A smart QC setup to improve First Time Right goals

NelfKoopmans, a leading manufacturer in the chemicals industry, chose AlisQI for its extensive functionalities, built-in statistics, but mainly because the software system could easily be adapted to their processes.

The results: accessible data, clear overviews, and enhanced control. The smart QMS not only saves a lot of time but helps the organization change the production process or recipes in a way that is substantiated by data, not emotion.

In this case study, R&D Manager Jurian Biesheuvel tells us about:

• NelfKoopmans’ requirements for a QMS
• Improvements after the switch to digital
• How they managed to integrate AlisQI with their ERP
• Their ambitions for the future

In 2020, most of the administration at NelfKoopmans was still done on paper. This made it hard to perform statistics, maintain clear overviews for product specifications, and even just to imagine a connection with Exact Globe, their ERP. A digital Quality Control system was sure to solve these issues.

Producing 900+ recipes for paints and coatings, NelfKoopmans collects a vast amount of data. However, learning from this data and trying to identify trends on paper was very difficult since the analysis concerns properties of a range of products, not just one. It was even more challenging to draw insights since some of the products are made on a regular basis, but most of them are fabricated only a couple of times per year. With fragmentated data and lacking overviews of previous batches, it was hard to maintain consistency and focus on improvement.

“Let’s say the specification limits of one product are not met in a row. With data not easily accessible, a production manager is quick to judge, and may demand to change the recipe or process. However, by acting every time a specification is not met, you will never achieve a stable process.”, Jurian explains.

To further illustrate their use of AlisQI and highlight how they achieved a more consistent end product, Jurian gave a clear example. The smart QMS system tells the team at NelfKoopmans everything they need to know about the color strength of deep base water borne paint.

“Paints that are water borne are used as a base to make colors. They contain a bit of titanium dioxide, but not as much as pastel (white base). Because colors allow for little deviation, the specification window for the color strength is narrow and we found products that often did not meet the requirements. On paper, it is hard to see a trend that would help improve the process. However, using AlisQI, we can visualize data and easily draw conclusions.”

When the company chose AlisQI, they were already using Exact Globe as their ERP. But that didn’t represent a challenge since almost every ERP system can be connected to the AlisQI platform. The two systems have been easily linked together so that there is always a connection between a production order (PO) and the production batch.

“Data sets/lists that are available in Exact Globe and are used in AlisQI are – and some will be in the future – exported and automatically updated regularly. These include article codes and names, raw materials, locations, and people involved in the processes. When a production order is created in our ERP system, this is exported to AlisQI.” Jurian explains.

The transformation with AlisQI has not only meant a switch from pen and paper but a step towards smart manufacturing success. Asked about the role AlisQI plays for their team, Jurian said “With AlisQI we started building up datasets. This is the first step towards a more efficient production process. I would say we are still in the middle of this process; we launched AlisQI in October last year, meaning we gathered data for less than a year. But, as discussed already above, with data accessible, we can change the production process or recipes in a way that is substantiated by data, not emotion.”