For many manufacturing companies, the cost of quality reaches as high as 15-20% of sales revenue, or even 40% of total operations, according to the American Society for Quality (ASQ).
That's why, in most industries, there's a relentless drive to manage quality more efficiently.
However, when you're trying to manage quality there are several challenges. Depending on the size and scope of your operations, you could be dealing with these things day-to-day:
- Managing quality across multiple locations
- Reducing production errors and waste
- Ensuring compliance
- Data overload without enough insights
- Keeping up with changing tech
With so much on your plate, improving efficiency might seem like a distant dream.
Luckily, you can reduce the boring tasks and concentrate on important parts of quality management by delegating them to others.
The solution is quality tracking software.
In this guide, we're going to look at how to choose and implement quality tracking software that drives up production efficiency across your operations.
Why use quality tracking software?
The main benefit of quality tracking software is real-time visibility. The software lets you see what's going on right across your business processes. If a product run starts to show faults, it helps you locate the problem quickly and fix it before costs start adding up.
Because of the speed of identifying quality issues, you'll save time and money on wasted resources and product recalls. All the information is stored in one place, which makes it easier for all parties - from managers to shop floor workers - to stay organized and know what to do.
Ultimately, quality tracking software makes sure that everything you produce is good quality, which means happier customers and happier directors.
Must-have features of quality tracking software
1. Compliance tracking
One of the standout features of quality tracking software is handling compliance data. Compliance tracking helps prove you're following all the relevant rules and standards in the event of a quality audit.
Instead of writing every single piece of quality tracking data by hand (which often leads to human error) the software does it for you. Look for quality tracking software that also doubles as quality audit management software with document control and audit planning features.
A good quality tracking software platform automates workflows and other key elements of data collection and processing. This makes it easier to demonstrate compliance with standards such as ISO or FDA regulations.
2. Product traceability
Ideally, you should be able to track each product component from start to finish. Traceability is important in industries like automotive, aerospace, and medical devices where the cost of a recall is high, not to mention the risk to human life.
A good quality tracking system lets you pinpoint where product parts are at any time during the production process. This minimizes the risk of quality issues not getting picked up. It also speeds up your response time to any issues.
3. Real-time updates & alerts
Without quality tracking software in place, it can take longer to respond to quality issues. With real-time operational data provided by quality tracking software - it's much faster.
If a quality issue arises, the system alerts you straight away, allowing you to take quick corrective actions. This responsiveness unlocks higher levels of efficiency, while improving quality at the same time.
4. Integration capabilities
Ideally, your quality tracking software should connect easily with your existing systems-whether that's your ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, supply chain management tools, or even HR software.
For instance, when quality issues are detected, an integrated system can automatically update production schedules and inventory requirements in the ERP. This reduces the time spent on manual updates and checks, letting everyone focus more on their core tasks. It also speeds up decision making when you have all your production and quality data in one place.
5. Monitor KPIs
Quality tracking software allows for the monitoring of KPIs in real-time, such as defect rates, production throughput, and compliance rates. This is particularly useful when you implement quality initiatives, as you can track how changes in process affect the KPIs, in effect setting up a continuous feedback loop.
For example, a life sciences or healthcare equipment company might use quality tracking software to keep an eye on their defect rates. This KPI is important as any flaw in a medical device potentially has serious consequences. Some software can be set up to alert you in real-time if defects start to rise above a certain threshold, enabling you to take swift corrective action.
ROI and Cost Savings
Implementing quality tracking software offers the following cost savings:
- Reduces waste and rework: Detects quality issues early, preventing material and labor waste.
- Decreases downtime: Predict and prevent quality issues to keep production lines running efficiently.
- Improves compliance: Comply with regulatory standards to reduce the risk of fines and costly legal complications.
- Boosts efficiency: Automates quality control processes and speeds up production cycles.
- Lowers quality control costs: Reduce the need for manual quality checks by automating data collection and analysis.
- Optimizes resource allocation: Provides real-time data for better decision-making on training, equipment upgrades, and process improvements.
- Enhances customer satisfaction: Deliver higher-quality products, increasing customer satisfaction, retention, and potentially attracting new business.
For a more detailed breakdown of cost savings and ROI potential of quality tracking software, join our Good quality is good business webinar.
Usability and staff training
Whenever you implement a new system, there's a bedding-in period. That's why it's important to choose quality and compliance software that is easy to learn and comes with plenty of support. This will help your team learn quickly. Quality software is essential for effective compliance.
Here are a few pointers to look out for when choosing your quality tracking software.
- User-friendliness: The software has to be easy to use. If it's too complicated, it's going to slow everyone down, and frankly, no one will want to use it. Look for software with intuitive interfaces - something that feels familiar or can be learned quickly. Easy access menus, drag-and-drop features, clear labels, simple navigation, and a clean dashboard where you can see everything at a glance are all ticks in the right boxes.
- Training requirements: As with any new software, you'll need a solid training program in place. This usually includes initial training sessions led by the vendor, either in-person or online, to walk through the main features and functions of the software. Look for training that's tailored to different user levels because someone on the production line might not need to know everything that a manager does.
- Ongoing support and resources: After initial training, ideally you want to have good support. This means access to customer services for any issues that come up, plus resources such as tutorials, FAQs, and user forums. Some vendors offer a dedicated support agent, which is a significant help.
- Updates and improvements: The software should evolve over time, improving usability and adding new features. Good software will be updated based on user feedback, which shows that the vendor listens to its customers and strives to make their product better.
- Integration assistance: If the software needs to work with other systems you use, like ERP, MES or CRM, it's important that you get support to integrate everything smoothly. This might involve some custom configuration and testing to make sure all systems communicate well without glitches.
- Feedback mechanisms: Good quality and compliance software companies encourage feedback and make it easy to submit. They might have tools within the software to report issues or suggest improvements directly.
Future trends in quality tracking software
Quality and compliance software is constantly evolving to meet the demands of modern manufacturing companies. When choosing quality tracking software for your business, go for a solution that shows a commitment to new tech and innovation, such as:
- Integration of AI: Quality software that incorporates AI analysis can predict potential failures or identify inefficiencies before they become bigger problems. That means less downtime and better quality products because the system can alert you to issues in real-time and even suggest the best ways to solve them.
- Increased Automation: Some software allows you to link up your QMS with cameras and sensors to automatically detect defects.
- Enhanced Connectivity with IoT: The Internet of Things (IoT) or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can mesh with quality tracking systems. By connecting various sensors and devices throughout the production line, the software can collect and analyze data continuously. This seamless connectivity not only provides a fuller picture of the manufacturing process but also enhances real-time tracking of product quality.
- Advanced Analytics and Reporting: With better analytics, you can make informed decisions quicker and forecast future trends more accurately. This helps optimize your production schedules and resource allocation based on precise data rather than assumptions.
- Blockchain for Enhanced Traceability: There's growing interest in using blockchain technology to improve traceability in manufacturing. Securely recording each step of production and supplier management with blockchain provides records that can't be changed, such as quality checks, material sources, and process changes. This is great for ensuring product integrity and simplifying compliance, especially in industries with strict standards.
- Sustainability Tracking: With more focus on environmental impact, future quality tracking systems are likely to include features that help monitor and manage sustainability metrics. It's likely that they will track items across the entire product lifecycle. This helps reduce waste, manage energy use more efficiently, and cut carbon emissions.
AlisQI - the best quality management software for your business
AlisQI cloud-based QMS software aligns with the ever-changing quality needs of manufacturing companies. It helps you standardize quality management processes across different locations with a centralized platform. You can maintain consistency in quality standards, regardless where your production lines are.
Using quality tracking software features, AlisQI automatically tracks and analyzes data and provides real-time monitoring and alerts to deviations or errors in the production cycle. In this way, it helps you prevent quality problems before they grow into something bigger.
As one of the best quality control software solutions, AlisQI gives you all the tools you need to manage your quality data and get useful insights from it. The built-in analytics help you spot trends and patterns, which inform your decision-making process.
Let's talk about how AlisQI can level up your quality management - book a call here.
