Reduce Impact on the Environment

[Joe_Geller]

I am a big fan of LabView!  This idea is meant to be a positive suggestion, and I hope it will be taken as such.

I almost wish this post was in jest; it is not.  This is a serious suggestion that, in my opinion would improve the NI LabView program, save cost, and be much better for the environment.

I recently purchased Application Builder for LabView (both Great products).  I received my Application Builder via FedEx.  It comes in a very nice looking heavy mailing package with the bold label "NI LabVIEW 2010 Add-On Software.  I think there must have been a FedEx overwrap with the following forms:

-Printed shipping manager page with the FedEx Bar Code

-Printed packing Pick Slip (two pages) with a certificate of conformance on page 1 of 2 and a signed page 2 of 2 by the Vice President of Quality and Continuous Improvement (I am not making this up)

Now, inside of the envelope is

-The standard folded yellow installation instruction page

-A certificate of ownership! (same serial number as is printed on the outside of the heavy mailing envelope)

-A card which says (really!) "Where is my Media?"  The card says: "In an effort to reduce the impact on the environment, National Instruments no longer ships media with these kits.

Now, I assume by this point everyone sees the irony here, and where I am going with this New Idea for LabView!

IDEA: Upon successful purchase and proper payment of a LabView Add-On Software package: Email the serial number to the authorized user.

Optionally (if required by legal), send the paper Certificate of Ownership (one page!) to the authorized user, or if allowed by legal, Email a PDF of the Certificate of Ownership to the authorized user.

Savings:

Beautiful outer envelope and stack of printed pages made in Ireland - Well, not needed (Give them other work, I don't want to see lost jobs)

Shipping cost and impact on the environment (Ireland to Austin) SAVED

Storage cost and space at NI Austin SAVED

Shipping cost and Air Freight Austin to end user SAVED (less jet fuel impact on the environment)

Less paper to be recycled by end user SAVED, positive impact on less energy needed for recycling!

[Mr.Mike]

Thank you for the feedback.  I've had experience with the excessive shipping too: I bought a USB-TC01 and a USB-6009 and they both shipped from Eastern Europe with 3 day service. 

I've forwarded your suggestion to our Green Team.  Hopefully they will respond to your suggestion.  In the mean time, you can check out NI's Citizenship Report detailing our enivronmental efforts.

The NI Green Team usually focuses on greening our day-to-day work (e.g. getting more duplex printers and setting them to duplex by default, pushing software to shut off our computers overnight, etc).  We have made improvements in our packaging in the past.  For example, our cRIO controller packaging is 36% smaller than it used to be and 100% recyclable. 

[SteveChandler]

-A card which says (really!) "Where is my Media?" The card says: "In an effort to reduce the impact on the environment, National Instruments no longer ships media with these kits.

At least don't seal the card in plastic

[altenbach]

(I've been complaining about this for years. Whenever I renew the SSP, I write "electronic delivery only" in the additional instructions.)

When ordering software or renewing SSP subscription, there should be an additional shipping option on the order page: "electronic delivery (free)", in addition to the current ($$) fedex options.

The MyNI site needs a well defined page where we have permanent access to all software products that we purchased, including the current license status, associated activation codes (irrespective of any SSP, i.e. independent of the service resource center) together with pdf versions of relevant upgrade notes, license agreements, or anything else that is typically part of the shipment.

[James@Home]

Excellent!!
I like this suggestion and agree with altenbach's additional suggestions.