The use of automation and digitalization to manage and improve industrial quality control has long been pioneered by the automobile and aerospace sectors. However, in recent years, other manufacturers have started to see the advantages digitalization, in particular, can provide in terms of quality control.
In this post, we’ll discuss why your manual quality control processes are failing you and how digitization can be of assistance.
The best news is that automating and digitizing your quality control does not have to be difficult or expensive. This is due to the fact that there are creative yet affordable solutions available that will practically function out of the box with your current factory floor equipment and give your company insightful data right away.
Manually checking quality control is not the best way to run a business
Although manual quality control checks are still often performed by manufacturing organizations around the world (and have been for decades), they are ineffective, inaccurate, and do not offer enough visibility or traceability.
By nature inefficient and prone to mistakes
First and foremost, manual quality control procedures are ineffective and prone to mistakes by their very nature. Sometimes they may even go totally unnoticed.
Even the most experienced and careful workers occasionally make mistakes or have bad days, but these events can be expensive if they lead to a defective product or component eluding the quality net.
Manufacturers can add a layer of accountability to the person in charge of doing quality checks by digitizing them. Everyone can quickly see the results because there are precise instructions regarding what must be done and alerts when it must be done.
Add time and complexity to the onboarding process
Future-oriented businesses that prioritize innovation are valued by new talent. The workforce in manufacturing in the future will be no different, and they will not want to perform tasks on the factory floor using paper when digital alternatives are widely available.
With computerized quality checks, businesses may show potential employees that they are progressive while also simplifying certain aspects of onboarding and training. This is due to the fact that digital quality checks are generally more straightforward than their paper-based equivalents and require much less training to perform.
Non-standard and subjective
Manufacturers’ manual quality control inspections nevertheless have a tendency to vary from facility to facility, despite their best efforts to standardize them. Additionally, because manual quality inspections are subjective, two workers may have different opinions about the same product.
With several plants using various quality checks, the issue is that quality control becomes substantially more challenging from a central standpoint. Organizations will always need to take into consideration the possibility of ambiguity.
Lacking meaningful insights
The absence of valuable insights during and after manual quality control tests is another significant flaw.
When quality checks are conducted using paper or spreadsheets, it is possible that they are all finished by the end of a production shift. Even though such a setup could appear to be effective, it makes it far more challenging to analyze and identify the underlying causes of any apparent quality concerns.
Likely to be far less logical than it would be if the manufacturer were employing digital quality checks in any prospective trend analysis. This is so that it won’t be impossible to determine whether quality problems are more likely to occur at particular times or days of the week if all the quality control data is logged at once. Additionally, the quality team lacks sufficient context and transparency to make improvements because they cannot see what occurred immediately prior to and following a failed quality check.
Lacking audit preparedness
The manual production quality checks’ last but most important flaw is that they are not the easiest audits to do.
When auditors are present, it can be extremely difficult for producers to produce pertinent quality documentation. Paper-based quality checks are susceptible to deterioration over time and information loss, which might jeopardize auditing efforts.
Digital inspections are a must for enterprises with highly regarded and well-known accreditations like ISO 9001 and ISO 13485, which are crucial components of their entire quality initiatives. The fundamental advantage of digitization and automation from the perspective of quality is that it allows rapid and simple access to the relevant documentation, such as certificates and production data.
For instance, with paperless systems, key information is at your fingertips with only a few mouse clicks. Furthermore, crucial production elements can be monitored, recorded, and retrieved as necessary for auditing purposes, such as calibration and non-conformance reporting.
It’s Time to Automate and Digitalize Your Quality Checks
Manufacturers’ perception of the cost that digital quality assurance will require is arguably the biggest roadblock to its adoption. After all, quality tests using paper and spreadsheets may be implemented or changed with almost no disruption and do not require a major capital investment. Fortunately, some digital alternatives can now be said to be similar (such as ours).
For instance, with Tipteh IoT platform, you’ll get everything you need to set up OEE and quality monitoring on your shop floor and give it a full trial run without spending a penny by contacting one of our agents today. Our plug-and-play technology will enable you to embark on your Industry 4.0 journey in a matter of days, with no significant capital investment required.
By automating quality checks, your manufacturing organization can benefit from:
- Greater accuracy
- Improved efficiency
- Standardized processes
- Valuable insights
- Root cause analysis
- Boosted sustainability credentials
- Total audit readiness
You can begin benefiting from digital and automatic quality checks with Tipteh without having to make a financial commitment or deal with the hassles. That’s because our solution has been designed to work with your current setup(s), enabling you to make use of all the corresponding advantages quickly, simply, and affordably.
