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At Modus Advanced, quality is always on our minds. It’s the most important thing we think about because, at the end of the day, if we don’t do quality manufacturing, we’re not going to succeed. Our customers depend on us for quality that’s high enough to meet the most stringent standards, such as those set by the military.
If they can’t depend on us for quality, we’ll lose them. We know and completely understand that. So, since the beginning of our company, we have focused on quality. But over the years, technology has advanced at record speed. Among many other things all this new tech has changed, new technologies have revolutionized the way we control for quality in our manufacturing processes.
It feels like there is a new quality control innovation every time we get comfortable using the last new innovation. And make no mistake — that’s a good thing. In manufacturing, the goal should be 100% perfection, and we should be innovating as an industry to get there. But that means we have to keep updating our processes, systems and software to keep up.
That’s what this blog post is about: quality control software for manufacturing, which systems Modus uses and why all that matters. Read on to learn more.
Quality is the name of the manufacturing game, and Modus is another name for quality in this industry. If quality is what you need, you need to get in touch with our expert team. Contact us online.
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What is Quality Control Software for Manufacturing?
First, what is considered quality control software? It’s not as clear-cut as it may sound. That’s because dozens of seemingly disparate systems and processes can have their own effects on the overall quality of the final product we’re producing. There is no one software that controls all aspects of quality in any manufacturer’s processes.
That’s certainly the case around Modus HQ. We combine various pieces of software and technology to ensure quality at every stage of production, from the departmental level right down to the individual level. Really, any software that helps to prevent errors or other issues that can affect quality can be thought of as quality control software for manufacturing.
Our New Quality Control Software Picks
With all of that said, let’s take a look at the next big shift in Modus Advanced’s chosen manufacturing quality control software.
Manufacturing Enterprise Resource Planning Software
To start, Modus is switching our enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to Microsoft’s Business Central. There were several reasons for the switch, but the key influencers were as follows:
- The ERP is capable of deployment in the cloud and on premises, both of which are important to our manufacturing operations.
- The software is infinitely customizable and doesn’t require coding knowledge to make actionable changes.
- Business Central is compatible with various apps and extensions that are specific to the manufacturing industry.
The Big Add-On: Shop Floor Insight
That last bullet point is a big one. That’s because one of the most important quality control improvements we expect from this software change is going to come from an add-on that is compatible with Business Central. It’s called Shop Floor Insight.
Shop Floor Insight is a manufacturing execution system (MES) that digitizes and organizes various parts of the manufacturing and quality control processes that, up to this point, have been done on paper.
Turning Our Travelers Digital
One of the most important parts of this new quality control software for manufacturing is the ability to turn our travelers digital. Travelers are the instructions that travel with a part while it’s being built. Before software like Shop Floor Insight came along, they were always physical paper copies.
Problems with Paper Travelers
So, what’s wrong with paper? When you’re dealing with detailed specifications and limited space, the answer is a lot. Most paper travelers are limited to two pages, which is really not enough space for some of the more complicated manufacturing processes we deal with.
Then, of course, you have the legibility issue. Any new inputs to travelers along the chain of production are done manually. And while our handwriting is probably better than that of most doctors, it’s not always the best. But we have to be able to read every bit of information clearly or risk making serious errors.
But with digital travelers, we don’t have to worry about handwriting or legibility. We also don’t have to worry about space limitations because there are no character limits, and we are no longer limited to two pages.
Overcoming Language Barriers
On our floor, we have a really smart and diverse group of people. They are all doing their absolute best to do their jobs with the utmost precision. But no matter how hard they are trying, if there’s a language barrier, we might have a misunderstanding or mistake due to communication.
This is another place where our new digital travelers will promote quality. That’s because our new manufacturing quality control software allows us to add pictures alongside our written inputs. As they say, a picture is worth 1,000 words — and they’re always in a language you can read.
Adding Traceability
Shop Floor Insight and Business Central come together nicely to add an extra layer of traceability to our processes. And the more traceable every action and input is, the less likely we are to have problems with quality.
Basically, the two pieces of software create a foolproof method for selecting materials for a given part we’re manufacturing. Our new ERP has all of the raw material data for every project, and if you pull the wrong material and put it into Shop Floor Insight, you’ll throw an error and will be unable to proceed with your work until you correct the issue.
Modus: Taking Manufacturing Quality to New Heights with New Tech
Maintaining maximum quality in manufacturing is hard work, but the right technology can make it a lot easier. That’s why we are always evaluating our quality control software for manufacturing — to make sure it’s the best there is so we can provide the best quality. And when we see better software, we get it.
That’s how we stay at the top of the manufacturing quality game. You can benefit from all this hard work we’re putting in and this new tech we’re adopting. How? By trusting us with your design when you’re looking for a manufacturing partner. We’re ready to put your product together perfectly.
Ready to get started? Contact us online or give us a call at (925) 960-8700.
