The challenge
ProPhotonix used Excel as its control system, with a list of every work instruction hyperlinked to each document. Updating them was slow and manual, and many users were uncomfortable working in Excel.
When network connectivity was lost, local copies were saved to desktops, disconnected from the central document. Printed copies added to the problem.
Ensuring compliance was a laborious task. Version control and history of the document was difficult to manage. If a change was required, we often had to hunt down any paper documents, finding them on people’s desks.
The solution
After reviewing several systems, ProPhotonix chose ProcessIQ for its usability and cost, and deployed it on selected product lines. Digital screens replaced printed instructions, documents can’t be altered on the shop floor, and standard content such as health and safety is populated automatically.
Some of the systems on the market are incredibly expensive and overly complicated.
The results
Twenty minutes a day has been saved in administration alone: no more copy-pasting, tracking documents or chasing sign-off. Outdated documents can no longer be used, engineering time is reduced and new instructions are created much more quickly. Staff found the system intuitive from the start.
From a compliance perspective, the biggest benefit is control, control, control.
