In response to the sponsors' plan to bring the public relations and communications function in-house for Phase 2, Emily Dahl joined CEE as a Marketing Associate for the Motor Decisions Matter campaign in April.

The next MDM sponsors' meeting will take place on June 22 from 2-6 p.m. in the Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.

On February 24, MDM officially launched the 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management with a press conference at National Manufacturing Week in Chicago. Twelve editors, representing 11 publications, and 12 MDM sponsors attended.

The 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management has been updated to Version 5.0 and is now available on the MDM Web site. Significant changes were made to the spreadsheet and the instruction manual. A 1-2-3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page has been posted on the MDM Web site as an added resource for sponsors and their field staff.

On April 1, the Motor Resource Center (MRC) initiated the 18-month Motor Decision Tools project, a motor efficiency and reliability research initiative which will update many motor decision tools currently used by industry.

In response to requests for additional information about the Plant Engineering Survey, MDM staff developed a summary of the survey results, which sponsors may also find valuable in promoting motor management.

MDM Welcomes Marketing Associate

In April, Emily Dahl joined CEE as a Marketing Associate for the Motor Decisions Matter campaign. MDM created this position in response to the sponsors' plan to bring the public relations and communications function in-house for Phase 2.

She will directly support the campaign's efforts to raise public awareness by writing articles and press releases; pursuing placements in the national, business, and trade press; supporting sponsors' outreach efforts to end-users; maintaining clear internal communication channels; and developing public relations materials.

As a follow-up to the press conference for the 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management, Dahl has been contacting editors about placing stories in their publications. More than 10 stories have already been written (see 1-2-3 Approach Launch and Media Placements) and several other editors have expressed interest in developing pieces that highlight motor management success stories.

Sponsors can take advantage of this opportunity by contacting Dahl with their experiences using the 1-2-3 Approach, or with other important motor management solutions they have implemented with their customers. Dahl is available to assist sponsors with general MDM issues as well as the helping them integrate the 1-2-3 Approach (or campaign messages) into their sales and marketing efforts.

Emily Dahl can be reached at 617-589-3949, ext. 226.

Save the Date: MDM Sponsors' Meeting is June 22

The next MDM sponsors' meeting will take place on June 22 from 2-6 p.m. in the Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C. There is plenty of new information to share with sponsors, as well as planned discussions with vital sponsor input on the campaign strategy for the next year.

The meeting is being held in conjunction with the EASA Convention, which runs from June 20-23. Attendees of the MDM meeting are granted visitor access to the trade show, which has hours of 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. on June 22. EASA has also graciously provided MDM with a room for the meeting.

Prior to the start of the sponsors' meeting, EASA has invited MDM sponsors to attend a lunch session from 12:15-1:45 p.m. with Paul Scheihing of DOE. During the session, Scheihing will provide an update on the energy policy act currently making its way through Congress. He will also discuss how the policy might affect the motor sales/service industry (through tax incentives and other aspects) and the U.S. energy policy's impact on the rest of the world.

Please note that the start time for the MDM meeting was moved back to 2 p.m. to accommodate those who would like to attend this lunch session.

The MDM meeting agenda includes:

• Motor systems: While the campaign's central focus will remain on promoting sound motor management strategies, best practice repairs and NEMA Premium motors, the meeting will provide an opportunity to explore sponsor interest in addressing motor systems as either an add-on (next steps) approach or through individual technologies. Since this is a complex topic, a general framework for the discussion will be circulated to the sponsors prior to the meeting.
  
  
• Phase 2 marketing strategy: Review accomplishments to date. Discuss the Phase 2 marketing strategy and a draft work plan.
  
  
• Report on the most recent NEMA Premium™ shipment data (if available).
  
  
• Contacting registered users of the Motor Planning Kit: Status update on strategies to contact individuals who have downloaded the Motor Planning Kit from the MDM Web site (if time permits).

If you have other suggestions or comments about the agenda, please contact Ilene Mason at 617-589-3949, ext. 225.

If you plan to attend the MDM meeting and have not notified us, please contact Emily Dahl immediately at 617-589-3949, ext. 226. Please specify if you will be attending the lunch session with Paul Scheihing. In the past, a Dutch treat dinner has followed the MDM meeting; indicate in your reply if you are interested in coming to this dinner.

For additional information about the June 22 meeting, contact Emily Dahl.

1-2-3 Approach Launch and Media Placements

On February 24, MDM officially launched the 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management with a press conference at National Manufacturing Week in Chicago. Twelve editors, representing 11 publications, and 12 MDM sponsors attended. In addition to information about the 1-2-3 Approach, press kits included sample motor tags.

The press kit is available on the MDM Web site.

Ted Jones and Ilene Mason of CEE coordinated the press conference. During a brief introduction, Jones depicted motor management as an effective strategy for helping manufacturers remain competitive in today's global marketplace – a message that resonated well with the editors in the room.

He highlighted sound motor management as a way to reduce plant downtime and increase efficiency, reduce operating costs up to 18 percent, and prevent the release of nearly 80 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere over the next 10 years.

Jones also introduced the MDM sponsors who were present and provided an overview of the campaign, which included its goals and challenges. Ilene Mason explained how the 1-2-3 Approach was designed to meet these challenges and demonstrated how the tool works.

EASA member George Flolo of The Flolo Corporation described his company's positive experiences using the 1-2-3 Approach, highlighting the fact that 1-2-3 helps MDM sponsors build stronger relationships with customers. He provided examples of interactions with three separate customers, each resulting in a different motor strategy and need for services.

His experiences and high level of satisfaction with the tool demonstrate that the 1-2-3 Approach is credible and effective for use in developing a motor management plan that suits the individual needs of the customer.

The 1-2-3 Approach garnered much interest among editors in attendance. Eight of the 11 publications represented at the press conference have or will be running articles. Several editors who did not attend the conference have also run stories on MDM and the 1-2-3 Approach. The number of placements speaks to the value editors see in the campaign for the executives, facility managers, and engineers who read their publications.

Publications that have run articles on MDM and/or 1-2-3 include:

• Automation World
• Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine
• Control Engineering
• Design News
• Electrical Apparatus
• Electrical Construction and Maintenance
• Industrial Equipment News
• Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation
• Motion System Design
• Plant Services Magazine
• Water and Wastewater International

Version 5.0 of 1-2-3 Approach Now Available

The 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management has been updated to Version 5.0 and is now available on the MDM Web site. Significant changes were made to the spreadsheet and the instruction manual. Please be certain you are using Version 5.0 when working with customers. If you have forwarded the 1-2-3 Approach files to any non-registered user, please provide them with the updated files.

The most significant changes are posted on the MDM Web site and summarized below. Multiple formatting and clarifying changes were also made.

1. Deletion of the field "% Full Load (amps)" since it was displayed but not used in any financial calculations. The formula used to calculate % Full Load was also incorrect because it assumed a linear relationship between amps and load.

The "Actual Load (amps) (optional)" field in the "Input" section of the Motor Input Page remains in place. It is included as a talking point that provides an opportunity for discussion of motor load and correct sizing with customers. Data entered will not affect any of the 1-2-3 calculations.

2. Revision of the Return on Investment (ROI) page of the spreadsheet. This page allows you to incorporate the customers' standard financial indicators into the financial calculations. Previously, the revised values were not displayed consistently throughout the spreadsheet.

Version 5.0 addresses this issue by prompting you to review the new results with your customer and to then reevaluate your proactive motor decision. When you click the appropriate decision button, the spreadsheet automatically carries these recalculated values through to the other spreadsheet pages.

3. Revision of the Net Present Value (NPV) calculation on the Input Pages for Representative Motors 2, 3, 4, and 5. Previously, NPV was calculated on these pages based on the total quantity of similar motors. In Version 5.0, it has been corrected to reflect the NPV for one motor only. The NPV calculated on the Motor 1 Input Page correctly applied to a single motor and did not require changes.

Note: Cumulative calculations, based on the total quantity of similar motors, are available on the ROI and Summary Pages.

4. Clarification of ROI and NPV through call-out boxes explaining their significance as savings indicators, and additional tips on interpreting results obtained through 1-2-3 in the instruction manual.

Frequently Asked Questions Page Added: Sponsor Input Welcome
A 1-2-3 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page has been posted on the campaign Web site. The page responds to questions posed by sponsors and their field staff as they have started to use the tool. It provides an opportunity to share that information across a broader audience and, hopefully, serve as a quick resource.

If you have suggestions for other questions to add to this page, please contact Ilene Mason at 617-589-3949, ext. 225.

MRC Receives Competitive STAC Grant

On April 1, the Motor Resource Center (MRC) initiated the 18-month Motor Decision Tools project, a motor efficiency and reliability research initiative which will update many motor decision tools currently used by industry. Outcomes of this project are expected to provide meaningful quantitative data about motor reliability and other non-energy benefits of motor planning.

In order to obtain data on motor reliability and motor planning, the Motor Decision Tools project will:

• Install 100 NEMA Premium™ motors in industrial plants. The running efficiency of the displaced, older motors will be tested in Advanced Energy's NVLAP-accredited laboratory.
• Survey a large number of motor users to analyze new versus repaired/rewound motor longevity, since for many users, reliability outweighs energy savings as criteria for making motor decisions.
• Update the HorsePower Bulletin to reflect improved motors (including NEMA Premium), and changes in repair practices and costs.
• Redistribute the HorsePower Bulletin.

Congratulations to the MRC on its successful funding application.

Plant Engineering Survey Results

Editors attending the 1-2-3 Approach to Motor Management press conference in Chicago were interested in the Plant Engineering survey fielded in the summer of 2003. This survey provided statistics on the awareness of motor management and NEMA Premium™ motors among senior-level managers, corporate engineering staff, and facility managers. In response to their request for additional information, MDM staff developed a summary of the survey results, which highlights the necessity of continuing to educate these groups on motor management and NEMA Premium motors.

This summary is now available on the MDM Web site.

Three key findings illustrate that industrial managers are largely unaware of the energy savings and productivity benefits of sound motor management:

• Only 12 percent of respondents knew that a motor's annual operating costs are five times its purchase price or more.
• Approximately 25 percent of respondents had some knowledge of the NEMA Premium™ specifications, but only 3 percent had an official policy regarding purchase of NEMA Premium motors.
• While a sizable percentage of respondents kept some form of motor inventory, only 3 percent tracked energy efficiency as part of their inventory.

MDM staff will also discuss the survey results with editors to underscore the importance of continuing to educate their readers about motor planning. By informing commercial and industrial decision-makers about motor planning benefits, editors can help to raise awareness.

When relevant media pieces are being developed, MDM will encourage editors to contact sponsors as a resource for their stories. Through these articles, companies interested in pursuing motor management plans will see MDM sponsors as reputable contacts.

The survey was fielded to a random sample of 200 Plant Engineering subscribers who fit a specified profile and the response rate of 60.4 percent lends credibility to the results. In addition to the summary of survey findings, the complete survey report is also available.