Safeguarding against the potential for human error
Success in a manufacturing environment, from the shop floor to the field, hinges on a series of small, routine moments just before an action is taken to complete a task.
In these moments, the employee – whether on the shop floor or in the field - either knows exactly what to do, or they’re unsure. The potential for human error enters the equation.
In the dynamic manufacturing environment, these moments are occurring hundreds of thousands of times a day. Altogether, they make up the margin for error, and with the global supply chain under unprecedented pressure and an ever-growing skills gap blooming across the industry, manufacturers must manage this margin to stay successful.
But how do you safeguard against human error? The key lies in the ability to transmit complex, detailed instructions quickly and clearly, at the very moment a mistake could be made. This is why many major manufacturing firms are switching to interactive digital work instructions (IDWI).
What are interactive digital work instructions?
Interactive digital work instructions are the evolution of the traditional paper-based or static electronic work instructions, manuals, SOPs and MRO documentation that underpin almost every stage of the manufacturing process, from frontline to field.
Instead of being hard to read, interactive digital work instructions are designed for maximum user comprehension, transmitting even the most complex information clearly and quickly in order to reduce errors and decrease time to task completion.
They achieve this by embracing richer content formats, including nteractive 3D CAD models, animations, and detailed, always current visualizations to create fool-proof documentation for any process.
By connecting your workers to interactive digital work instructions, you empower them with the exact information they need to do it right the first time, reducing field downtime, scrap, rework and waste.
But fool-proofing work instructions is not the only benefit interactive digital work instructions deliver. Implementing them in the modern manufacturing context sets off a proven cascade of value that impacts touchpoints at every level of a business, from R&D to higher employee retention and satisfaction rates, more effective training methods, faster times to market and much more.
The purpose of interactive digital work instruction software
Historically, creating work instructions, manuals, SOPs manuals, MRO documentation and training material has been an exceptionally complex and time-consuming task involving time-consuming dependency and collaboration between multiple stakeholders.
The time it takes to develop this documentation is often the bottleneck that creates major delays downstream. 97% of respondents to a recent survey say their organization has suffered from errors and delays as a direct result of difficulty collaborating on documentation for products and processes.
Interactive digital work instruction software that leverages up to the minute CAD data allows you to create, change, update and manage work instruction documents, manuals, SOPs, MRO documentation and training materials quickly and effortlessly.
It enables you to automatically updated published material instantly across the production chain for seamless handling of change requests, field failures, manufacturing changes and supplier corrective action requests.
When it comes to training and upskilling your team on new processes, visual interactive digital work instructions make learning far more efficient, significantly increasing understanding and information retention: workers learn and remember more, faster.
Who benefits from introducing interactive digital work instructions?
The Content Creation department
Anyone responsible for collating, authoring and designing documentation for training and instructional purposes.
The Training department
Interactive digital work instructions are invaluable tools for line leaders and training managers responsible for upskilling or training new or existing employees.
Manufacturing and Operations
Interactive digital work instructions on the shop floor empower workers on the frontline to perform tasks faster and with higher degrees of accuracy.
Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul
Once your product is out in the field, interactive digital work instructions equip external technicians, repairmen, mechanics and customers with the knowledge they need to assemble, maintain, repair and overhaul equipment and machinery correctly.
Take a step towards error-free operations
In an unprecedented industry climate, manufacturers must reckon with the potential for human error as a major factor impacting their success. And while the industry continues to see major innovations on almost every front, failure to prioritize how knowledge is transferred is having a big impact on bottom lines.
A move to interactive digital work instructions marks a move towards an error-free operating environment, with all the benefits that brings.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to make that move. Connect with our team today to find out how we can help you drive faster, more effective knowledge transfer.
