How paper is holding back industrial operations

In the new age of Industry 4.0, paperless processes and new digital solutions are crucial to reduce errors and risks and increasing productivity and efficiency. However, the level of implementation of digital tasks is still highly uneven across businesses operating in the industrial sector.

As a result, in many cases, paper-based documents are still the norm in manufacturing and asset-intensive industries. From directors and managers to frontline workers, paper still serves as the basis for many industrial tasks.

An intricate and unpractical process

When working on shop floors, it is common for operators to use paper-based documents to help them perform their daily tasks. From Standard Operating Procedures to breakdown notes, workers are expected to locate legacy documents, before starting their processes, fill them out at each step of the way, and deliver them once they have completed the procedures.

Simultaneously, it is also frequent for paper-based documents to be available on assembly lines, such as work instructions or other procedural guides, to assist workers during their tasks.

As a result of this dependency on paper, operators conducting maintenance tasks, filling out a logbook, or completing a checklist are not only required to follow a strict process but are responsible for ensuring that results are correctly recorded. Overall, this operational strategy is flawed at different levels and can result in a variety of avoidable mistakes and inefficiencies:

Paper documents can be filled out incorrectly and there is no proof tasks have actually been carried out.

Instructions or courses of action may not be followed or can be ignored.

Urgent matters can go unnoticed (e.g., during a maintenance task, workers might come across security hazards or irregular situations which can later go unnoticed when and if documents are reviewed).

Physical documents are usually single copies and can be easily destroyed by accident.

In some cases, the information contained in the documents needs to be, subsequently, manually typed into a computer (which can lead to errors).

Documents need to be stored according to organizational patterns (which can be flawed and lead to misplaced documents).

Once stored, documents can become particularly difficult to locate.

Since processes have been recorded in a paper-based format, managers or directors can only consult them physically.

Ultimately, managers and directors will find it more difficult to extract insights or relevant data by consulting isolated pieces of information.

Ending paper-based tasks

Digital tasks can efficiently tackle the issues described above, provide workers with increased mobility, and benefit businesses' productivity. By introducing a comprehensive solution, capable of centralizing all relevant information in a single platform, workers will be able to access instructions, step-by-step guides, and checklists on the go.

All assets can be managed using a mobile device, workers can be required to provide execution evidence (such as photos or videos), inputs can generate notifications or alerts, issues can be flagged in real-time, and different processes can be reviewed, consulted, and compiled to inform future decisions and generate automated reports.

Businesses can also reduce costs related to paper orders, attain error-free tasks, ensure the safety of workers, and speed up training.

Learn more

Interested in learning more about paperless and digitized tasks? Schedule a?free demonstration?to understand the full potential of Glartek’s Augmented & Connected Platform.

The Augmented and Connected Worker combines the functionalities of Connected Worker platforms, with the power of Augmented Reality to provide a comprehensive solution capable of adding value to businesses.

Visit our?website?to?discover all our?case studies?and how we're creating a new reality in the industry.