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Author: Steep Management

Bob’s Bits for March 2024

Recently, I intended to send a personalized letter to the upper-level management of ski resorts across North America. The effort did not go as planned. Many of you received multiple emails. and some with an incorrect salutation. For those of you who were affected by my mistake, I want to extend a sincere and personal […]

Bob’s Bits for February 2024

Well, I missed doing a December and January Steep Newsletter, and no one complained. Not sure how to take that. The 2023-2024 season ski season started well in some areas and some areas not so well, and December was a bust across the US and Canada. January proved to be decent in Northern New England […]

Leadership Thoughts – Harvard Business Review

The January/February 2024 issue of the Harvard Business Review’s main thrust is about the leadership mindset.  The table of contents runs the gamut from Leading in the Flow of Work, Leaders Must React, Why Real-Time Leadership is so Hard, How to Sustain Your Empathy in Difficult Times to Lesson About Choosing a CEO.  A lot […]

This is what innovation looks like!

  This is the user interface of the new control center for ARENA Slope Management, which allows you to keep an eye on the snow depth with inch precision – whether in the office or directly on the slopes. Now, the new 3D visualization with integrated orthophoto allows lanes and snow depth to be displayed in a single view. The […]

MountainOffice Keeps Improving

In the latest edition of Bob’s Bits, it was mentioned that the new version of MountainOffice has significantly improved its functionality as a tool for Lift Operations Managers and Supervisors. With the added feature of historical trend data, lift mechanics can now easily access information on the components of a lift, making it easier for […]

So Much More than You Thought

I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you! Steep Management now represents ARENA Slopemanagement, an exceptional product from Austria that helps resorts tackle the challenges,of climate change and increasing dependence on snowmaking.   To help you understand the benefits of this product, I have created an introductory video. Although I am not an […]

Simple Leadership Suggestions

Although I have never met Matt Mosteller in person, I have seen many of his LinkedIn posts and comments. He consistently displays thoughtfulness and inspiration in his writing. Recently, he published an article titled “People Matter. Period. Does leadership have it wrong?” as a special in Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper. I found Matt’s opening […]

Bob’s Bits for November 2023

The ski season has begun, but some resorts are facing delayed openings due to the less-than-optimal snowfall. Others are opening with limited terrain. However, additional resorts are set to open in the coming weeks, with most planning to be open by mid-December. As we look ahead, I hope this season will be as successful as […]

Unions in a Ski Area

My first experience with unions was a summer job while in college working on a county bridge repair crew. It was eye-opening. The regulars on the crew were all union members and we summer guys were not. Without going into detail, the experience made me anti-union. Admittedly that was in the late 1960s and a […]

Technology for Mountain Operation

I want to acknowledge that the NSAA Journal Summer 2023 issue features a lot of good input on technology in the ski industry, albeit there is no mention of operational tech except for the surveillance piece. The article by Casey Parliament of INTOUCH is an excellent guide on the procurement of technology. There are lots […]

Reach out to Steep Management, we are willing and happy to help you be better.

We can help you create a healthier ski resort by providing individualized solutions to your specific situation—no matter the size of your ski resort, or where you are in North America.
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The Advantage quadrant
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Steep Management has experience in ski area operations, particularly with the challenges of strategic daily routines and workflow. Developed For Ski Industry Professionals, by Ski Industry Professionals. Through our software products we can assist you in maintaining focus on those things which you and your team need to meet your goals and objectives.

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Data and Information

Database of record: Centralized and organized data assists in recognizing and evaluating patterns, resulting in more thoughtful planning and informed predictions.

Rapid, intuitive retrieval of current and historical data (accessible on or offsite) improves decision making at all levels of management.

Simple report generation.

Reduces risk and potential lawsuits.

Supports visualization of current and future mountain infrastructure (e.g. Gazex explosives locations, forest thinning, designing new runs, parking, etc.).

 

Please click on the images to learn more

Ski Patrol

  • Ease of real-time data entry (no more logbooks or spreadsheets!).
  • Use of common language allows for consistent communication and information sharing.
  • Increases safety by minimizing accidents through pattern analysis of incidents.
  • Accident Investigation and Risk Management.
  • Snow Safety (Ski Patrol) Training.

The web and mobile application suite will provide editing and data collection tools for mapping incidents (wrecks, accidents) of any kind.

Please click on the images to learn more.

Avalanche Module

 

Ability to document, track and analyze slope conditions with one tool.

Ease of real-time data entry (no more logbooks or spreadsheets!).

 Centralized and organized data assists in recognizing and evaluating patterns, resulting in more thoughtful planning and informed predictions.

Provides detailed current and historical weather patterns for visualizing/predicting.

Saves money through more precise use of explosives. 

Please click on the images to learn more.

Dispatch

The dispatch and risk module leverage Esri’s Survey 123 for ArcGIS, providing an intuitive survey-form, data-driven workflow for point feature collection and reporting. Data collected with SmartMountain Survey apps, which are available for both web browsers and native desktop and mobile apps for standard operating systems, are integrated with one or more SmartMountain modules, providing real-time or disconnected and later synchronized workflows for data collection and integration.

Each ski resort decided what they wish to display on the Dispatch Dashboard including on-hill incidents, walk-in incidents, on-hill refusals,  missing persons, work details for different departments, ski patrol rosters for the day, clearances, and sweeps.

Please click on the images to learn more.

OPERATIONS LOGBOOK

  • Logs for Lift Maintenance, Lift Operations, and Groomer inspections, as well as building inspections.
  • Logs can record data and signatures, can record stops, station assignments.
  • Logs are tracked by calendar.

INFORMATION

  • Management review made easy through the use of Excel – reviewing a major grouping of assets or a single component of an asset such as a drive or a gearbox.
  • All information related to a system(asset) is in one place whether it be a lift inspection report, a manual, oil analysis, a service bulletin, or a letter from a vendor.

DASHBOARD

  • Every user has a unique dashboard.
  • Dashboards can be customized to reflect a user’s specific needs.
  • Quick access to the status of work and cost .

SCHEDULE/ WORK ORDERS​

  • The schedule function in MountainOffice provides for detailed instructions by task, recording of data such as the temperature of a gearbox, and service bulletins.
  • All schedules can have a time or counter trigger.