InfinityQS in the News:
In his article for Industry Today, Doug Fair, Chief Operating Officer, InfinityQS, explains how a company’s biggest investment is quality control
When I ask manufacturers, “What does ‘quality’ mean to you?” I get a handful of answers. Quality means all our products and processes are within specification limits. Quality is a constant uphill battle with plant-floor issues. Quality is a necessary evil and expense. Rarely do I hear about quality as an investment—something that provides dividends and accruing value (much like when you purchase a home or piece of real estate).
In truth, quality can be one of your greatest investments—particularly when you have a strong quality control program in place. This starts with having a quality management system, so you can realize fast returns and continuous, transformative results by way of data. Manufacturers that view quality as an investment can strategically use process data to proactively address plant-floor problems, minimize capital expenditures, and uncover opportunities for operational improvement.
It is easy for manufacturers to think implementing a quality management system is just an additional cost. However, it is a fundamental component of having a good quality control program—one where you don’t simply react to problems but prevent them from occurring in the first place. This is where real-time data collection and statistical process control (SPC) fit into the picture, providing timely and meaningful information so that the right people can take the right action, at the right time.
On the plant floor, operators can immediately see when a process is starting to change so they can quickly and proactively make corrections to ensure products are as consistent as possible. Manufacturers typically realize an immediate ROI as information provided to operators helps them cut costs associated with scrap, waste, defects, and rework. Organizations in the consumer goods space, such as food & beverage companies, can prevent costly recalls and losses incurred through product destruction and potential damages to brand reputation.