What Is the Continuous Improvement Add-on?
The Continuous Improvement add-on is used for 2 main purposes: solving shop floor issues and approving work instructions. We will explore both functions further in the guide sections below.
Solving Shop Floor Issues
In a factory, issues like a machine breakdown or having a product that doesn’t fulfill the quality control standards might happen every now and then. When such issues happen, it’s in your best interest that they be detected and solved ASAP. And the Continuous Improvement add-on happens to be the perfect tool for that.
With this add-on, whenever any of your operators see a problem on the shop floor, they can submit a ticket. They can also attach images to a ticket for extra clarity.
In turn, this ticket will be displayed as an issue on the admin’s screen. Issues are then displayed on an improvement board. There, you can see the list of issues that fall under that improvement board’s umbrella, the details of each issue, and the progress of each issue’s resolution. That way, you will have total oversight of all issues in your plant and their status.
Furthermore, an improvement board consists of one or several improvement flows. An improvement flow is a mechanism that is used to process an issue.
You can configure what happens when an issue is reported by an operator. Which action should be taken when an issue is reported? Which employee(s) is in charge of resolving that issue? Which actions should they take? Which supervisor(s) should review it and decide whether that issue has been resolved or not? All of these options are configurable on an improvement flow.
In addition, you can also create a customized report for each ticket in any format that you desire using our docx report feature. Simply input the docx report with the desired formulas and upload it to Azumuta. Our platform will automatically fill out these customized reports for you.
Approving Work Instructions
Besides reporting & solving issues, the Continuous Improvement add-on can also be used to configure a work instruction’s approval. In Azumuta, a work instruction is generally approved by its creator/editor.
However, you can also create a mechanism where a work instruction has to be reviewed & approved by multiple persons before it can be used on the shop floor. This mechanism is called multi-person approval.
With the Continous Improvement add-on, you can create your own approval flow. The available configuration options include the actions that must be taken in the approval process, the person(s) that must review & authorize the work instructions, and the order of approval.
Why Should You Use This Add-on?
- Rapid issue resolution: This add-on enables the quick reporting and resolution of shop floor issues – thus minimizing your plant’s downtime and ensuring smooth operations.
- Enhanced oversight: Our platform provides a clear view of all reported issues and their resolution progress, allowing for better resource management and prioritization.
- Customizable processes: You can tailor your improvement flows & approval flows to fit your specific needs, ensuring that each issue & work instruction is handled appropriately and as efficiently as possible.
- Robust work instruction approval mechanism: The multi-person approval functionality ensures that work instructions are always thoroughly vetted before being deployed to the shop floor – reducing the risk of errors.
- And many other use cases.
Check out the sub-chapters of this guide to explore the Continuous Improvement add-on further and get to know its wide array of features!