The biggest cause of waste in the chain is a lack of efficiency. In turn, as far as efficiency is concerned, the greatest bottleneck is knowledge. However, thanks to digital work instructions and checklists, you now have the necessary knowledge at your disposal where and when it is needed, and – what’s more – in a user-friendly format. These 4 tips will help you to get the most out of your digital work instructions.
1. Training
Digital work instructions are ideal both for training and as a reference work for new employees. Workflows in production consist of numerous small operations that together produce the best result. That said, it is essential that such operations are carried out consistently and carefully. It all begins with induction. In the past, the quality of induction very much depended on who the trainer was. However, these days, everybody uses digital work instructions when inducting new employees, so all your colleagues learn exactly the same procedure all the time. In addition, new employees have the option of easily consulting the work instructions at a later date.
Which means that everyone can continuously work in the same optimal manner.
2. Maintenance
The frequency of maintenance can vary. For example, some maintenance tasks are carried out daily, while others take place on a weekly, or even monthly basis. A top-class maintenance schedule leads to optimal OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness). A key part of this is CILT (Cleaning, Inspection, Lubrication and Tightening). In the EZ-GO platform, all scheduled maintenance tasks can be programmed as digital checklists to pro-actively appear when they need to be carried out. In addition, the operator is required to sign off on them. As a result, the possibility of either forgetting or ignoring a maintenance task is eliminated.
Your end product is machines and a working environment that are consistently in optimal condition.
3. Starting a shift
When starting a shift, there are always two types of tasks that need to be carried out:
- the standard tasks that always have to be done;
- specific issues that the previous shift has passed on.
In both cases, a digital tool could be of assistance. Standard tasks are then programmed as checklists, so that an operator won’t be able to forget any particular components.
The transfer points can be entered into the EZ-GO app by the previous shift as operations. The starting shift subsequently indicates in the app what action they’ve taken, and whether the issue in question has been resolved. If not, the shift simply notifies the app, and the next shift will then also be able to see what the status is. In this way, everyone is up to date at all times.
A digital start ensures that no tasks get forgotten, and that transfers run smoothly.
4. Change-over
The change-over of a machine is never really easy. After all, this type of activity interrupts the normal workflow, and carries an accompanying high risk of errors. The procedure itself consists of several steps, with numerous settings that need adjusting. Mistakes can have major consequences, and even render parts of production unusable. Which is why the added value of a digital app is particularly high during change-overs.
Change-overs are easy to display in digital work instructions. By working with photos and video, you can make clear at a glance what needs to be done and how it should be done. Checklists ensure that no steps get skipped and that any deviations are recorded.
This means you reduce the chance of errors during change-overs to a minimum and, should any deviations occur, you always have a log of exactly what has been done.
Efficiency starts with the basics
Efficiency is an extremely important KPI for any manufacturing company. However, this same efficiency starts with the basics. When operators carry out processes in the same way at all times and planned maintenance is carried out structurally, you can often achieve tens of percentage points improvement in efficiency. After all, just think about it: you know what the most efficient method is, with everyone carrying it out in the same way. This, in turn, prevents errors and deviations. Finally, your machines are in excellent condition, and should something still go wrong, reporting this to the right person is easily done. In short: you get the most out of your production environment.
Interested in how EZ-GO could help you solve and prevent breakdowns? We’d be happy to give you a demo.