Media breaks

Media discontinuities occur when information or data has to be transferred from one medium to another, for example from paper to digital systems. In industrial companies, media discontinuities are a frequent source of errors, inefficiencies and delays. They are particularly relevant in areas such as quality management (QM), quality assurance (QA), production, logistics and IT.

Challenges

Media breaks often lead to the following problems:

• Susceptibility to errors: Manual transmissions increase the risk of input errors and loss of information.
• Time-consuming: The manual recording and transfer of data is time-consuming and resource-intensive.
• Lack of transparency: Information that is stored in different media can be difficult to access and difficult to understand.
• Silos: Different departments or systems often work with isolated data, which hinders collaboration and efficiency.

Exemplary applications in the industry

1. Food industry: In production and quality control, media disruptions can lead to delays and errors in the documentation of hygiene measures.
2. Chemical industry: Safety data sheets and production instructions that have to be transferred from paper to digital systems are prone to media disruptions.
3. Automotive: In the supply chain and quality inspection, manual data entry can lead to delays and errors in parts tracking.
4. Mechanical engineering: The maintenance logs and production reports that are kept on paper are often not available in real time and lead to information deficits.

Solution approaches

The following measures can be taken to minimize media discontinuities:

• Digital checklists and tools: The use of digital applications helps to digitize processes and avoid media disruptions.
• Integrated systems: The integration of IT systems ensures that data can be exchanged seamlessly between different applications and departments.
• Automation: Automated data transfers reduce manual intervention and therefore sources of error.
• Training and awareness-raising: Employees should be trained in the use of digital tools and made aware of the risks of media discontinuity.

Advantages

The digitalization of processes offers numerous advantages:

• Increased accuracy: Automated data transfer reduces errors and improves data quality.
• Time savings: Digitalized processes are faster and more efficient, as manual input is no longer necessary.
• Transparency: Real-time data access improves traceability and decision-making.
• Increased efficiency: Integrated systems and automation ensure better collaboration and optimized processes.

Conclusion

Media disruptions pose a significant challenge for industrial companies. The digitalization of processes and the use of integrated, automated systems can help to overcome these disruptions, increase efficiency and reduce the susceptibility to errors. Our digital checklist tool offers an effective solution for minimizing media disruptions and optimizing your industrial processes.

 

 

Further links:

Digitalisierung von Qualitätsprüfungen in der Produktion bei STIHL Tirol.