Since production-related expenses and management costs are a necessary “evil”, companies are called upon to act on different fronts in order to generate profits and ensure efficiencies. Innovation is a real lever here, particularly through the digitization of vital documents such as work instructions.
The cost of paper-based work instructions
Paper-based work instructions are used in 90% of time in nowadays manufacturing companies. The current standardized format (paper) generate consequences on the production, the quality and overall on the company itself.
In fact the creation, revision and update, using un-dedicated solution such as Microsoft Word or Excel, is very complicated and time consuming (rediting, switching all the old versions in shopfloor…)
They also only contain text and therefore submitted for interpretation by the workers which causes quality errors, non-compliance, deviations…
This is why, paper-based work instructions are considered as a cost centre.
Work instructions at the heart of the production
They are the part that answers the question “how? “in the procedure. These documents are of crucial importance when we know that they describe to operators the actions and working procedures to be carried out within their respective workstations, but also the sequence of operations between workstations.
The quality and accuracy of these documents therefore play a decisive role in the understanding and execution of tasks, and thus in production performance. To what extent can this fundamental parameter, job aids or work instructions, be used to improve productivity?
A large part of the answer to this question lies in their digitization. It is, in fact, possible to switch from paper-based work instructions to digital to make it a profit centre. Thus going paperless enhances profitability and helps to reduce cost.
Greater efficiency, better productivity and therefore increased profit
There are many benefits using work instructions software and re-engineering.
When the worker has easy access to the work instructions he needs in the field, requiring only a few operations on his mobile terminal (tablet or even smartphone), this necessarily allows him to be faster and more efficient. He always accesses the latest optimized published version.
Indeed, it is easy to imagine the time saved between having to flip through to reach the desired page and consulting it seamlessly in a few clicks. Not to mention that the digital format offers the possibility of integrating even more didactic media such as videos.
Digitized work instructions also support security, as they make it easier to integrate and often highlight safety instructions. This reduces the risk of hazards and accidents occurring.
All these improvements have a high-level positive impact on productivity, first at the level of the position concerned, then at the level of the entire company. That is why, using a work instructions software is considered as a profit centre as it helps reduce cost.
Picomto is the European leading digital work instructions software. Contact us to know more
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