Zoom bombers”—uninvited guests barging into Zoom video meetings to wreak havoc.

To be fair, however, most of those encounters arose from inexperienced Zoom users who did not know how to use the tool’s privacy controls. The result was that those controls have been reworked so they’re simpler to use, and the tool continues to experience wide popularity.

Logging onto Zoom requires little more than responding to an invitation to a meeting and then entering a short string of numbers and sometimes a password to enter. As with many video meeting tools, once inside you’re greeted with a screen filled with images of other meeting attendees that looks a lot like the format of the “Hollywood Squares” TV show.

A host runs the meeting, and you’re able to be recognized to speak by raising your virtual hand. You also communicate with other meeting members using text chat.

Hosts have other controls, such as the ability to mute and unmute members, allow or prohibit people to enter the meeting room, disable or enable anyone’s camera or audio, and similar organizational conveniences. Other cool tools include the ability to record video of a meeting, the ability to obtain a written transcript of the meeting, and the ability to integrate Zoom with Google Calendar, Workplace by Facebook, Salesforce and other popular apps.

If you’re entering a Zoom meeting for the first time, it takes about five minutes to become acquainted with how the tool works, and most computer-savvy people will understand how to run a meeting on Zoom after about an hour or two of study and practice.

Zoom is currently running a generous offering in which you can host up to 100 participants as well as unlimited one-to-one meetings for up to 40 minutes for free.

GoToMeeting (www.gotomeeting.com); 4.2 of 5 stars; 10,000+ reviews; pricing starts at $12 per month: GoToMeeting works a lot like Zoom and also offers users the ability to share a desktop and collaborate on popular applications while attending a meeting. You’ll also find whiteboard and drawing tools in GoToMeeting, along with controls that the host can use to administer the meeting.

With GoToMeeting, you can record and store an unlimited number of meetings and receive written transcripts of the meetings as well as shorter meeting recaps. Users who play back recordings of the meetings also have the option to see text of what’s being said during playback.

Like many video meeting apps, it offers good integration with Office 365, Google Calendar, Slack, Salesforce, HipChat and other popular applications.

Cisco Webex Meetings (www.webex.com/video-conferencing); 4.2 of 5 stars); 10,000+ reviews; starts at free: Marketing itself as a higher-end video meeting alternative, Webex also costs a bit more than its competitors. As with similar tools, you get screen sharing as well as call scheduling, calendar app integration, file sharing and polls.

Whiteboarding also comes with Webex, as does text transcriptions of meetings and beefed-up security such as optional multifactor authentication to enter meetings and mandated password changes for recurring meetings.

Webex integrates with Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Moodle, Canvas, Zapier and similar popular applications.

BlueJeans (www.bluejeans.com); 4.3 of 5 stars); 3,000+ reviews; starts at $9.99 per month, billed annually: BlueJeans has a reputation for extremely high-quality audio and claims that you can schedule, join and host a “one-touch” meeting in just six seconds.

BlueJeans stores your meetings in the cloud and offers meeting members the ability to break out into smaller meetings on the fly. As with similar tools, you’ll find app collaboration with BlueJeans along with content sharing, whiteboarding and screen sharing.

It integrates with a number of other apps, including Salesforce, Trello, Slack, G Suite, Hipchat, Outlook and Office 365.

Joe Dysart is an internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.

646-233-4089

joe@dysartnewsfeatures.com

www.dysartnewsfeatures.com

SEMA News—December 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

Photos courtesy SpiedBilde, Brian Williams. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

’21 Ford Ranger Tremor Here’s a prototype of the Ford Ranger testing what is believed to be the Tremor package for the midsize pickup. The vehicle is wearing some body-hugging camo on the front and rear ends, though there doesn’t appear to be much different about the body except for a body-colored lower front fascia. The more noteworthy changes reside at the wheels, tires, running boards and lift. The prototype seems to be riding on a set of wheels from the international-market Ranger Raptor, wrapped in a set of knobby all-terrain rubber. A set of high-clearance running boards is also clearly visible and doesn’t appear to be a type currently offered on the Ranger. It’s possible that this model is equipped with a lift, as rides a tad higher than normal Rangers.
’21 F-150 Raptor Here’s a prototype of the upcoming Ford F-150 Raptor, which has all the markings of being driven on a dirty course and looks tough and imposing. The rear underpinnings still have drape-like camouflage to disguise the new coil-spring suspension system. More notable is the fact that the new Raptor will be powered by a supercharged 5.2L V8 straight from the heart of the Shelby GT500 and will make between 725–750 hp, according to sources. One said: “Honestly, we had to counter Ram once we knew they installed the HellCat in the TRX.” The team is allegedly looking to beat the Ram TRX at all costs. Rumbles of a V8 can clearly be heard under the hood. Expect an official debut in early 2021.
Porsche 911 GT3 The upcoming Porsche 911 GT3 builds on the grown-up image of the 992, packing more aerodynamic elements. New air intakes adorn the nose of the supercar, along with a heavily revised front end. Visible at the rear are über-wide hips, whose eye-catching nature is only surpassed by the complex rear wing and, for the first time, the diffuser below the rear bumper. More importantly (judging by the sound of the prototype), the naturally aspirated engine is here to stay. After all, Zuffenhausen engineers have introduced a new 4.0L for the 991.2 GT3. The sole transmission should be an eight-speed, dual-clutch unit, though Porsche may appease manual fans by making a stick shift available at some point.

SEMA News—December 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

Photos courtesy SpiedBilde, Brian Williams. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

’21 Ford Ranger Tremor Here’s a prototype of the Ford Ranger testing what is believed to be the Tremor package for the midsize pickup. The vehicle is wearing some body-hugging camo on the front and rear ends, though there doesn’t appear to be much different about the body except for a body-colored lower front fascia. The more noteworthy changes reside at the wheels, tires, running boards and lift. The prototype seems to be riding on a set of wheels from the international-market Ranger Raptor, wrapped in a set of knobby all-terrain rubber. A set of high-clearance running boards is also clearly visible and doesn’t appear to be a type currently offered on the Ranger. It’s possible that this model is equipped with a lift, as rides a tad higher than normal Rangers.
’21 F-150 Raptor Here’s a prototype of the upcoming Ford F-150 Raptor, which has all the markings of being driven on a dirty course and looks tough and imposing. The rear underpinnings still have drape-like camouflage to disguise the new coil-spring suspension system. More notable is the fact that the new Raptor will be powered by a supercharged 5.2L V8 straight from the heart of the Shelby GT500 and will make between 725–750 hp, according to sources. One said: “Honestly, we had to counter Ram once we knew they installed the HellCat in the TRX.” The team is allegedly looking to beat the Ram TRX at all costs. Rumbles of a V8 can clearly be heard under the hood. Expect an official debut in early 2021.
Porsche 911 GT3 The upcoming Porsche 911 GT3 builds on the grown-up image of the 992, packing more aerodynamic elements. New air intakes adorn the nose of the supercar, along with a heavily revised front end. Visible at the rear are über-wide hips, whose eye-catching nature is only surpassed by the complex rear wing and, for the first time, the diffuser below the rear bumper. More importantly (judging by the sound of the prototype), the naturally aspirated engine is here to stay. After all, Zuffenhausen engineers have introduced a new 4.0L for the 991.2 GT3. The sole transmission should be an eight-speed, dual-clutch unit, though Porsche may appease manual fans by making a stick shift available at some point.

SEMA News—December 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

Photos courtesy SpiedBilde, Brian Williams. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

’21 Ford Ranger Tremor Here’s a prototype of the Ford Ranger testing what is believed to be the Tremor package for the midsize pickup. The vehicle is wearing some body-hugging camo on the front and rear ends, though there doesn’t appear to be much different about the body except for a body-colored lower front fascia. The more noteworthy changes reside at the wheels, tires, running boards and lift. The prototype seems to be riding on a set of wheels from the international-market Ranger Raptor, wrapped in a set of knobby all-terrain rubber. A set of high-clearance running boards is also clearly visible and doesn’t appear to be a type currently offered on the Ranger. It’s possible that this model is equipped with a lift, as rides a tad higher than normal Rangers.
’21 F-150 Raptor Here’s a prototype of the upcoming Ford F-150 Raptor, which has all the markings of being driven on a dirty course and looks tough and imposing. The rear underpinnings still have drape-like camouflage to disguise the new coil-spring suspension system. More notable is the fact that the new Raptor will be powered by a supercharged 5.2L V8 straight from the heart of the Shelby GT500 and will make between 725–750 hp, according to sources. One said: “Honestly, we had to counter Ram once we knew they installed the HellCat in the TRX.” The team is allegedly looking to beat the Ram TRX at all costs. Rumbles of a V8 can clearly be heard under the hood. Expect an official debut in early 2021.
Porsche 911 GT3 The upcoming Porsche 911 GT3 builds on the grown-up image of the 992, packing more aerodynamic elements. New air intakes adorn the nose of the supercar, along with a heavily revised front end. Visible at the rear are über-wide hips, whose eye-catching nature is only surpassed by the complex rear wing and, for the first time, the diffuser below the rear bumper. More importantly (judging by the sound of the prototype), the naturally aspirated engine is here to stay. After all, Zuffenhausen engineers have introduced a new 4.0L for the 991.2 GT3. The sole transmission should be an eight-speed, dual-clutch unit, though Porsche may appease manual fans by making a stick shift available at some point.

SEMA News—December 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

Photos courtesy SpiedBilde, Brian Williams. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.

’21 Ford Ranger Tremor Here’s a prototype of the Ford Ranger testing what is believed to be the Tremor package for the midsize pickup. The vehicle is wearing some body-hugging camo on the front and rear ends, though there doesn’t appear to be much different about the body except for a body-colored lower front fascia. The more noteworthy changes reside at the wheels, tires, running boards and lift. The prototype seems to be riding on a set of wheels from the international-market Ranger Raptor, wrapped in a set of knobby all-terrain rubber. A set of high-clearance running boards is also clearly visible and doesn’t appear to be a type currently offered on the Ranger. It’s possible that this model is equipped with a lift, as rides a tad higher than normal Rangers.
’21 F-150 Raptor Here’s a prototype of the upcoming Ford F-150 Raptor, which has all the markings of being driven on a dirty course and looks tough and imposing. The rear underpinnings still have drape-like camouflage to disguise the new coil-spring suspension system. More notable is the fact that the new Raptor will be powered by a supercharged 5.2L V8 straight from the heart of the Shelby GT500 and will make between 725–750 hp, according to sources. One said: “Honestly, we had to counter Ram once we knew they installed the HellCat in the TRX.” The team is allegedly looking to beat the Ram TRX at all costs. Rumbles of a V8 can clearly be heard under the hood. Expect an official debut in early 2021.
Porsche 911 GT3 The upcoming Porsche 911 GT3 builds on the grown-up image of the 992, packing more aerodynamic elements. New air intakes adorn the nose of the supercar, along with a heavily revised front end. Visible at the rear are über-wide hips, whose eye-catching nature is only surpassed by the complex rear wing and, for the first time, the diffuser below the rear bumper. More importantly (judging by the sound of the prototype), the naturally aspirated engine is here to stay. After all, Zuffenhausen engineers have introduced a new 4.0L for the 991.2 GT3. The sole transmission should be an eight-speed, dual-clutch unit, though Porsche may appease manual fans by making a stick shift available at some point.

SEMA News—December 2020

INTERNET

By Joe Dysart

Managing COVID-19 Fears in the Workplace

New Software Apps Can Help

A majority of employees are looking for employers to protect them from COVID-19 at the workplace.

Businesses are keenly aware that employees are looking for assurance that workplaces are safe from COVID-19 and are turning to new software apps designed to mitigate those fears. The apps offer businesses the ability to keep track of the health status of every employee and make quick moves, should a specific employee suddenly be stricken with the virus.

While some apps focus solely on offering contact tracking in workplaces hit by a new case of the COVID-19, others go much further, offering a complete management solution for dealing with COVID-19 and all its impacts on the workplace.

“The number-one focus of employers right now should be employee engagement,” said Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. “That means understanding at the most granular level employee sentiment about COVID-19, their challenges returning to the workplace, how to keep the workforce safe and then taking action to address employee feedback.”

Some of the new apps—including Kokomo COVID19Tracker and SafetyTek COVID-19 Workforce Health Analysis—are completely free, standalone software packages that offer businesses a quick way to immediately address employee concerns. Other apps are free as add-ons to much more comprehensive workplace-management software packages. That means you’ll be able to use the COVID-19 app for free if you happen to be a user of that software or you’re looking to try out that software for the first time. Still other apps are standalone but come with a price tag.

No matter which solution employers choose for their workplaces, it’s very clear that employees are going to be looking to their employers to protect their health at work. Specifically, 55% of employees said that they are counting on employers to mandate employees with COVID-19 symptoms to stay home, according to an April 2020 survey of 1,000 U.S.-based employees by Jezior’s Eagle Hill Consulting.

Moreover, 53% of employees surveyed said that they are looking for employers to make COVID-19 tests readily available at the workplace. In addition, 44% of workers said that complete transparency and open communication are going to be crucial in the age of the COVID-19, while 42% are looking for the ability to work remotely if need be, and 41% are looking for employee-wellness efforts.

“Today, more than ever, it’s critical that employers prioritize employee wellness by engaging and caring for their people,” said David Ossip, chairman and CEO of Ceridian—a provider of workforce-management software that’s offering a free COVID-19 add-on for its system.

A word of caution here: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop regulations protecting the privacy and security of certain health information. That means that employers must be very cautious about who sees medical data. As a general rule, medical information needs to be closely held, meaning that managers and team leaders probably should not have access if your company is to comply with HIPPA. And there are local employment requirements to be considered as well—as an example, San Diego County in California currently mandates temperature checks.

That said, these apps can offer employers a framework to help monitor and track employee status. Here’s a representative sampling of the COVID-19 workplace-management systems currently available.

Kokomo COVID19Tracker (www.covid247.org) standalone software, free: Kokomo’s cloud-based software is basically a contact-tracing solution that enables employers to track employee health and notify employees who have been in recent contact with another employee who is suddenly stricken by the COVID-19. It offers tools for collecting, tracking, notifying and managing COVID-19 cases that pop up at work and at home.

Employees who sign up for the program need to know that the information they offer the system will be accessible to both the employer and public health authorities. The primary purpose of the system is to offer free COVID-19 contract tracing for employers and public health authorities.

Workers voluntarily use the system by adding data regarding their COVID-19 state (negative or positive) and then updating that info as necessar—including when a positive case of COVID-19 becomes a “cured” case. Data can be input via PC or smartphone.

The system uses artificial intelligence to gauge the probability of reported cases needing “proactive intervention” from either workplace managers or public health authorities. One of the features of the Kokomo tracker is its ability to automatically notify appropriate people—including workplace managers and health authorities—about important COVID-19 case updates using email, text and/or voice calls.

SafetyTek COVID-19 Workforce Health Analysis (www.safetytek.io/covid-19) standalone software, free: This free solution is provided by a firm that offers cloud-based software for monitoring and managing on-the-job safety.

“We’re making this solution free because we strongly believe that every company should have access to all the tools available to ensure their team’s health and safety,” said Ryan Quiring, the company’s CEO.

Workers use the app by updating their COVID-19 status daily via smartphone, offering human resources (HR), managers, safety officers and related leaders regular updated insights into workers who are available to work on-site or from home. The software also offers employees the ability to compare their current health against common symptoms of COVID-19 and help them determine if they’re at risk for COVID-19 infection.

The system further provides managers an easy way to quickly distribute workplace and government-generated news reports regarding COVID-19 via email, text and/or voice. Managers also have access to the system’s data via smartphone, which makes it very easy for them to discern who can work on-site, who needs to continue to telecommute, and who needs to be monitored as they wrestle with COVID-19.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers Check-In (www.pwc.com/us/en/products/check-in.html) standalone software, call for price: PWC’s Check-In offers employers the ability to closely track the movements of employees and ensures easy tracing of employees who have come in contact with a colleague who has suddenly contracted COVID-19.

Tracking of employees’ smartphones—which occurs only when they’re at the workplace—is handled via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The app is designed to enable managers to quickly intervene when a new case pops up, and it ensures that workplace disruption will be limited to other employees who have had recent contact with a staffer who suddenly tests positive for COVID-19.

Ceridian Dayforce Employee Safety Monitoring (www.ceridian.com/products/dayforce/hr/employee-safety-monitoring) add-on for Dayforce users, free: This COVID-19 app integrates into the much larger Dayforce workforce-management system, which offers tools for HR, payroll, benefits distribution and the like. The app enables employers to monitor COVID-19 status of all employees—whether they are at work, at home or traveling. It enables managers to quickly notify employees who have been exposed to a colleague who suddenly tests positive for COVID-19.

Appian Workforce Safety and Readiness (www.appian.com/covid-application-signup) standalone software, starts at $5,000 per month: This cloud-based system enables a company’s IT department to build a COVID-19 response management hub with minimal coding, according to Appian. Some hubs can be running in about two hours, according to the company.

The system offers an “enterprise command center” for monitoring employee health, location and possible exposure. Key features include:

• A unified command center, which key company officers can use to manage the health and work status of all employees in real time through a single interface.
• Fast, easy workforce screening, which enables employees to update their personal health and risk data via PC or smartphone.
• Intelligent return-to-work certification, which enables a business to define internal policy rules regarding return-to-work certifications.
• Support for phased return to work, which offers a blueprint for enabling the automation of a phased or rotating approach for an employee’s return to the workplace.
• Fast issue resolution, which enables HR to use built-in case management tools to make workplace policy exceptions and handle unusual employee appeals or concerns regarding COVID-19.
• Privacy and security, which is offered by the Appian HIPAA-compliant cloud.
• Availability in multiple languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, German and French, with the ability to expand to other languages.

Pega COVID-19 Employee Safety and Business Continuity Tracker (www.pega.com/about/news/press-releases/pega-launches-free-app-help-clients-track-covid-19-employee-exposure-and) add-on module, call for price: Like most other COVID-19 tracking systems, the Pegasystems cloud software for internal business management and customer engagement allows employees to enter their data into the tracker by responding to a short set of risk-assessment questions. Those responses trigger a series of automated actions on the software’s dashboard, which helps businesses auto-manage COVID-19.

“With the state of the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolving, Pega quickly developed this app to help our clients ensure the well-being of their employees and customers while also helping to mitigate their business risks,” said Alan Trefler, CEO of Pegasystems.

Automated actions can be customized within the system to reflect a specific business’ unique COVID-19 policy. Customizable actions built into the system include:

• Analyzing employees’ risk levels (high, medium or low) based on screening questions.
• Sending tailored instructions to affected employees based on their risk levels.
• Alerting applicable managers and HR on newly assessed employees.
• Generating checklists for HR managers with actions for affected employees.
• Estimating the likely return-to-work date for employees.
• Sending employees reminders to update their COVID-19 health status.

Users can also configure the Pega app and integrate it with other existing systems, including HR and scheduling.

Joe Dysart is an internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.

646-233-4089

joe@dysartnewsfeatures.com

www.dysartnewsfeatures.com

SEMA News—December 2020

INTERNET

By Joe Dysart

Managing COVID-19 Fears in the Workplace

New Software Apps Can Help

A majority of employees are looking for employers to protect them from COVID-19 at the workplace.

Businesses are keenly aware that employees are looking for assurance that workplaces are safe from COVID-19 and are turning to new software apps designed to mitigate those fears. The apps offer businesses the ability to keep track of the health status of every employee and make quick moves, should a specific employee suddenly be stricken with the virus.

While some apps focus solely on offering contact tracking in workplaces hit by a new case of the COVID-19, others go much further, offering a complete management solution for dealing with COVID-19 and all its impacts on the workplace.

“The number-one focus of employers right now should be employee engagement,” said Melissa Jezior, president and CEO of Eagle Hill Consulting. “That means understanding at the most granular level employee sentiment about COVID-19, their challenges returning to the workplace, how to keep the workforce safe and then taking action to address employee feedback.”

Some of the new apps—including Kokomo COVID19Tracker and SafetyTek COVID-19 Workforce Health Analysis—are completely free, standalone software packages that offer businesses a quick way to immediately address employee concerns. Other apps are free as add-ons to much more comprehensive workplace-management software packages. That means you’ll be able to use the COVID-19 app for free if you happen to be a user of that software or you’re looking to try out that software for the first time. Still other apps are standalone but come with a price tag.

No matter which solution employers choose for their workplaces, it’s very clear that employees are going to be looking to their employers to protect their health at work. Specifically, 55% of employees said that they are counting on employers to mandate employees with COVID-19 symptoms to stay home, according to an April 2020 survey of 1,000 U.S.-based employees by Jezior’s Eagle Hill Consulting.

Moreover, 53% of employees surveyed said that they are looking for employers to make COVID-19 tests readily available at the workplace. In addition, 44% of workers said that complete transparency and open communication are going to be crucial in the age of the COVID-19, while 42% are looking for the ability to work remotely if need be, and 41% are looking for employee-wellness efforts.

“Today, more than ever, it’s critical that employers prioritize employee wellness by engaging and caring for their people,” said David Ossip, chairman and CEO of Ceridian—a provider of workforce-management software that’s offering a free COVID-19 add-on for its system.

A word of caution here: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop regulations protecting the privacy and security of certain health information. That means that employers must be very cautious about who sees medical data. As a general rule, medical information needs to be closely held, meaning that managers and team leaders probably should not have access if your company is to comply with HIPPA. And there are local employment requirements to be considered as well—as an example, San Diego County in California currently mandates temperature checks.

That said, these apps can offer employers a framework to help monitor and track employee status. Here’s a representative sampling of the COVID-19 workplace-management systems currently available.

Kokomo COVID19Tracker (www.covid247.org) standalone software, free: Kokomo’s cloud-based software is basically a contact-tracing solution that enables employers to track employee health and notify employees who have been in recent contact with another employee who is suddenly stricken by the COVID-19. It offers tools for collecting, tracking, notifying and managing COVID-19 cases that pop up at work and at home.

Employees who sign up for the program need to know that the information they offer the system will be accessible to both the employer and public health authorities. The primary purpose of the system is to offer free COVID-19 contract tracing for employers and public health authorities.

Workers voluntarily use the system by adding data regarding their COVID-19 state (negative or positive) and then updating that info as necessar—including when a positive case of COVID-19 becomes a “cured” case. Data can be input via PC or smartphone.

The system uses artificial intelligence to gauge the probability of reported cases needing “proactive intervention” from either workplace managers or public health authorities. One of the features of the Kokomo tracker is its ability to automatically notify appropriate people—including workplace managers and health authorities—about important COVID-19 case updates using email, text and/or voice calls.

SafetyTek COVID-19 Workforce Health Analysis (www.safetytek.io/covid-19) standalone software, free: This free solution is provided by a firm that offers cloud-based software for monitoring and managing on-the-job safety.

“We’re making this solution free because we strongly believe that every company should have access to all the tools available to ensure their team’s health and safety,” said Ryan Quiring, the company’s CEO.

Workers use the app by updating their COVID-19 status daily via smartphone, offering human resources (HR), managers, safety officers and related leaders regular updated insights into workers who are available to work on-site or from home. The software also offers employees the ability to compare their current health against common symptoms of COVID-19 and help them determine if they’re at risk for COVID-19 infection.

The system further provides managers an easy way to quickly distribute workplace and government-generated news reports regarding COVID-19 via email, text and/or voice. Managers also have access to the system’s data via smartphone, which makes it very easy for them to discern who can work on-site, who needs to continue to telecommute, and who needs to be monitored as they wrestle with COVID-19.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers Check-In (www.pwc.com/us/en/products/check-in.html) standalone software, call for price: PWC’s Check-In offers employers the ability to closely track the movements of employees and ensures easy tracing of employees who have come in contact with a colleague who has suddenly contracted COVID-19.

Tracking of employees’ smartphones—which occurs only when they’re at the workplace—is handled via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The app is designed to enable managers to quickly intervene when a new case pops up, and it ensures that workplace disruption will be limited to other employees who have had recent contact with a staffer who suddenly tests positive for COVID-19.

Ceridian Dayforce Employee Safety Monitoring (www.ceridian.com/products/dayforce/hr/employee-safety-monitoring) add-on for Dayforce users, free: This COVID-19 app integrates into the much larger Dayforce workforce-management system, which offers tools for HR, payroll, benefits distribution and the like. The app enables employers to monitor COVID-19 status of all employees—whether they are at work, at home or traveling. It enables managers to quickly notify employees who have been exposed to a colleague who suddenly tests positive for COVID-19.

Appian Workforce Safety and Readiness (www.appian.com/covid-application-signup) standalone software, starts at $5,000 per month: This cloud-based system enables a company’s IT department to build a COVID-19 response management hub with minimal coding, according to Appian. Some hubs can be running in about two hours, according to the company.

The system offers an “enterprise command center” for monitoring employee health, location and possible exposure. Key features include:

• A unified command center, which key company officers can use to manage the health and work status of all employees in real time through a single interface.
• Fast, easy workforce screening, which enables employees to update their personal health and risk data via PC or smartphone.
• Intelligent return-to-work certification, which enables a business to define internal policy rules regarding return-to-work certifications.
• Support for phased return to work, which offers a blueprint for enabling the automation of a phased or rotating approach for an employee’s return to the workplace.
• Fast issue resolution, which enables HR to use built-in case management tools to make workplace policy exceptions and handle unusual employee appeals or concerns regarding COVID-19.
• Privacy and security, which is offered by the Appian HIPAA-compliant cloud.
• Availability in multiple languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, German and French, with the ability to expand to other languages.

Pega COVID-19 Employee Safety and Business Continuity Tracker (www.pega.com/about/news/press-releases/pega-launches-free-app-help-clients-track-covid-19-employee-exposure-and) add-on module, call for price: Like most other COVID-19 tracking systems, the Pegasystems cloud software for internal business management and customer engagement allows employees to enter their data into the tracker by responding to a short set of risk-assessment questions. Those responses trigger a series of automated actions on the software’s dashboard, which helps businesses auto-manage COVID-19.

“With the state of the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly evolving, Pega quickly developed this app to help our clients ensure the well-being of their employees and customers while also helping to mitigate their business risks,” said Alan Trefler, CEO of Pegasystems.

Automated actions can be customized within the system to reflect a specific business’ unique COVID-19 policy. Customizable actions built into the system include:

• Analyzing employees’ risk levels (high, medium or low) based on screening questions.
• Sending tailored instructions to affected employees based on their risk levels.
• Alerting applicable managers and HR on newly assessed employees.
• Generating checklists for HR managers with actions for affected employees.
• Estimating the likely return-to-work date for employees.
• Sending employees reminders to update their COVID-19 health status.

Users can also configure the Pega app and integrate it with other existing systems, including HR and scheduling.

Joe Dysart is an internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.

646-233-4089

joe@dysartnewsfeatures.com

www.dysartnewsfeatures.com

SEMA News—December 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

Fast Facts

Stefano Domenicali

Stefano Domenicali was announced as the new president and CEO of Formula 1, effective January 2021. Chase Carey, the current chairman and CEO, will move to the role of non-executive chairman. Domenicali is known for his time at Ferrari, having joined the team from 1991 to 2014. Most recently, he served as the CEO of Lamborghini and joined parent company Audi in 2014. During that time, he also acted as the president of FIA’s single-seater commission.

Don Orrell

PFC Brakes announced that Don Orrell joined the company as vice president of sales and marketing, reporting to the president and CEO. In his position, Orrell will lead the PFC sales and marketing departments to pursue the growth goals set out in the PFC strategic plan. He has more than 35 years of sales expertise in the light- and heavy-duty aftermarkets and has a proven track record of launching new programs, marketing, communications, team development and maintaining strong customer relationships.

Nick Caloroso

The Retrofit Source (TRS) announced that Nick Caloroso joined the company as national sales manager. He previously served as the sales manager for Diode Dynamics for the last seven years. Caloroso is an experienced manager in developing successful B2B sales channels. He also serves the automotive industry through his role as chair-elect for SEMA’s Young Executives Network. He will lead an expanding team of specialized account managers charged with building the TRS B2B distribution network.

General Motors announced the leadership for its new performance and racing technical center based in Concord, North Carolina. Dr. Eric Warren of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) was named the director of NASCAR operations. In that position, he will be responsible for competition duties and expanding the involvement of GM’s product development for the Chevrolet race teams. Warren has been part of the RCR team since 2012.

Keystone Automotive Operations Inc. added Scosche Industries Inc. to its mobile-electronics category. Scosche Industries is a multi-generation, family-owned and -operated company based in Southern California. It specializes in innovative mobile electronics and automotive accessories. It began as a small car-audio consulting business but has grown into a global company that serves more than 50 countries with more than 4,000 unique products. Boasting 400-plus patents/trademarks and multiple industry awards, Scosche is an established player in the lifestyle tech industry.

Marcy Parker	Jonah Rauch	John Rarick

CRC Industries Inc. announced three new personnel appointments to its marketing department. Marcy Parker, MBA, was appointed director of marketing for the Americas region. Parker will lead the department’s key branding, product and digital marketing initiatives. Jonah Rauch joined CRC as product manager for the automotive and consumer product lines and will drive the go-to-market strategies for CRC Brakleen. John Rarick was appointed product manager for CRC’s industrial product lines and will lead the company’s cleaning and degreasing strategies.

Race Winning Brands Inc. (RWB) announced that it has completed the relocation of its MGP Connecting Rods business to Lakewood, New Jersey—home of Manley Performance, another RWB company. RWB relocated MGP’s complete production line to Manley Performance’s production facility. Integrating the MGP line into the Manley facility is a key strategic move for RWB, allowing the distinct businesses to share resources and technology.

Kyle Fischer

Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) President Brett Tennar announced the promotion of Kyle Fischer to director of branding and promotions. Fischer joined LSI in 2017 as director of marketing, followed by a promotion in 2019 to director of sales. In his new role, Fischer will be responsible for working closely with the director of marketing and the director of sales to develop positioning for Hot Shot’s Secret-branded products for each market. Fischer has more than 20 years of experience working in the automotive aftermarket.

Garrett Motion entered an agreement for KPS Capital Partners to purchase its business, subject to court approval and customary closing conditions. Garrett also launched a debt restructuring process through a Chapter 11 filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. Garrett intends to operate without interruption during the process, according to the company.

SEMA News—December 2020

INTERNET

By Joe Dysart

Podcasting: On Fire as a Promotional Medium

With a shoestring investment, businesses can ride the promotional wave offered by a rabidly popular new medium: podcasting.

Amid the wide array of highly sophisticated digital tools marketers are using to increase profits, a surprise (and decidedly low-tech) alternative is scoring big gains for businesses: the simple podcast. Essentially a spin-off of an old-timey radio show that features a host and maybe a guest or two talking into a microphone, podcasts are currently the “next big thing” on the web, drawing millions of listeners to tens of thousands of shows.

“It’s a great way to grow your business, connect with other leaders in your space, deepen your relationship with your audience and much more,” said Jamie Spencer, owner of makeawebsitehub.com, a web marketing specialist.

Marketers have all sorts of theories about why podcasts are so popular. They’re eminently portable: You can take them with you on a car ride, to the gym, on a walk or in an elevator. And podcasts are eminently personal: While you’re listening to a podcast, you can completely tune out the rest of the world. It’s just you and your favorite podcast playing inside your headphones.

No matter the reason, the fact remains that the medium is on fire. There are currently 86 million podcast listeners in the United States alone—a number that is expected to grow to 132 million by 2022, according to Statista (www.statista.com/topics/3170/podcasting). And most of those podcasts listeners are the kinds of audience advertisers pursue aggressively. According to the “2018 Podcast Trends Report”
(www.discoverpods.com/podcast-trends-report-2018), 41% of podcast listeners who tune in at least once a month make more than $75,000 annually.

Moreover, podcasts have a way of making advertising easy to remember. Nearly half of podcast listeners surveyed said that they remembered the ads they heard during the course of a show, according to Nielsen (www.nielsen.com/us/en).

But perhaps most telling is that the Big Money has moved in. Last year, Spotify announced that it had allocated $500 million for podcasting, which it would use to scoop up ownership of podcasts it believes show the most promise.

The good news for businesses—both big and small—is that virtually anyone has the ability to ride the wave. Granted, your company’s podcast may not become one of the Top 100 podcasts in the U.S. overnight (www.podcastinsights.com/top-us-podcasts), but any business that takes the time to put together a quality production that’s promoted professionally stands to benefit from the current rabid interest in podcasting.

Here’s a gameplan for getting started:

Take Advantage of Inexpensive Podcasting Tech: Fortunately, getting started in podcasting involves minimal investment. You can pick up a completely acceptable mic, filter and headset for recording your show on Amazon or a similar retailer for about $100 (www.amazon.com/s?k=podcast+kit&ref=nb_sb_noss_2). And you can use freeware such as Audacity (www.audacityteam.org) to record and edit your podcast. It’s extremely powerful, versatile and reliable.

Consider Using a Special Service to Host Your Podcast on the Web: While you may be able to get away with hosting your podcast on an everyday website, you’ll probably have better luck hosting your production with web hosts that specialize in podcast hosting. The reason is that podcast files are generally much larger than text and image files, and podcast hosts generally offer higher bandwidths, which your listeners will need to quickly download and listen to your shows.

Popular podcast hosting companies include Soundcloud, Podbean, Podomatic, Libsyn and Fireside.

Clearly Communicate the Focus of Your Podcast: There are already tens of thousands of popular podcasts out there, so you’ll want to take pains to clearly communicate your podcast’s focus—and how it will differ from competitors.

Get a Jump With Long-Term Guest Scheduling: Given that many podcasts rely on guest interviews to keep things fresh, you’ll want to get commitments from at least a dozen or more guests you’ll be interviewing for your show—even before your first show airs.

Establish a Deep Supply of “Rainy Day” Shows: Before you go live with your podcast, you’ll also want at least six fully produced shows in the hopper—just in case something goes wrong. Guests canceling at the last minute, technology that acts up, unexpected developments in your personal life—all of those and more can wreak havoc on your podcast scheduling if you’re not prepared.

Get Your Work Copyrighted: These days, stealing someone’s podcast ideas is as easy as highlighting a podcast file and clicking “copy.” Fortunately, Creative Commons offers a free, in-depth guide on how to copyright your show (www.tinyurl.com/wikipodcasting). It also offers detailed advice on how to sidestep copyright problems if you plan to quote, refer to or incorporate content in your podcast that’s not your own.

Promote by Publishing Your Podcast Transcripts on Your Podcast Website: Your podcasting site will appear higher up in Google search returns—and get more exposure for your podcast—by publishing your podcast word for word on your podcast site. The reason is that Google will zoom in on the keywords in your transcripts that mirror those used by people searching for your type of content and send some of those people your way.

You may even want to go a step further and repurpose your transcript as a blog post as well as multiple posts on social media.

“One solid means of promoting your podcast is to create multiple forms of media from each episode you produce,” said Makeawebsitehub’s Spencer. “For example, you could turn an episode into a blog post, a guest blog to publish on another website, a series of social-media updates, or even cool shareable images.”

Promote by Submitting Your Podcast to iTunes and Other Directories: By creating a store account on iTunes, you’ll be able to post your podcast on the iTunes service and enable it to be searchable by everyone who uses the service. In practice, you’ll need to publish at least one of your episodes in an iTunes-supported format—mp3, m4a, mov, mp4 or pdf. You’ll also find tools on iTunes to key in your podcast title, description, category and logo.

For more info, check out Apple’s help center on publishing podcasts (https://help.apple.com/itc/podcasts_connect/#/itc1723472cb).

Consider Reading Ads for Your Sponsors: As your podcast grows more popular, you may be able to sell advertising time on your show. Some podcasters opt to read those ads themselves, given that they’ve established an audience that tunes in regularly and they have a natural bond with that audience, but others shy away from endorsing products, fearing that close association with sponsors might compromise their objectivity.

Joe Dysart is an internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.

646-233-4089

joe@dysartnewsfeatures.com

www.dysartnewsfeatures.com