August 12, 2021 How do Digital Work Instructions Benefit Manufacturers?

In complex production environments, manufacturing staff need to review assembly instructions. Digital work instructions add efficiency.

Manufacturing execution systems (MES) help manufacturers manage workers, operations, and machinery in real-time with factory-friendly software. From Direct Machine Interface (DMI) to full production traceability, a comprehensive and extendable MES can help any manufacturer achieve key business objectives with high efficiency.

In complex production environments, manufacturing staff need to review assembly instructions. These instructions are traditionally written within PDF documents or Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software.

In contrast, Digital Work Instructions boost efficiency at the base manufacturing level. By ensuring that operators have access to proper, easy-to-comprehend documentation, MES systems with digital instructions can greatly reduce the number of mistakes that get made throughout the manufacturing process.

What are Digital Work Instructions?

Digital Work Instructions can help ensure that operators have the information they need to complete their work with accuracy and confidence. Rather than leaving workers to search through bound stacks of instruction manuals or PDFs, Digital Work Instructions provide operators with an interactive and intuitive means of understanding how to complete their work.

A Digital Instruction Module within an MES offers highly detailed, step-by-step explanations in an easy-to-comprehend format. Digital Work Instructions provide a wide range of photographs, interactive 3D models, and categorized tasks from a single set of documentation. 

Unlike paper manuals or static PDF documents, Digital Work Instructions can also be updated to the most recent version of process documentation. That means all operators will be operating from a set of identical instructions, further ensuring that products are built correctly with less waste or rework from the start. 

Comprehensive reporting, configurable task enforcement, and an automation-friendly API for PLM integrations also incorporate a layer of oversight into digital instructions. Manufacturers can place information in front of the right people at the right time and log which employee completed a particular task at a particular time. 

How ShopVue can help

The CAI ShopVue MES offers a comprehensive Digital Work Instructions Module for mid- to enterprise-size manufacturers. It organizes your step-by-step instructions into a clear format geared toward shop floor staff, providing company leadership the tools they need to track manufacturing. Managers can also view employee progress on specific tasks along with sub-operation dependencies. This configurable environment is crucial for any company expecting first-pass quality, rapid on-boarding, and a full view of their manufacturing process.

To see how Digital Work Instructions can help operators achieve high quality and high productivity, request a product demo today! Ask us how digital work instructions can get your company moving toward continuous improvement.

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