At GCS product quality literally save lives.

when producing robots for mechanical mine clearance (securing landmine fields), it’s the product quality that determines failure or success.

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About GCS

Global Clearance Solutions AG (GCS) is a leading company in the security industry and a provider of safe, reliable and cost-efficient solutions for the disposal of landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other remnants of war (EOD). Their business activities range from the production of modular components which are adapted to the threat scenarios of their clients, to professional services including consultancy, training and operational support. GCS has its headquarters in Freienbach, Switzerland and a production facility in Stockach, Germany.

Customer Global Clearance Solutions AG
Date Juli, 2019
Website www.gcs.ch

Digitalisation Success Story of Global Clearance Solutions AG

When producing robots for mechanical mine clearance (securing landmine fields), it’s the product quality that determines failure or success. By using Testify and Microsoft Azure Cloud Services, Global Clearance Solutions AG (GCS) manages to ensure a gapless quality documentation process that is safeguarding the highest quality of their machines.

How it works at GCS

Machines from GCS are certified by DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, thus ensuring high quality in production and material. GCS has to prove their compliance with the high requirements of the certification. For further efficiency improvements of their quality management processes, GCS decided to integrate the Testify solution. The main value for GCS is the digital capturing of issues that directly interacts with the documentation processes and thus helps to solve the current challenges

The Challenges:

Improvement Challenge

Only the highest product quality can ensure safety.

Within the industry that GCS is operating in, machine quality (guaranteed with certifications) is the most important criteria. Therefore, immensely strict and demanding requirements should be adhered to across the entire manufacturing chain – this results in a complex system of quality tests within the quality management system. The challenge is to perform all necessary quality checks exceptionally, keep all regulations and meet all given requirements in order to ensure maximum product quality and thus, maximum survivability when using the machines.

DoCUmentation

Straightforward and fast prove of compliance.

Compliance with all quality standards and quality certifications must be proven by means of regular audits. This requires gapless, and traceable documentation. Previously only incoming goods controls and final controls were performed, but there was a strong need to enhance the quality control system towards a digital, gapless production accompanying system, covering the entire supply chain. The challenge is to improve the documentation process while w keeping it time-efficient and straightforward.

Testify integration in detail

Proof of Concept.

After deciding on Testify, GCS started to test the new integration on one of the machines in their product range. They decided on a platform machine with different attachments (robotic arms). A team of 3-4 persons was equipped with mobile devices and selected to test the Testify (Web)App during their production and quality control routines. The team quickly realised the advantages of this innovative digital solution and the value of having a simple tool that helps to save time during quality control.

Integration of the supply chain

GCS appointed further products and teams to work with Testify in their processes. They focused on a steady transition towards a complete integration of products and production teams., Aside of the production team at the site in Germany, the purchase department was also integrated. This allows GCS to quickly forward information on product complaints and components that thus are not allowed to be used for production. As a result, the supply chain was integrated in the quality process and can easily interact with the production department using the (Web)App.

Digitally populating the complete quality management process.

All quality checks were populated in the Testify (Web)App by using the intuitive Testify checklist designer. Here, each quality check can individually be described and documented as a step-by-step working instruction. At GCS, a quality manager worked together with service engineers (bringing in the practical experience) to document and describe all necessary checks and establish target values to be reached during quality control. Thus, a structured and documented quality process was established, covering all steps of the production chain.

Traceable documentation process.

The step-by-step documentation process enables an exact execution of each quality check performed by the engineers. The test results can be directly documented in the (Web)App by ticking checkboxes and adding comments. In case of errors, an issue can be immediately added within the App, linked to the test and linked to all product components involved. This makes the entire quality process traceable back to the serial number of each product component and enables fast reaction times to solve issues.

Automated report generation.

By using the Testify documentation and issue management functions, automated reports on the actual production status can be generated. Final reports can be pdf exported and send to clients. The digital, traceable documentation of the total process can be used as audit compliance evidence for certification renewal. The step-by-step description and the mapping of the total process also functions as know-how database for engineers and helps to further improve the complex processes of quality management.

Time Savings and fully integrated.

The digital process replaces the former, time consuming and cumbersome process where engineers had to carry paper files and manually write reports. “The complete documentation of all products and production processes is now in one digital place, accessible by mobile devices from anywhere by our engineers. With Testify we have established a system that saves us a lot of time and effort, and especially lot of nerves as a result of rummaging through paper files and folders in the past!” says Denis Buser, Process & Quality manager at GCS.

The complete documentation of all products and production processes is now in one digital place, accessible by mobile devices from anywhere by our engineers. With Testify we have established a system that saves us a lot of time and effort, and especially lot of nerves as a result of rummaging through paper files and folders in the past!

Denis Buser
Process & Quality manager, GCS