Mastering the Craft: Inside Cat Dubai’s Learning Center

October 17, 2024

In this episode of the Energy Pipeline Podcast, host KC Yost speaks with Dodi Hendra, Senior Training Manager at Caterpillar’s Dubai Learning Center. They discuss the specialized training programs offered at the center, which focus on hands-on learning and real-world applications for technicians in the oil and gas industry. Dodi shares his journey with Caterpillar, the importance of safety and quality in training, and how the center customizes programs to meet customer needs. The conversation also highlights the growth of the Dubai Learning Center and its impact on technician competency and customer satisfaction.

 

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Mastering the Craft: Inside Cat Dubai’s Learning Center - Ep 68 - Transcript

00:00:00 Speaker 1
This episode of the Energy Pipeline is sponsored by Caterpillar Oil and Gas. Since the 1930s, Caterpillar's manufactured engines for drilling production, well service and gas compression. With more than 2,100 dealer locations worldwide, Caterpillar offers customers a dedicated support team to assist with their premier power solutions.

00:00:27 Speaker 2
Welcome to the Energy Pipeline Podcast with your host KC Yost. Tune in each week to learn more about industry issues, tools, and resources to streamline and modernize the future of the industry. Whether you work in oil and gas or bring a unique perspective, this podcast is your Knowledge Transfer hub. Welcome to the Energy Pipeline.

00:00:52 KC Yost
Hello everyone, and welcome to this episode of the Energy Pipeline Podcast. Today, we'll be exploring the specialized training programs and hands-on learnings offered at the Caterpillar Dubai Learning Center. Our guest is Dodi Hendra, senior training manager for Caterpillar. Welcome to the Energy Pipeline Podcast, Dodi.

00:01:12 Dodi Hendra
Thank you, KC. It's my pleasure to share with you the Dubai Learning Center and then what we are doing in the region to support oil and gas industry.

00:01:23 KC Yost
Well, I've been looking forward to this conversation for quite a while, so glad we could fit you into and get you get us into your busy schedule. Before we start talking about the learning center, let's talk about you. Tell us about your journey with Caterpillar.

00:01:42 Dodi Hendra
I currently serve as a senior training manager at Caterpillar Dubai Learning Center. My role involved overseeing the development and execution of the training program for independent CAT dealer technician, product support team across quite big area, which is Middle East, Africa, Asia, and also, Eurasia region. On a daily basis, I ensure we maintain the industry-leading standard from planning course curriculum, to managing hands-on training, activity and assessment that are aligned with the industry need, including oil and gas sector.

00:02:25 KC Yost
Let's just talk about the geographic area for a second. That is a huge geographic area that you cover. This is, I guess, the challenge. Why tough to get into your schedule? You're a busy man, aren't you?

00:02:38 Dodi Hendra
Yes, so yeah, we cover quite broad area from Japan to South and East Asia region. We have a several learning center over there, but we are sharing the load. Some of the learning center has got a strength in some area. Then we have got a strength in some areas. We shared a lot together, including also the area that has a very big growth right now, like Africa, Middle East region, as well as the Eurasia region.

00:03:11 KC Yost
I gotcha. I gotcha, so how did you get to where you are today? I mean, didn't you study aeronautical engineering at one time and mechanical engineering, so how did you get to where you are?

00:03:25 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, my journey with Caterpillar start of where I'm in the university where that time Caterpillar introduce the collaboration with my school where they are providing us with the computer-based multimedia training program, that introducing how the Caterpillar product works. Then also, introduce us with the greatest and latest technology back to 1990, where that time we still use a blackboard and chalk where the Caterpillar dealer in my country give us a computer that have got an animation multimedia program, which is kind of like eye-opener for me. Then since that time when I'm still in university and I said to myself, "I will work with this company someday," and then, yeah.

00:04:27 KC Yost
Yeah, here, so you started out of school working for a Caterpillar dealership, right?

00:04:34 Dodi Hendra
Yeah. Out of the school that I applied to one of the Caterpillar dealer and then start my career as a technician that doing repair and maintenance of our Caterpillar machine in the field. Then later on, I continue my journey, become a training instructor. I deliver a training for our Caterpillar technician, our customer, and then the careers keep evolving later on, become a learning consultant, and then training, I move into the managerial role, contributing also, to development of Dubai Learning Center and its program and then helping to become a center of excellence of technical training in the region right now.

00:05:19 KC Yost
Excellent, excellent. Sounds like a great journey. Sounds like you've had a lot of really cool experiences.

00:05:26 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, it's like 25 years experience right now that really, really, yeah, I start the journey from a technician and then it's helped me step-by-step to build my expertise in this heavy equipment training area that lead me to be in the current position.

00:05:47 KC Yost
Yeah, so you talked about technology, you talked about using blackboards. Of course, I'm an old man and blackboards were what we had when I was in college 50 years ago, so now we get into the technologies and that type of thing. Do you have an overview of the key technologies and areas covered in the training programs that you have at the Dubai Learning Center?

00:06:15 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, our program cover a broad range of the technical area designed for CAT dealer technician and a product support team. A key area including heavy equipment maintenance management, advanced engine system, and performance troubleshooting over a whole and component reusability as well as apply failure analysis. We are focusing on the real world application utilizing engine such as Caterpillar D 3500, D 3600, C 32, C 175, like a C 15 engine on petroleum transmission in oil and gas industry also. We also have a new training aid, which is oil and gas fracking unit. Additionally, we also offer a structure and specialized training program for our technician, operator and engineer from the customer organization.

00:07:16 KC Yost
You're training dealership technicians, is that right?

00:07:22 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, that's our primary role, to teach the dealership technician.

00:07:26 KC Yost
Okay. You're not teaching their customers' technicians, you're teaching the dealership technicians or are you doing both?

00:07:34 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, we're doing both. If the dealer's channeling their customer technician or operator or engineer to us, then we do it, but this just goes through the dealer.

00:07:48 KC Yost
I got you. I got you. Do you have any blackboards?

00:07:52 Dodi Hendra
No more. We have a whiteboard right now.

00:07:59 KC Yost
All right, good, good. We talked earlier, and I think we decided there are six learning centers like Dubai around the world, and I suspect that the competition has learning centers as well. What distinguishes the Dubai Learning Center's programs from others in the industry? What's your differentiator in Dubai?

00:08:29 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, our facility is designed specifically for hands-on learning, which is set it apart. We take a blended approach, which is combining between instructor-led training, with e-learning, all with the emphasis on the practical real-world application scenario with a multiple lab space workshop full size of engine. Then the participant can face a real operational challenge during the training. We simulate the situation that they encounter in the field. Moreover, we continuously update our curriculum to incorporate the latest industry standard and technology advancement.

00:09:14 KC Yost
With this hands-on operation and real-world experience, do you ever have a scenario where you may not have a tool that is required for this and you kind of talk them through how you might use this other tool to adapt it to taking care of removing a head on an engine or anything like that? Do you get into that type of thing using their imaginations, if you will?

00:09:45 Dodi Hendra
In Caterpillar, safety is our key priority, is our first priority. We're not customize the process or something like that that could lead into some of the situation of the safety violation or something. The key process over here is the preparation. When we receive the request of training, then we evaluate the situation, we evaluate the tool, the equipment that we have. There are two scenario over here. If we have a complete set of equipment tool in our facility, so we deliver the training in our facility. If not, we can deliver the training also in a customer side or in the field to make sure that we follow all the standard and procedure that we put into consideration. By having this, we make sure that all the training that we deliver with a high standard of the quality and also, safety,

00:10:54 KC Yost
I like that. I like answer. Really, really good. That is what part of what you use to ensure that you have a very, very high level of training quality, right? I mean, you're very precise.

00:11:11 Dodi Hendra
Exactly, and then beside that, we also put a very rigorous training process for our instructor. Most of our instructor has got a field experience, has a past experience as a engineer or technician, and then to be able to teach the course, also, we have a kind of accreditation process for each of the instructor. They need to pass the accreditation process. We need to make sure that they have a full skill to do the job because most of our training with the high energy source equipment, we cannot make any customization or we cannot make the process actually to be short cut or something like that.

00:11:56 KC Yost
I got you. Makes perfect sense. What I'm hearing you is then your dealers nominate someone to participate in the training program, and you actually look at their background to make sure that they meet minimum standards to qualify to come into the training before you even let them come in to training. Did I understand that right?

00:12:25 Dodi Hendra
Yes, definitely. Definitely. Our training came from several level. We categorized the training into foundational level, at funds level and expert level.

00:12:38 KC Yost
I got you.

00:12:40 Dodi Hendra
Every training, we have a prerequisite to make sure that people have the underpinning knowledge before they come for the next courses. This is the way that how we make sure that people that come to our course need to follow the proper curriculum, need to finish the prerequisite, and then this is one of the recipes that to make sure that the training that we deliver will be highly impactful and also, safe.

00:13:10 KC Yost
Okay, good, good. Now, we talked some about equipment that's available on site for trainees to work with. I assume that with each one of these different levels, you have different pieces of equipment or approaches to the repair or maintenance of the equipment with each one of those, right? This gets back to the hands-on training, right?

00:13:37 Dodi Hendra
Definitely, so every training that we deliver, I can say ranging from 50 to 60% of the activity, sometime up to 70% is a hands-on activity.

00:13:50 KC Yost
Really, that much?

00:13:52 Dodi Hendra
Yeah. That's how we make sure that people can retain the information, people can understand the concept easily. Then the requirement for that is to have a complete set of equipment, complete set of the tool, and then also, impactful training material. The training material that we are using right now with a 3D picture with animation simulation video or kind of thing. Then from the equipment side, we always work to enhance our equipment to make sure that our center equipped with the latest technology that we have in the market right now that we put in our product. We have a new electronic engine that we sell in the market, then we have it in our center. I can say every two, three year, we always enhancing our training equipment to make sure that it's going to be following the product that we sell in the market.

00:14:59 KC Yost
I've got you. How large are these classes?

00:15:02 Dodi Hendra
There is one interesting thing that the formula that we are using where our class is not more than eight people in the class. We manage a small group. This is one of the area where we expect that when the people come to our training, they have a chance to do the real hands-on experience by themselves. That's why we limit our classroom small enough that only be able to accommodate around eight people in the class.

00:15:32 KC Yost
I see, I see. Basically, if we're learning how to do something on an engine, you've got eight different engines there or you've got four different engines there with two people working on them or one and they take turns working on it. How does that typically work? Does it depend on the size of the engine and the class and that type of thing?

00:15:57 Dodi Hendra
It depend on the size of the engine, but for some small engine, usually we make it one engine for two people. There's not a big crowd where the people can learn more productive and easily, but in some area, like a big engine, because the size of the engine itself big, then we can distribute people around the engine.

00:16:22 KC Yost
I got you, I got you, so everyone gets to hold a wrench in their hands at one time or another?

00:16:29 Dodi Hendra
Exactly.

00:16:30 KC Yost
Get the hands on. Okay, so how long do these classes normally last?

00:16:37 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, so the class can be ranging from three day to one week. As you know that people traveling from all over the globe and then sometime they travel six hours, sometime they travel eight hours. We try to create the courses that it's going to be effective for people to travel. That's why I can't say the shortest class that we have around three day and then the longest class that we have around five days, but there are some also, the class that can be back-to-back for two weeks maximum. That's kind of like a length of the class that we deliver.

00:17:18 KC Yost
I see, I see. How many technicians end up going through the Dubai Center over a year's period?

00:17:29 Dodi Hendra
We make a very good progress on engaging our dealer and the customer on Dubai Learning Center. At a starting point, when we built the learning center in 2016, we train around 500 technician per year,

00:17:45 KC Yost
500?

00:17:45 Dodi Hendra
500, but now the number is growing. In 2023, we are able to reach around 1,300 technician or 1,300 participant per year. Then this year I can say easily we can reach around 1,400.

00:18:02 KC Yost
Oh my, so you've got multiple classes going on at the same time.

00:18:07 Dodi Hendra
Yes. With the quality of the courses that we deliver and the customer and also, our dealer feel satisfied with the result, then they keep requesting for training and then their awareness to the training getting improved. Then our team, we start in 2016 with only three instructor, then now we are having around 10 instructor in total.

00:18:36 KC Yost
10 instructors, and how large is the facility, do you know?

00:18:40 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, the facility actually is around 1,700 square meter area. We have around six classroom, we have around six workshop and bay but also, we have got some area outside to have a training for a Caterpillar machine.

00:19:02 KC Yost
Oh my. Well, that's a nice size facility. I suspect you'll be busting at the seams here pretty soon if you add too many more classes.

00:19:13 Dodi Hendra
Yeah.

00:19:13 KC Yost
That's a good problem to have. Good problem to have. You talked about the customers, and I get the impression that all of your classes are based off of customer needs and they talk about pain points that they're running into and what their experience has and you putting together a training class to help resolve this pain point. Can you give us an example and can you tell us what the customers gain by working with you to put these curriculums together?

00:19:49 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, so one of the common pain point from our customer is lack of expertise on equipment maintenance, repair, diagnostic and also, failure analysis. The technician is a key of our product support. The technician is the one that is going to make sure that the machine, every machine could fail, every machine could have a problem, but how quick is the machine can return back into operational will be depend on our technician. That's why the lack of the competent or lack of the skill of the technician will lead into increase on the downtime, also, increase on the service cost from the customer side. Then after participating in our training program, this technician will gain the skill. Then we expect them to be able to maintain the repair and troubleshoot cat equipment more effective and efficient. Then definitely this will be lead to the significant operational improvement and improve our customer satisfaction. Now, to make sure that we train them to the right skill that they need, usually we do kind of like a skill gap analysis. We define the gap and then from that gap, we create their individual learning plan. That individual learning plan can be executed maybe by one year or two year or three year, but then later on, our dealer is executing that plan by either delivering the course by their own in some area, but also sending their technician to us in Caterpillar in some courses.

00:21:42 KC Yost
You're actually customizing these courses, recognizing the gaps that they may have in experience and knowledge and that type of thing, and putting together a course specifically for that customer to implement at their office. Is that what I'm hearing?

00:22:06 Dodi Hendra
Definitely, yeah. Yes.

00:22:07 KC Yost
Okay.

00:22:08 Dodi Hendra
We need to make sure that people come from different experience, different background. What we make sure that if we know their gap, then the training class can be varies from one to another, depend on who is the audience. The key point actually, we need to make sure that we fill the gap that they have and then we make sure that they become more competent once they complete our course and then be able to apply what they learn in the operation.

00:22:40 KC Yost
A couple of weeks ago we did a podcast with Connor Doherty who's with SPM Oil and Gas, which is a Caterpillar company. One of the things that he emphasized was that they made sure that they had competent technicians within a three-hour drive of any location where they had their fluid ends for fracking and that type of operation. It seems to me that's what I'm hearing you do here in that what you're doing is training these people and sending them back to the customers so that the customers will be able to react to their customers much quicker in repair and rebuild and maintenance of the equipment. I mean, it's same philosophy, be closer to the job site.

00:23:36 Dodi Hendra
Exactly. Yeah. Our objective to make sure that we have a skilled technician that be able to serve our machine that belongs to our customer as soon as possible with highest quality. Then there is one of the key differentiator where we, it's going to be defined the quality of the product support that we provide to our customer.

00:24:05 KC Yost
Got it. Having these technicians, qualified technicians closer to their customers is something that your customers gain and providing service and makes it easier for them to have customers that can rely on them for repairs and maintenance and that type of thing. Is there anything else that they gain from the training process?

00:24:30 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, the customer saw a reduction on the service cost and equipment downtime, which is a inaudible to improve overall of their asset performance. Then the training provide a technician with a deeper understanding of the CAT equipment system, enabling them to prevent issue before they escalate it and deliver greater value to their organization. I'm a little bit over here about prevent the issue. What does it mean that we should be able to be more predictive on the maintenance and repair? If we are predictive, then we can be more prepared. Sometime we are very proactive before the failure came or the failure happen, we already make a plan to do the repair. There is no unpredicted downtime happened with the customer, so everything is planned properly.

00:25:30 KC Yost
Being proactive in any industry is much better than being reactive in any industry, so very, very, very good point. Very good point. I like that. Let's look ahead, I know that Caterpillar is coming out with new technology in their engines and working on trying to be more efficient and less emissions, emissions control and that type of thing. Are there new training programs or updates that you're excited about that you want to talk about coming out of Dubai?

00:26:04 Dodi Hendra
Yes, so we are continuously evolving our training program to keep up to the industry standard. We are planning to introducing some of the technology in our training center in the future, like diesel-gas blended engine, and also, a complete set of the fracking trailer unit that be able to serve our oil and gas customer in the region. Then as you know that Caterpillar is very proactive right now with the electrification technology. We are improving our capability right now to be able to deliver any electrification technology product that produced by Caterpillar in the future.

00:26:52 KC Yost
Gosh, so basically you're talking with the R&D people at Caterpillar on a regular basis to see what they're coming up with so that you can make sure that you have these plans and training programs in place so that when they're ready to hit the field, you'll have training programs ready for them is what I'm hearing.

00:27:13 Dodi Hendra
Exactly, so there is kind of like a structure process that we have where if there is a new product will come our R&D or we call it NPI team will call us, and then we prepare the training material as early as possible. Then when the equipment touching the ground, then we are ready with the proper training for our technician.

00:27:42 KC Yost
Gotcha, so do you work with the other training centers in putting together these programs?

00:27:51 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, so we are working actually in one global organization. We call it Global Dealer Learning. In the Global Dealer Learning, we've got a six learning center all over the globe. We've got a Miami Learning Center, Peoria Learning Center, Malaga Learning Center, Wuxi Learning Center in China, and then Melbourne Learning Center and Dubai Learning Center. This six learning center, we've got almost 100 instructors all over that work together with the specific expertise. Then with this collaboration, we make sure that we have a standard quality of delivery in each learning center. We need to make sure that we are ready together when the new product coming into the market to support the technician development.

00:28:44 KC Yost
Outstanding. Outstanding. That's great. That's great. Well, Dodi, we're running out of time. I just want to ask if there's anything else you want to add, anything that I might've missed in asking you that you wanted to throw out there?

00:29:01 Dodi Hendra
Yeah, the development of the technician is a key for our success in the future. People sometime look at it from the cost perspective, but let's look at from the investment, the people investment. When we develop our people properly, then we plan it properly, then it's going to make sure that we keep ahead in the market, we keep ahead in the competition.\ Then we make sure that everyone in our organization receiving the continuous training and then make sure that they have a very structured training to ensure that our customer will receive the highest quality of support from our dealer and our people.

00:29:58 KC Yost
I suspect, mentioning that, I suspect that experience goes a long way with a technician. If you've had the right training and then you have the experience, you've gone through this over and over again, that technician becomes very valuable to the customer. I suspect that having the training that you guys provide either in Dubai or at the different Caterpillar locations, customer locations, that I guess that that would add a lot of value to the employee and make them want to stay. That is, it increases employee retention. Is that right?

00:30:42 Dodi Hendra
Yes.

00:30:42 KC Yost
A technician that doesn't get any training may get bored after a year or two and leave. A person who has training may stay where 20, 25 years with the same company. Right?

00:30:56 Dodi Hendra
You're spot on. Yeah, you're spot on. The development is one of a benefit that the technician will get because with the development, we're going to make sure that they're going to improve their competency and skill and then also, it will open the opportunity for them to grow their career in the future, right? That's why we are here in the business where we empower people, we recognize people through training, and then as a result of the training, also, we run the certification for the technician, which is the certification is the way how we test their quality. Then once their quality has been proven high quality and then they will gain, also, the better recognition, better compensation and kind of thing. That's part of the retention process.

00:31:54 KC Yost
Yes, one thing begets another, begets another, begets another, and it's good for everyone all the way around. Kudos to you guys for your hard work in training the technicians, and I know it adds a great deal of value to not only your customers, but the end users of Caterpillar equipment. Hats off to you buddy. Hats off.

00:32:17 Dodi Hendra
Thank you. Thank you very much.

00:32:19 KC Yost
Again, thank you for taking the time to visit with us today, Dodi. I really do appreciate it. Like I said, I've been looking forward to this conversation for quite a while and really enjoyed learning more about the Learning Center in Dubai. If anyone would like to learn more about training programs at Caterpillar, you can connect with them on the web at catoperatortraining.com. That's CAT Operator Training. Thanks to all of you for tuning into this episode of the Energy Pipeline podcast sponsored by Caterpillar Oil and Gas. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for podcast topics, feel free to email me at kc.yost@oggn.com. I also want to thank my producer, Anastasia Willison-Duff and everyone at the Oil and Gas Global Network for making this podcast possible. Find out more about other OGGN podcasts at oggn.com. This is KC Yost saying goodbye for now. Have a great week and keep that energy flowing through the pipeline.

00:33:21 Speaker 6
Thanks for listening to OGGN, the world's largest and most listened to podcast network for the oil and energy industry. If you like this show, leave us a review and then go to oggn.com to learn about all our other shows. Don't forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. This show has been a production of the Oil and Gas Global Network.

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Dodi Hendra Bio Image

Dodi Hendra

Guest

Dodi Hendra is a senior training manager at the Caterpillar Dubai Learning Center. Originally from Indonesia, his involvement with Caterpillar’s oil and gas trainings began in the mid-1990s when he embarked on a computer-based, multimedia training program offered through a local Cat dealer. That training program inspired him to pursue a career as a Cat dealer technician, which led to his dream job of becoming a Caterpillar Oil & Gas instructor and training supervisor with the local Cat dealer. Dodi was a key contributor to the Dubai Learning Center’s launch and helped develop its curriculum. Today, he shapes the next generation of talent for the industry by training individuals to operate and maintain Cat equipment.

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KC Yost Bio Image

KC Yost

Host

KC Yost, Jr is a third generation pipeliner with 48 years of experience in the energy industry.  Since receiving his BS in Civil Engineering from West Virginia University, KC earned his MBA from the University of Houston in 1983 and became a Licensed Professional Engineer in 27 states. He has served on the Board of Directors and on various Associate Member committees for the Southern Gas Association; is a past president and director of the Houston Pipeliners Association; and was named the Pipeliners Association of Houston “Pipeliner of the Year” in 2002. KC is an expert regarding pipeline and facility design, construction, and inspection; has spoken before federal, state, and local boards and numerous industry forums around the world; and has published articles on these same subjects.