“Digitizing our Quality Inspections with Proceedix resulted in over 70% of time savings and in a significant improvement of our quality performance.”
Teresa Gilbough, Quality Manager, SANY America
SANY America
SANY is an $8 billion global equipment manufacturer, offering a wide range of heavy machinery for the construction, port, and material handling industries. SANY is present in countries around the world, including global R&D and manufacturing facilities in China, North America, India, Brazil, and Europe. SANY America implemented Proceedix digital work inspections in its North America headquarter facility in Peachtree City, Georgia, where it manufactures an expanding line of excavators.
Challenge
SANY America performs mixed model assembly of complex equipment. Additional excavator models are being introduced frequently in its Peachtree City plant. To support the growing volumes, SANY’s workforce has been expanding at a quick rate. Under these circumstances, SANY needs a good solution to enable extensive, reliable, and efficient quality inspections – also by newer employees – to catch and address any supplier, assembly, or paint issues. Any issues found need to be documented thoroughly, efficiently and be communicated quickly and accurately for corrective and preventive action. Detailed reporting on up-to-date quality performance is critical to drive quick and focused improvement.
Solution
Supported by Gemba Systems Inc., SANY America implemented the Proceedix digital instruction and inspection execution platform. As a result, SANY America’s quality inspectors no longer need to waste time printing and retrieving paper inspection sheets. Instead, they now have all the right and up-to-date inspection procedures at their immediate disposal – digitally.
Instead of holding paper and pen, while climbing in and out of excavators, they can record inspection results hands-free using Google Glasses. Any quality issues can be documented -including pictures, videos and comments- in a matter of seconds, and communicated instantly. Inspection reports are generated automatically, and custom dashboards show historical performance with powerful drill-down capabilities, enabling focused continuous improvement activities.
Results
SANY America has seen a whole range of benefits from its digitization initiative:
- No more walking back-and-forth to pick up and submit printed paper inspection forms
- Quality inspections are much faster and more accurate, using tapping or voice – instead of writing – to work through the inspection steps
- Repair requests are fully documented and communicated in seconds
- Detailed inspection reports and aggregated performance reporting are generated automatically and available instantly (eliminating the need for manual data entry, copy-pasting pictures, manually updating charts, etc.)
- People are empowered and happy with tools that make their jobs easier
- Overall, SANY’s Quality Team estimates time savings of at least 70%
- Quality performance of the Assembly and Paint teams has improved quickly and very significantly, thanks to thorough inspections, detailed documentation, effective communication, and focused follow-up.
