In many manufacturing organizations, there’s a disconnect between quality leaders and frontline workers. Quality professionals are often detached from the realities of the factory floor, and frontline workers lack the tools and real-time data analytics they need to prevent and address quality issues effectively.
Connected worker technology plays a key role in bridging this gap.
Tools like the ETQ Reliance® Connected Worker solution, provided in partnership with Augmentir, enhance quality management by empowering frontline workers to identify and resolve quality issues in real-time. This means faster response times, reduced cost of poor quality and a more efficient production environment.
The Growing Importance of Connected Workers
Modern manufacturers face intense competitive pressure, strict regulatory demands, increasingly complex production processes and breakdowns in communication between top-level decision-makers and shop floor operations that can have costly consequences.
To avoid expensive production delays and quality problems, manufacturers are investing in connected worker solutions that streamline communication and facilitate collaboration between all departments and levels of the organization.
Integrating IoT and Quality Management Systems
Manufacturing executives steer their companies with big-picture strategies that balance operational efficiency and product quality. At the same time, frontline workers must handle the quality issues that arise on the shop floor on a day-to-day basis. However, there are often critical delays or disconnects in the flow of information between strategists and frontline workers. The resulting culture of reactivity creates an environment where it’s impossible to get ahead of quality issues, and unresolved quality problems quickly escalate, impacting end-product quality, production schedules and customer satisfaction.
But how do manufacturers reduce that disconnect and build a more proactive quality culture? By integrating IoT devices and other connected worker technology with Quality Management Systems (QMS). According to a report from Nucleus Research, IoT devices and wearables allow workers to “Foresee potential issues, streamline operations and maintain quality control with greater autonomy and precision.”
With IoT devices on the shop floor, manufacturers can collect real-time data about equipment performance, environmental conditions, cycle times and defect rates. This data enables timely maintenance, optimized production schedules and safer conditions for frontline workers. Quality data stored and organized within a centralized QMS platform also helps quality professionals and executives steer quality efforts based on accurate, up-to-date information.
Real-time Data for Enhanced Efficiency
Real-time data is the key to boosting efficiency and quality in manufacturing. Connected worker solutions give shop floor workers immediate access to key quality indicators, allowing them to identify and address issues as they occur. In fact, with connected devices, real-time data, and machine learning algorithms, workers can predict issues and perform preventive maintenance before breakdowns occur, reducing equipment downtime and associated costs.
Ultimately, access to real-time data analytics turns frontline workers into quality strategists by giving them the information they need to make proactive decisions and drive operational efficiency. The Nucleus report backs this up, stating that when adopting connected worker solutions, “Manufacturers can achieve end-to-end visibility into processes and dynamically adjust operations without constant manual intervention.”
Overcoming Barriers to Connected Worker Implementation
While connected worker technology has major benefits, implementation presents a few barriers, including the complexity of integrating connected worker solutions with existing quality management platforms, the challenge of training workers on new tech, and potential concerns surrounding IT security and data governance. With the right solution, however, manufacturers can overcome these challenges.
Integration Complexity: Simplified with ETQ
Manufacturers relying on legacy technology may find it more difficult and costly to implement connected worker solutions. Companies beginning their digital transformation journey will need to upgrade their technology infrastructure significantly before installing the requisite IoT devices and analytics platforms associated with connected worker platforms.
For manufacturers using more modern digital technology, integration is much simpler. ETQ Reliance® is one example of a quality management system (QMS) designed to integrate with connected worker technology. In partnership with Augmentir, ETQ Reliance offers a holistic, connected worker quality solution that integrates seamlessly with an organization’s broader quality management ecosystem.
Mitigating Workforce Resistance with ETQ
Unfortunately, not all frontline workers are enthusiastic about connected worker technology. Some may see it as a disruption to their established routines or an unwanted additional layer of oversight. Addressing these concerns involves clear communication about how the technology directly benefits workers and ultimately contributes to their success.
The ETQ Connected Worker solution includes features that empower workers, facilitate easier adaptation and help mitigate common resistance to new technologies. The technology is designed to give frontline workers a more active voice in quality efforts and help them see the impact of their contributions.
Security and Data Governance
As production lines become more digitally connected and cloud-based software proliferates, some leaders express concerns about cybersecurity and data governance. When replacing legacy systems and equipment with connected technology, manufacturers must also overhaul security and add more robust safeguards, including advanced encryption protocols, user authentication and vulnerability assessments.
The ETQ Reliance QMS platform features built-in security protocols and real-time traceability, allowing users to track changes and maintain a secure audit trail for all quality-related activities.
The Benefits of the ETQ Connected Worker Solution
The ETQ Connected Worker solution brings connected worker capabilities to ETQ Reliance, an industry-leading enterprise quality management system. Together, these applications improve operational efficiency and enhance quality control and traceability for manufacturers across all industries.
Improved Operational Efficiency
The ETQ Connected Worker solution provides real-time data analytics and enables frontline workers to improve efficiency and productivity in the following ways:
- Dynamic adjustments: With real-time insights, workers can make immediate, data-driven decisions to address issues on the shop floor.
- Reduced downtime: Predictive analytics can help workers detect potential equipment failures and perform proactive maintenance, reducing unplanned downtime.
- Resource allocation: The platform offers visibility into resource usage and potential bottlenecks, allowing workers to make adjustments and minimize waste. According to Nucleus, organizations can use data from IoT sensors and connected worker solutions to achieve a 12-15 percent reduction in waste.
- Optimized throughput: Continuous monitoring of production metrics ensures workflows are optimized for maximum productivity, smoother operations and higher output.
- Faster response times: Real-time alerts help workers identify and resolve quality issues before they escalate.
The overall result is a more streamlined operation with less waste, fewer quality issues and higher output.
Enhanced Quality Control and Traceability
Real-time monitoring of quality issues enhances quality control by reducing lag time between detection and corrective action. With IoT sensors installed across the shop floor, frontline workers can see exactly what’s going on at any given time and receive immediate notifications if something goes wrong, leading to faster problem resolution.
When a Connected Worker solution is integrated with an enterprise QMS, like ETQ Reliance, that visibility is available across the organization, enabling rapid, data-driven troubleshooting and fostering a more proactive quality management culture. The report from Nucleus estimates organizations can reduce defect rates by 20-25 percent by integrating a QMS with real-time monitoring.
The ETQ Strategic Approach to Implementation
The success of connected worker technologies lies not just in adoption but in strategic implementation. Even the most powerful tools will fail to bring results if implementation flounders. Follow these best practices to ensure success when deploying connected worker tech.
Tailored Solutions for Your Industry
Quality concerns vary across industries, and within each organization, there are unique operational nuances and proprietary workflows. Not all quality management systems have the features to support these specific challenges and opportunities.
ETQ Reliance and the Connected Worker Solution offer extensive customization options. They’re built to accommodate the specific needs of industries and organizations alike. Manufacturers across various sectors use a combination of out-of-the-box ETQ Reliance features and custom applications to achieve their quality management goals and satisfy regulatory requirements.
Quality professionals from ETQ consult with clients to craft the ideal combination of modules to address specific challenges and ensure success at scale. ETQ clients can add features and applications as their organization grows and new quality challenges appear.
Phased Rollout and Continuous Improvement
A phased approach to implementation allows for dynamic adjustment, iterative learning, and continuous improvement. Phased implementation also reduces risk and eases workforce resistance, building a strong foundation for sustained success. The validation and testing phase of a new software rollout helps confirm the system’s effectiveness and refine processes based on initial feedback. Vendor support ensures that any technical issues are promptly resolved.
ETQ Reliance offers powerful data migration tools and hands-on support, making implementation smoother and less disruptive. Many ETQ clients start with one or two applications, such as Document Control or Audit Management, allowing users to become familiar with the software before adding more modules and features like Training Management and ETQ Reliance Connected Worker.
In ETQ Reliance, manufacturers find a QMS platform that can be gradually implemented and seamlessly integrated with other enterprise systems, allowing for minimal disruption.
Discover the Competitive Advantage of the ETQ Connected Worker Solution
Communication between quality leaders and frontline workers is a linchpin in manufacturing operations, and connected worker technology effectively bridges the gap between the top floor and the shop floor.
The ETQ Connected Worker solution keeps quality professionals informed about the status of the manufacturing floor while empowering frontline workers with the tools they need to address quality issues quickly and efficiently. And because it’s part of the ETQ Reliance QMS platform, the ETQ Connected Worker Solution seamlessly supports your broader quality management efforts. It brings an additional layer of real-time visibility, traceability and responsiveness.
To learn how organizations like yours are using the ETQ Connected Worker Solution to stay competitive and achieve lasting success, contact a quality expert.
