Software to Manage Specifications and Certifications

In the March 2023 Heat Treat Live discussion, MTI shared the importance of managing specifications for management and audit preparation. Let’s dive further into the importance of automating this system with a software designed specifically for the heat treat process.

Managing accreditations with work orders is important because it ensures that every job is completed to the necessary standards with an emphasis on quality. When a work order is created, the specifications for that job should be recorded into a system. Management varies from shop to shop but requires a regular audit to ensure products meet certification requirements. Any audit conducted will require a trail of evidence with many job shops using traditional means, such as printing paper and hanging notes at workstations with specific instructions. This is important, but very tedious. For example, the manual process requires the following process that should be alleviated with a digital system:

Five Reasons to Digitize Specifications and Certifications

1.    Paperwork Overload: Job shops often deal with multiple clients and projects simultaneously, each with their own set of certifications and specifications. Managing all of the paperwork associated with these projects can quickly become overwhelming.

2.    Human error: With so many certifications and specifications to keep track of, it's easy for mistakes to happen. One typo or missed detail could result in costly errors or delays. 

3.    Document control: It's important to ensure that the correct versions of certifications and specifications are being used for each project. Without proper document control, it's possible for outdated or incorrect information to be used, which could lead to problems down the line. 

4.    Storage and retrieval: Physical paper certifications and specifications need to be stored and organized in a way that makes them easy to find when needed. This can be a challenge, especially as the volume of paperwork increases.

5.    Compliance and regulations: Depending on the type of product being processed and the location of the facility, there may be specific regulations that need to be followed when it comes to managing certifications and specifications. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines or legal issues. 

Jobs can be tracked and monitored throughout the entire process to ensure that all of the requirements are being met. This helps ensure that the finished product will meet the customer's needs and comply with industry standards. With a digital solution from start to finish, job shops eliminate paper travelers, Microsoft Word documents, and PDFs stored on servers with one streamlined system integrated with the rest of operations. 

This digitization allows shops to automatically route specification inputs in each workflow to collect key quality inputs and drive specifications based on part number or treatment to generate beautiful custom certifications in a few clicks. With leading system providers, the certifications can also be automatically stored to a customer portal for your customers to reference, without calling your shop. 

"In a day and age where technology means speed, accuracy and efficiency, digitized certs and specs allow National Plating to continue to be relevant while continuing to service our customers in an expeditious manner. Time is money." - Daniel Hernadez, President of National Plating Company 

But digitization and automation aren’t the only benefits as customers constantly seek trustworthy vendors with dependable resources. A digital plant management system allows job shops of any size to build a strong reputation based on trust and perceived quality with fully digital document management systems to attract and retain customers. 

Article provided by MTI Supplier Member, Steeltech Technologies.  For more information on Steelhead Technologies, visit www.gosteelhead.com.