The manufacturer of premium interior doors is starting with EZ-GO to secure knowledge through digital work instructions. Soon after, they also discovered the convenience of checklists and tasks. The “red thumbs” additionally provide valuable input for every production meeting.
Svedex is the only door manufacturer in the Netherlands that produces a complete range of fully lacquered style doors. Customers can provide measurements accurate to the millimeter. The family-owned company was founded in 1954 and employs around 300 people. In 2022, Diala Daoud began as QHSE Manager at the production site in Varsseveld (NL).
One of her first observations: there was a need for more process control and a better method for documenting procedures, especially since many experienced employees are expected to retire in the coming years. That knowledge needed to be preserved. “I had used EZ-GO at my previous job and immediately knew: this will work here too,” says Daoud.
As in many companies, work instructions existed, but were mostly written, on paper, and hard to find. “What excites me most about EZ-GO is that it’s a very visual system,” Daoud explains. “It fits perfectly with our Lean way of working. The photos and videos make each work instruction clear and easy to understand. Plus, everyone can access them easily via the tablet.”
During EZ Factory’s first visit, another essential component of the platform quickly became apparent: checklists and tasks. “We decided to implement all three features simultaneously,” Daoud adds.
``The data is used to improve the process.``
Process Engineer Robert Wolsheimer led the implementation project, joined by Team Leader Ruben Golstein. Wolsheimer explains: “We immediately started with practical implementation, alongside a Customer Success Consultant from EZ Factory. He advised us to begin with a limited scope: one machine, with a few selected tasks, checklists, and work instructions. We closely involved the operations team in this. Ruben knew exactly where the expertise was within his team, and his colleague did the same for the other shift. Step by step, we built every checklist, task, and instruction together.”
Tasks are recurring routine actions, such as checking the lacquer output from the roller every hour. The value is entered, any deviation is reported, and resolved if needed. Checklists are used for irregular activities, like changing a sanding belt or switching a machine mode. If necessary, a supporting work instruction can be consulted. Team Leader Golstein explains: “At first, operators, especially the more experienced ones, found it difficult to adjust to this way of working. Writing a number on paper seemed slightly faster than using an app. But now they’re used to it, and it provides both more data and time savings.”
One of EZ-GO’s key benefits is the easy access to information. Daoud notes: “It was important to clearly explain that to colleagues. ‘Why does this need to go into an app?’ Well, because the data you enter is actually used to improve processes.”
“For instance, it’s used as input in our weekly quality meetings. If a specific deviation or malfunction occurs frequently, we can take structural actions. For example: every five to six weeks, we see that a specific milling tool breaks. So now we proactively replace it a bit earlier, and that task is logged in EZ-GO. If a customer has a question, we can easily trace what happened during the production of those specific doors; all measurement data is available.”
Golstein adds: “It’s valuable for production as well. Every morning, we have a production meeting, and the EZ-GO data is on the agenda, especially the red thumbs: what went wrong, and how can we prevent that next time?”
The initial implementation is complete, and all basic processes are in the system. However, Golstein notes: “It’s never really ‘done’. If processes change, we need to update them in EZ-GO too. And for many work instructions, we want to add more detail, subprocesses, special cases.” That no longer happens within the project team. Wolsheimer explains: “By now, we are more familiar with EZ-GO and have more internal capacity. The shift leaders can now make the necessary updates and additions themselves. The platform makes it easy.”