Software helps disaster relief
Published Monday June 1st, 2009
Technology Simulator benefits those planning responses to natural disasters
After Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar in May 2008, killing more than 100,000, the survivors desperately needed essential supplies. American planes and ships loaded with food and water wanted to land in the country to provide aid but the ruling dictatorship, which took over Southeast Asian state of Burma in 1962 with a military coup, refused the Americans access within its borders.
Though some supplies got through, an Ottawa-based technology firm, with an office in Fredericton, has developed software that could have helped deliver the aid faster and with less conflict.
"They would have identified that that was a sensitive point for the Burmese government and devised a plan if the Americans wanted to provide aid," says Larry Sampson, vice-president knowledge management for Acron Capability Engineering Inc.
Acron has developed, and continues to work on, a simulator for the United Nation's World Food Program that helps planning and response to natural disasters.
"It allows them to figure out things that get in the way of getting aid and relief to people who need it in a timely manner," Sampson says, using the Myanmar example and saying the simulator would have identified the sensitivity of Americans landing.
Though the number of possible natural disaster situations is extremely large and the UN couldn't simulate them all, Sampson says that doesn't matter.
"While the disaster may change slightly (the needs) are essentially the same things," Sampson says, citing food, medical attention and precautions to avoid looting.
The platform used to create the disaster relief software can be customized to various other scenarios to manage knowledge and simulate based on the programmed information.
The four-year-old firm, which has 25 employees, has also used the platform to create simulations for the Canadian military.
Canadian Defense Review magazine recently named Acron 33rd on its top 40 list of defense companies, from a pool of more than 700 countrywide.
Acron can also build simulation training into its custom software as was done in the disaster relief project.
Not only does the disaster simulator use the same tools someone would actually use to check if there is an adequate supply of water at the nearest warehouse before deploying it, it can provide training for the truck driver delivering the water, simulating the terrain.
"When you work in the technology field often the focus is doing cool things that help improve someone's bottom line," Sampson says.
"But you really get stoked when you're doing something that at the end of the day saves lives."
Last week Sampson, a 33-year technology veteran with 25 years experience in e-learning, was elected as a new member of Propel ICT Inc.'s board.
David Moore, a colleague of Sampson's on Acron's executive team says he is well versed in e-learning and knowledge management.
"Larry, in my mind, is a thought leader in this area," Moore says. "You could count on one hand the people down in the Maritimes that have Larry's depth and breadth on knowledge management."
Ian Cavanaugh, a prominent Maritime technology executive who sits on the Propel board, praises Sampson as an ICT leader in the province, highlighting his work earlier this decade at a former company called Provinent.
"My understanding is he went in there and really grabbed the bull by the horns, in terms of the operational management of the organization," Cavanagh says.
Returning from a four-year stint in Indianapolis at a company there called Cambridge Technology Partners, Sampson brought home a strategy he picked up in the United States.
Cambridge Technology was using a fixed time and prices model for its contract, when an hourly rate was far more common. "At the time it was a fairly innovative thing and it was a big driver for me to move to the U.S.," Sampson says.
When Sampson came to New Brunswick he implemented the strategy at Provinent, with great results.
"The company was earning a margin on its work of something in the order of 20 per cent," Sampson says. "What we were able to do in a short time was double that margin."
The company later went under after "a U.S. acquisition that went bad," Sampson says. He then joined Acron in September 2007.
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