After digitizing paper checklists at her former company, Julie Modlik shares with us, in this recent interview, what she has found to be the key benefits for any manufacturing company.
In her 30 years in the electroplating business at Akron Plating, Julie Modlik has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in managing all aspects of a successful metal finishing company. After recently selling the company, she continues to be passionate about helping businesses throughout Ohio drive success with Industry Compliance Consulting.
Julie Modlik is an ISO/AS auditor and is currently serving on the board of National Association for Surface Finishing (NASF) and the Ohio Association of Metal Finishers. Her expertise is in Consulting, Internal Auditing, and System Developing for ISO9001, ISO14001, AS9100, AS9120 and NADCAP Chemical Processing.
In our recent conversation, Julie shared with us her unique perspective regarding the benefits of implementing THORS Solutions to help improve day-to-day operations. She explained that many other companies within the world of metal finishing and manufacturing would likely have similar challenges and could also benefit.
Multiple Challenges:
1- Audits
“On the topic of audits, we don’t always know when an audit will come up. This is a highly regulated industry. EPA, OSHA, Health Department, the Fire Department, and even customers can come in with little to no notice. In the past it was very time consuming to pull up the binders to show all the compliances – at a moment’s notice.”
2- Data Retrieval
“Every customer is different; they have different technical specifications. At Akron Plating, there are many different customers – each with their own specifications – the type of metal, the thickness, testing requirements, they are all unique. In my 30 years, I have much of this information in my head, but for the new owner, the time it takes to retrieve this information within documents consisting of 20-30 pages really effects productivity.”
3- Knowledge Transfer
“Steve, the new owner, worked for Akron Plating for one year before buying the company. Then I’ve stayed two days a week to help with compliances and knowledge transfer, taking our time to pass the torch to ensure success with the transition. There are approximately 2500 plating companies in the US. 75% have less than 20 employees. Akron Plating has 12. They can’t have a specialist for everything, so the more time they can save, the more time they can work on the business.”
One Solution Solves Multiple Challenges:
“Implementing [the THORS Solution] using Digital Checklist and MFG Genius – [the Akron Plating team members] are using it daily, it saves so much time – they are really impressed with it.”
-Julie Modlik
1- Audits are Effortless with Digital Checklist
“Conformance has always been tracked with paper checklists. Probably with any legacy/generational family business – which many plating companies are – modernizing to new technologies is a slow process. It was probably only 2 years ago that we sent our last fax! The new generation expects to be communicating digitally. This is a gamechanger! Now, [by digitizing paper checklists] there’s no tracking down forms, scanning documents, no dealing with paper – in a small office, this is a big deal. Now, if an auditor, customer, or regulatory agency wants to see data on a specific date, we can pull up proof of conformance in seconds. When it used to take half a day for these types of visits, we are done in 30 minutes.”
2- Data Retrieval is Time-Efficient with Digital Checklist
“The efficiency aspect is huge. [At Akron Plating,] we’ve uploaded all specifications, we’ve included QR codes on equipment. Now, even new employee onboarding is much faster. With a quick scan at the point of use, team members can access a video on how to clean a tank, look up titration, what is the end point, how to use the lab equipment and record it, even reference required EPA compliance records or the use of a certain tow motor. They use the QR codes and their phones. No issues with looking for or turning in any paperwork, [after digitizing paper checklists] it is instantaneous and automated. Alerts are emailed to their supervisor. It’s very easy for operators to use, we are very impressed.”
3- Knowledge Transfer is Seamless with AI Assistance from MFG Genius
“Yes, I’ve carried a lot of information in my head for the last 30 years. Putting it on paper, it can be pulled into MFG Genius. To relay that repository of knowledge to the new owners, well, will they remember details when a situation comes up? Transferring my family business to new ownership has been challenging enough but knowing now that Steve will be able to instantly retrieve answers to questions – well, it is integral during times of changes in leadership to keeping the business functioning efficiently.”
“How much time this will save [Steve] depends on the customer and the project. In some cases, he may need to rifle through a 15-page technical document, taking over an hour to answer one question. Now, he can access an answer in a matter of seconds, this can save hours.”
Are you interested in discovering the benefits of digitizing paper checklists?
Would you like to see exactly how your company can shorten audit time, streamline data retrieval and improve knowledge transfer during onboarding or leadership transitioning using Digital Checklist and MFG Genius from THORS eLearning Solutions?
Schedule a time to see these productivity tools in action and get free access for one month. Hurry, offer available for a limited time!
