The ROI of digitalizing manufacturing standards

In today’s competitive manufacturing landscape, upholding high standards is crucial for operational efficiency and product quality. Traditionally, these protocols were managed through paper-based systems, resulting in inefficiencies, potential errors, and significant time investment from the operational team to develop and maintain them.

Digitalizing these practices provides a transformative solution to these challenges; by converting paper-based procedures and guidelines into digital formats, manufacturers can streamline processes, improve compliance, and boost overall performance.

Let’s explore what I consider the top five advantages of digitalizing standards in today’s manufacturing world:

Benefits of digitalizing standards in manufacturing

1) Better accessibility and up-to-date information: Digital standards ensure everyone has access to the latest information anytime, anywhere.

2) Increased productivity: Easy access to information and reduced errors boost overall productivity.

3) More knowledge sharing: Digital platforms facilitate teamwork, knowledge exchange, and problem-solving.

4) Better decision making: Accurate, real-time data supports informed decisions and helps identify potential issues.

5) Compliance: Version control, audit trails, and real-time updates help maintain compliance and improve product quality.

<< Read more: Demystifying operational excellence in asset-intensive sectors >>

Starting points for digitalizing your journey

If you are a business that currently has all its standards in paper form, it is time to change. Here are some immediate initial steps you can take to start your digitalization journey:

Identify key operations: Determine which procedures are most frequently used or have the greatest impact on operational results and prioritize them!

Digitize core documents: Scan essential documents into digital format, ensuring high-quality scans for readability.

Establish a central repository: Create a secure digital location to store all digitized documents (e.g., cloud-based platform), ensuring all users have access to it.

Establish a naming standard: Develop a consistent file naming system to easily locate documents, helping maintain organization and accessibility.

Train your team: Provide training to employees on how to access, use, and save digital documents.

<< Read more: Benefits of digital transformation in manufacturing industry >>

While you are traveling on this journey, watch out for the following common mistakes when digitalizing your standards. Failing to consider user input can result in a system that is difficult to use and inefficient. Remember, the final users of the standards will be the ones executing them on a routine basis!

Not tracking changes to documents can result in confusion and errors. Keeping version control is vital to sustain your digitalization program. Poor communication about the digital transformation process can lead to misunderstandings and frustration.

Digitalizing your manufacturing standards is essential for boosting efficiency, improving quality, and staying competitive. By taking the initial steps to digitize and centralize your standards, you’ll unlock numerous benefits. Ready to transform your operations? Let’s work together to make it happen!