Convergence and Visibility in Quality is one of
the major trends we see while working with small and mid-market
manufacturers across the southeast. Bringing all the quality
information and processes together in one place enables companies
to quickly respond to quality issues and meet ISO standards and
lean goals.
Problems we see in quality initiatives at small and mid-market
manufacturers include:
- How to manage workflows and approvals?
- How to make sure updated procedures are being followed?
- How to manage the full impact once the problem is
found?
- How to organize and analyze all the transactional information,
documentation and information from the field?
- How to make up for deficiencies in the ERP system to fit their
process?
The pace is getting faster for small/mid-market
manufacturers. They must not only compete on timeliness, but
also quality and price. We are seeing that disparate
spreadsheets, databases and ERP systems disconnected from quality
workflow processes and documentation hinders the flexibility and
consistency needed to deliver the highest quality manufacturing
services and cost effective product delivery.
SMB manufacturers are focusing on quality
documentation, working on quality policies and procedures, using
statistical process control systems, and striving to meet ISO
standards. Manufacturers are discovering that their ERP
system is a poor fit for their quality business processes.
They employ 'workarounds' or manual sub-systems. Another approach
is to build a separate IT system to make up for the deficiency; in
many cases data is dumped into a spreadsheet or a Microsoft Access
database.
These isolated systems and processes are fine for looking at
anomalies, but they rely on people to pull it all together.
When a part fails in the field the quality manager typically has to
look in the different systems and talk to the employees and
suppliers involved - like a detective painting a mental
picture. It is a painstakingly slow and costly process and
the analysis and resolution may be locked away in that one
employee. Often times the effort fails to address the root cause
and total impact on all customers.
TwinEngines is addressing these issues with a custom
technology solution that integrates people, process and
information together, making quality part of the entire
manufacturing process. Whether it's a repetitive manufacturing
environment or engineered-to-order manufacturing, there are three
core functions that a quality technology solution should
provide:
- Real-time workflow and event-driven corrective action reporting
through the entire quality process tracking approvals and
follow-ups in the future.
- Integration to transactional information such as vendor,
purchase orders, receiving, work orders and RMAs.
- Capability to bring all the information together in one place
for real-time resolution, analysis and compliance.
The result is a quality management tool providing:
- Visibility to all quality information and transactional
data
- Real-time access to all revision-controlled manufacturing
process and quality assurance system documentation
- Product quality data collection, reporting and management from
incoming inspection through resolution and to periodic compliance
audits
- Support for ISO initiatives
The technology solution should allow tasks to be accessed
instantly by employee, customer, product or process. Once the task
is displayed, all relevant information pertaining to the issue must
also be displayed; activity on the task must be date stamped and
audited for management control.
When there is a quality issue the velocity of resolution is
critical to meet the customers' expectations and demands.
Small and mid-market manufacturers must be able to quickly identify
the issue, recognize the full impact, and react to solve the
issue.
To meet these needs the trend is convergence and visibility of
quality processes, information and workflows. It is becoming
too difficult to work with isolated information systems that slow
the response to customers, increase the costs of management and
don't ensure quality initiatives are being fulfilled.
Small and mid-market manufacturers are turning to technology
solutions that provide centralized communication, visibility to all
information and integrated workflow management.