It may be surprising to learn that many manufacturers still rely on paper-based processes when it comes to quality management. Without a paperless quality system in place, shop floor employees may spend hours on the preparation and collection of work instructions, work orders, travelers, checklists and quality data forms. Companies in highly regulated industries face the additional demands of strict compliance standards, short manufacturing lead times, and stiff cost competition. An electronic shop floor solution can help instill a paperless quality culture within manufacturing operations while eliminating these problems and put a company on the path to success.
The following paperless quality initiatives streamline operations and improve a company’s end-product:
Electronic Work Instruction Authoring
An electronic shop floor solution automates processes and improves efficiency. Online work instructions ease updates and ensure completeness. The solution uses ERP routings and leverages work instructions in Microsoft Word/PowerPoint. Electronic Build Data allows users to status work orders from a single query and perform electronic device approvals, saving valuable time in the production process. Detailed inspection and shop work instructions with attachments, variable and attribute data collection, documentation and workflow management of nonconforming material can be utilized by shop floor personnel.
Shop Floor Control
Tracking skills required on the shop floor becomes effortless with an electronic shop floor solution. Objective evidence of job skill training, machinery and process skills and industry skills such as FAA, FDA, AS9100, & EASA is available within the system to ensure workforce compliance.
Elimination of redundant processes
A single database eliminates the need for double entry of data and eliminates risk the for errors. Elimination of redundant processes boots productivity, reduces labor costs, and ensures operator consistency.
Expedited revision process
The shop floor is a place of constant change. Engineering changes, process changes and updates to industry standards require consistent tracking. Paper-based processes can slow workflow and hinder quality. An electronic shop floor solution eliminates paper documentation and/or legacy systems for build history, as-built data collection, nonconformance processing, and tool recording. Revision control with real-time query vs. manual search for objective evidence of change, saves countless hours during production. Document revision control minimizes risk of products built to prior versions.
Integrated real-time quality and manufacturing data
Complete visibility into the inspection process and inspection documentation history allows manufacturing and quality teams to work together for greater control of the manufacturing process, and immediately identify potential for costly errors without slowing down production.
Dissemination of critical data across all facilities
A paperless quality culture provides a systematic way of examining incoming data to make informed decisions – much sooner than if relying on paper-based workflows. With instant access to data from all company locations, managers get a holistic view of the enterprise that results in improved quality.
Central repository for quality-related documents
All necessary quality data is validated and maintained in an electronic shop floor solution and is visible throughout the enterprise. Access level controls simplify the approval process and provide necessary security for sensitive data. Electronic timestamp & sign-offs provide for complete digital traceability within the system. Most importantly, comprehensive product documentation history ensures audit readiness.
An electronic shop floor solution serves as a single source of truth when it comes to quality. The ability to identify and track issues on the shop floor is a significant competitive advantage that can greatly increase a company’s profitability and can deliver a significant return on investment year after year.
Mitigate risk in real-time and avoid costly mistakes by implementing paperless quality within your organization. TIP Technologies helps companies automate processes on the shop floor with its TIPSFE Shop Floor Execution solution. If you are looking to improve efficiencies, request a copy of our eBook entitled “The ROI of Shop Floor Execution” or schedule a demo of the TIPSFE Shop Floor Execution solution and begin your journey to better quality today.