5 Reasons Why Manufacturers Need to Switch to Digital Shift Handovers

It has become clear that if manufacturers want to survive and thrive, especially in tech-driven industrial sectors, a digital transformation agenda must be their priority.

Companies ahead of the curve have already experienced some benefits of digital transformation. For others, this served as a signal to do the same if they want to achieve results in a competitive market. The ripples of the unexpected crisis are felt in the industry even today. Manufacturing sectors are facing external challenges ranging from limitations in supply slowing down production speed to rising costs that impact margins to fluctuations in consumer demands that were stable pre-pandemic.?

Digital transformation with Industry 4.0 technologies hold much potential, and it can help build greater resilience to evolving business conditions. While long-term digital transformation agendas are drawn, tech implementations for operational processes can be carried out swiftly.?

Shift handovers are one such area that should be digitised as it is an often-overlooked safety-critical process that is an essential part of site operations. In continuous manufacturing plants, there is a greater need for better collaboration. Shift managers might already be on the lookout for solutions that can show them how to improve communication between shifts at work that is more efficient than their existing tracking methods. Digital shift handovers can resolve many challenges they could be facing. Here is why manufacturers should consider integrating this digital solution:?

1. Efficient record-keeping??

When record-keeping takes place digitally, you can be assured of its reliability. There are already legal requirements in place that make it necessary to track shifts. Health and safety laws in the UK, for example, impose restrictions on work hours to prevent fatigue, so shift work has to be documented.?

A digital shift handover software can keep a log of all personnel on-site for any given shift. Compliance with regulations is made simple with an easily-accessible permanent record of all the past shifts that can have additional security measures to prevent tampering or loss of data. It provides accountability if any errors take place. As the communication between the outgoing and relief teams can happen over the same platform, these can also be checked at a later date if required.

2. Better communication through a single platform?

One of the biggest challenges that factory floor workers face is the lack of a centralised knowledge hub. Shift data can be written on a whiteboard, on-site handover communication exchanged in person, attendance tracked on Excel sheets and other information can be conveyed over emails or text messages.?

Now imagine a single digital solution replacing all of these systems or methods while conveying other shift-relevant information as well. A digital shift handover software can also provide space for important inter-departmental communications and the ability to prioritise information so that no critical communication is overlooked.?

3. Increased transparency of operations?

There can often be information gaps between the factory floor and senior management because of the absence of direct channels. Digital shift handovers can bring transparency to operations resulting in better off-site supervision. Knowledge sharing and assistance can be made available remotely to resolve issues without physical distance being a barrier.

Additionally, this can add transparency between various departments within the same digital system. For example, when maintenance specialists or quality assessment specialists require a list of tasks to be completed out during previous shifts, it can be set and monitored through the software without additional coordination needed which would otherwise slow down their work.?

4. Data for better decision-making?

Without digital shift handovers, there are many data points for each shift that never get collected. If they do, they may not be available in a usable manner. Going digital is a massive benefit for manufacturers seeking insights from day-to-day operations.

Once digital shift handovers roll out, you will be able to harness the power of analytics. These tools will allow you to find patterns in what were previously just functional, bare-bone records. Errors in judgement such as observation bias can occur with a discrepancy in record-keeping that is often taken for granted to be accurate. Readily available data allows for better decision-making. Managers will be equipped with analytics showing the efficiency and productivity of each process and assess their performance against targets so resources can be allocated appropriately.?

5. Optimise processes with custom solutions

When it comes to manufacturing operations, you can’t always use a pre-built tool to fulfil all the requirements. Every site comes with its own complex procedures. Skilled personnel, production, and shift managers can have different responsibilities even among companies in the same industry.?

Digital shift handover tools can provide customisable options to meet your organisation’s needs. Communication goals between shifts can be set. Announcement areas to highlight essential changes in operating procedures. There can even be mandatory fields to input status for ongoing activities.?

The digital transformation in manufacturing will continue to accelerate, and the industry will see huge changes across processes, culture, infrastructure, and resources. As you strategise changes to your business models to adapt to more significant trends shaping the market, don’t hold off in making minor operational improvements such as switching to digital shift handovers that can benefit your organisation today.?

EviView’s e-ConnX tool has been developed with the input of experienced industry advisors as a single digital solution that can provide you with all these benefits. Get in touch with us to know how to deploy digital shift handovers for your organisation and optimise your process performance.