A tool that lightened and streamlined our system

What inspired your decision to implement the BlueKanGo solution?

At A7 Integration, precision engineering, machining, and assembly are our core specialties. We are constantly pushing ourselves to improve product quality and streamline our operations, and the adoption of BlueKanGo presented a unique opportunity to do just that.

Our primary objectives of the collaboration with Bluekango were to:

• Simplify the process of recording non-conformities. Our previous paper-based system required time-consuming manual transcription into a database, which was far from optimal.
• Streamline the management of non-conformities related to production, suppliers, and customers, by enhancing tracking capabilities, facilitating decision-making, and improving follow-up measures, including preventative and corrective actions.
• Implement an integrated risk management system.

In which areas do you use the Bluekango software?

Today, the BlueKanGo platform allows us to manage the different actions resulting from non-conformities, follow-up actions, management review, audits, etc.

It is a cross-functional tool used by everyone, including the methods and engineering department, inspection, all of production (agents intervening on about twenty machining centres, assembly, turning, etc.), purchasing department (management of supplier non-conformities), and sales department (management of customer non-conformities). At the management level, the platform is mainly used for planning and decision-making thanks to the centralization of data.

The tool offers features dedicated to audits, risk analysis, and management review. We even have a module dedicated to change requests, a module specific to our activity. Production employees regularly issue requests for modification of CNC (Computer Numerical Control) programs for our machine tools and requests for modification of the process sheet.

We can say that the integration of the platform is a success, as the majority of employees easily use the platform.

What are the advantages of the platform?

Definitely, the different dedicated functionalities. They make the platform accessible at all levels, and we have been able to integrate all processes of our daily operations. The platform also had the ability to integrate our ERP, which saved us valuable time to directly exploit our existing data.

One of the strengths of the system is the centralization of information. Eliminating Excel files to centralize everything on the platform is an essential feature during management reviews. As the Quality Director, I log into the platform and display the details of the actions and the names of the responsible parties with just a few clicks.

For the company in general, its ease of use and the transparency of information ensure a better understanding and reliability of activities. The use of a single tool helped us reduce the number of software we use, which greatly lightened and streamlined the system.

What benefits does BlueKanGo software bring to your organization?

The first benefit we have noticed concerns our responsiveness to non-conformities. The workload that falls on the quality department to record non-conformities every Monday from the previous week is enormous. It is a time-consuming activity that can sometimes lead to errors. Today, all employees are able to record non-conformities themselves in real-time directly on the platform.

While the platform has made employees autonomous in recording non-conformities, the training and workshops offered by BlueKanGo have allowed me to be autonomous in creating new digital forms and applications on the platform (Risk Management). This is an essential skill to accompany potential developments in the production chain.

We are also now more efficient thanks to the significant time savings we achieve on a daily basis. Since all data is centralized on the platform, we spend less time searching for information and more time doing the actual work.

Do you have other projects in the pipeline related to process digitization?

As the digitization of processes continues to revolutionize the way we work, A7 Integration is keeping pace with the latest advancements. Looking ahead, we have exciting plans to take our operations to the next level.

In order to optimize our production and boost efficiency, we aim to integrate two new processes into our existing platform. The first is Competency and Training Management, which will allow us to better manage the skills and expertise of our employees, ensuring that we have the talent we need to tackle new challenges and drive growth.
Additionally, we are planning to implement a cutting-edge Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). With this new system in place, we will be able to significantly improve the way we track and manage maintenance tasks, resulting in a more streamlined and structured approach.