{"id":27262,"date":"2023-01-13T03:24:58","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T02:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/a-paperless-store-floor-in-120-days\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T14:41:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T12:41:33","slug":"paperless-shopfloor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/paperless-shopfloor\/","title":{"rendered":"A Paperless Shop Floor in 120 Days."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/der-weg-zum-papierlosen-shopfloor-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19710\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The use of paper in industrial manufacturing environments can lead to a number of problems, such as damage to documents, time-consuming preparation and follow-up work on paper documents, and manual archiving. Digitizing manufacturing processes and documents can solve these problems and help improve efficiency. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this post, we\u2019ll explore the topic of the paperless shop floor and explain why industrial companies are digitizing their processes. We\u2019ll also show how companies can achieve paperless manufacturing in 120 days and what role Testify can play in this process. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In today&#8217;s digital world, paperless processes are already the norm in many sectors of industry. Even on the shop floor\u2014the area of an industrial facility where manufacturing takes place\u2014companies are increasingly moving away from paper and adopting digital technologies. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The paperless shop floor offers many advantages, such as greater efficiency, fewer errors, and more environmentally friendly administration.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why a Paperless Shop Floor?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The use of paper in industrial manufacturing environments involves a significant amount of effort that should not be underestimated. At first glance, walking to the printer or distributing paper checklists doesn\u2019t seem particularly time-consuming. But it\u2019s worth taking a closer look. Because it takes more than just a single action. Paper must be ordered, stored, printed, distributed, and collected again; the documents must be digitized, filed, archived, and, last but not least, shredded.    <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to the effort involved in handling them, there are several other drawbacks: Paper is prone to damage and can easily be lost. On average, between 2\u20135% of all documents are misfiled or lost every day. Furthermore, especially in industrial settings, paper is exposed to significant amounts of dirt and dust, which can severely impair the legibility of the documents&#8230; As for the content of the paper, it is only possible to analyze the data at a later stage and thereby gain insights into relevant business processes. This means that errors or discrepancies are only noticed after the fact, which in turn results in significant additional costs.    <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The digitization of processes and documents in manufacturing can solve these problems and help improve efficiency:  <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The entire process\u2014including printing, distributing, collecting, scanning, and filing\u2014is completely eliminated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data can be collected in a structured manner, ensuring a high degree of standardization and drastically reducing the likelihood of errors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Information and documentation regarding processes can be accessed quickly, which has been shown to increase employee satisfaction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can companies achieve a paperless shop floor in 120 days?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The path to a paperless shop floor can be broken down into the following steps:<\/p>\n\n<ol style=\"list-style-type:1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Define Goals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a Task Force<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify Use Cases and Workflows<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select a tool<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Launch a pilot project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go-Live<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of this timeline is taken up by the implementation of the pilot project or proof of concept, which takes about 2 months, depending on the scope of the project.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>Define goals.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An important first step in implementing a paperless shop floor is defining goals. These goals should be clearly and measurably defined to ensure that the company knows what it wants to achieve. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Examples of possible goals might include:<\/em><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Reduction in the error rate<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Increase Employee Satisfaction<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Reduce lead time<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Improve Process Compliance<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Reduce the time it takes to resolve defects<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a clear picture of your goals and motivation helps in later steps, such as when selecting a software solution.  <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Form a task force.  <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having the right team is one of the most important factors in a change management project. The team should consist of executives, internal process experts, and\u2014ideally\u2014digital transformation experts who are familiar with the workflows and possess the digital expertise needed to efficiently implement a digital transformation project of this scale. If necessary, an external implementation consultant would also be helpful to assess the project\u2019s feasibility from a different perspective and to help the team stay focused.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is important to ensure that every department involved has a say and that the goals are aligned. Stakeholders often pursue their own interests, which leads to problems in the long run.   <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>Follow the paper trail: Identify use cases and workflows.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the goal of a paperless shop floor has been established, the next step is to identify specific use cases and workflows that are to be digitized. A good approach is to first gain an overview of all current paper-based processes and documentation on the shop floor. The goal is to take a close look at the current processes. What does a typical user journey look like? What are the limiting factors? What are the biggest pain points? It\u2019s important that everyone involved shares the same understanding.        <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start by walking through the entire process:<\/p>\n\n<ol style=\"list-style-type:1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What triggers the process? A note, an email, or a job in the ERP system? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who is involved in this step of the process?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What information is documented?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How is the information documented?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where does the information go next?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Who will be notified? Who needs to approve the document? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where is the document stored?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can I access the document later?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feedback from employees can also be very helpful in this regard, as it can help identify problems more effectively.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common use cases and workflows include, for example:  <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Work Instructions for Assembly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quality Controls<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quality Assurance During Production<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Audit Guidelines<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Machine Maintenance and Repair<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Checklists for inspections or safety checks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Machinery Shipments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inspections at Goods Receiving and Shipping<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and many more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once all current use cases and workflows have been identified, they can be prioritized based on importance and effectiveness. This way, you\u2019ll know which processes to tackle first in order to reap the greatest benefits of digital transformation. <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>Select a tool<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take enough time to define the business processes you want to digitize. The more preparation you put into this phase, the more efficiently the subsequent project steps will proceed. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the goal and use cases for digitization on the shop floor have been identified, the next step is to select the right tool. No-code platforms are a recommended option. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/no-code-app-as-a-success-factor-for-agile-process-optimization-in-the-industry\/\">No-code tools<\/a> offer the major advantage of allowing processes to be adapted to a company\u2019s own workflows independently and without any programming knowledge. This, in turn, saves time and money. For example, they can be used to quickly test initial use cases without tying up a lot of resources.    <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is important that the selected tool is easy to use, allows workflows to be mapped effectively, and can be integrated into the existing system landscape. Once a suitable tool has been found that meets the company\u2019s requirements and budget, this phase is complete. <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. <strong>Launch a pilot project<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the goal, the use cases, and the appropriate tool for the paperless shop floor have been defined, the next step is to launch a pilot project. The pilot project, also known as a proof of concept, is of great importance because it serves to test and evaluate the selected tool and the new digital process in a controlled environment. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through the pilot project, companies can test digitalization on a small scale and ensure that it is successful before committing to a broader rollout. The time required for a pilot project can vary depending on the size and complexity of the company, but it typically takes at least 2 months. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During this phase, you&#8217;ll gain a lot of valuable experience. It&#8217;s also a good time to seek feedback from your employees.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/instant-demo\/\">here to find out <\/a>what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/instant-demo\/\">the proof of concept<\/a> with Testify looks like<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. <strong>Go-Live<\/strong>.  <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that the pilot project has been successfully completed, the project can move into live operation.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this phase, the digital solution is rolled out from the pilot project to the entire shop floor, replacing paper-based documentation. It is important that all employees receive training and are kept informed so that they feel confident using the new software solution. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, implementing paperless workflows on the shop floor is not the end of the journey. This is where monitoring and analysis come into play. Ideally, the digital tool will include a reporting and analytics feature to track parameters such as lead times, process compliance, and the number of processes, among others, and present them in a clear and organized manner. Based on these results, further opportunities for optimization can be identified and implemented immediately.     <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The use of paper in industrial manufacturing environments can lead to a number of problems, such as damage to documents, time-consuming preparation and follow-up work on paper documents, and manual archiving. Digitizing manufacturing processes and documents can solve these problems and help improve efficiency. In this post, we\u2019ll explore the topic of the paperless shop [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":23633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[146],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quality-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27262"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29533,"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27262\/revisions\/29533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.testify.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}