Transitioning from paper to digital inspections is one of the strategic decisions that have the ability to transform F&B businesses. A reliable software can help enterprises schedule, track, and learn from past inspections without paper documentation. But for this tool to function at its best, specific features are required to handle inspection process complexities.
A User Interface that displays only one task at a time
When operators or technicians have to focus on the machine and inspection tasks, it’s difficult for them to go through different elements on the checklist and select and focus on a single aspect. A user interface that walks them step-by-step through the inspection tasks and allows them to focus on a single action at a time can enable the operators to concentrate on essential tasks for better inspection outcomes.
Creation of conditional pathways for inspection guidance
Technicians have to control different parameters to maintain product quality and overall equipment efficiency. If a parameter goes higher than the threshold, various inspection tasks must be performed. Therefore, good software must allow the creation of conditional pathways in an inspection workflow. This way, depending on the status of the product, the quality assurance team would be automatically led into a relevant path, with an appropriate inspection task.
Dynamic Tolerances
A target value is set for different parameters, such as – pressure and temperature, to achieve optimal production. The minimum and maximum acceptable values (also known as boundaries) of the parameters are also set. But target values and boundaries are never constant as they depend on the line and the product being produced. So their values must be formulated as dynamic elements in the inspection workflow. That said, dynamic tolerances is a critical feature for digital inspection tools as it eliminates the need for maintaining a separate inspection workflow for each product.
System integration to make inspection processes a part of daily procedures
Traditional inspection checklists serve as stand-alone mechanisms. The correctness and accuracy of the checks largely depend on the knowledge and alertness of the operators. But when digital inspection tools are system integrated with MES and ERP, the checks could be automatically schemed and assigned to the inspectors. Inspection values could also be automatically sent to MES to ensure the correctness of process controls.
Generation of Follow-Up tasks
To ensure the products are meeting safety and quality requirements, thousands of checks are performed every month. So many checks will not be required if the risks of failures are reduced to zero. With the help of the action management feature, inspectors can immediately document the issues with photos and videos. After which, follow-up action is automatically directed to the right person.
What are the most important benefits of choosing the right digital inspection software?
When you have the right tool in your arsenal, you can achieve the following benefits:
- You get a single repository for all documentation.
- Different quality subsystems are interconnected, and various incidents are tracked to trigger corrective actions.
- Culture of Continuous Improvement: Businesses can understand better what’s working and what’s not to make necessary changes to their existing processes.
- Improved business process: Better control of the major functions allows companies to maintain consistency.
- Improved Customer Satisfaction: Better Quality leads to more satisfied customers.
- Better Decision-Making Process: Data can be shared between teams and management to enhance decision-making.
Final Words:
Quality control and inspection is a vital components of the F&B industry. Digital inspections provide a more efficient and cost-effective way to execute inspections and avoid costly errors and bad customer reps. The features highlighted in the article will serve as a guide for you to choose the best digital inspection platform for your needs, but ultimately the choice should depend on your specific business goals and objectives.
Gracie Johnson is a Senior Content Writer at MyTechMag. She is an enthusiastic learner and loves to explore all the areas of technology.
