After the Record Book Department held back member Hesham Khan’s three ibex entries that were only measured by an official measurer and were potentially ranked in the Top 20, the Khan asked SCI to reconsider the request because they did not have a Master Measurer available to certify the entries.
There are only three Official Measurers in Pakistan and only one lived close to the member, so the possibility of having a Master Measurer re-measure the entries would be too costly.
After working out the logistics and a 12-hour time difference, the three ibex were measured via video conference with Measuring Coordinator Gilbert Aguilar as he sat at his desk in the Record Book Department in Tucson, Arizona (over 8,000 miles away).
“I was able to watch her technique and actually show her a more effective method of measuring a horn right over the live video, which was incredible,” said Aguilar. “Now that we have completed our first ‘Virtual Measuring Certification,’ we look forward to using this technology again to help improve customer service around the world.”
Ayesha Alem, the Measurer in Pakistan, had taken the Online Measuring Course to become an Official Measurer earlier in the year. International members can take the measuring course online without having to attend a course in person.
“Now we believe we have raised the bar again and we can continue to look for new solutions to help our measurers and members by incorporating video conferencing as a tool to help certify entries when there is no other solution,” Aguilar explained.
