Timed Data Collections with Dynamic Scheduler

Do your overworked, time-starved operators sometimes miss quality checks? Are your data collection requirements out-of-sync with your changing process state conditions? You're not alone. But InfinityQS has the answer—we take the guesswork out of monitoring and completing quality checks with Dynamic Scheduler.

Never miss another quality check with Dynamic Scheduler. This robust data collection tool fits hand-in-glove with our ProFicient^™ quality management solution, empowering plant-floor operators with a timed checklist for scheduled quality checks.
 
With Dynamic Scheduler, users get an easy-to-read schedule and automated data collection reminders. Keep your data collection requirements in sync with changing process state conditions. When you use Dynamic Scheduler, you eliminate the errors and guesswork associated with manual data collections.
 

Why Time Data Collections?

As we all know, operators are busy, multi-tasking, time-starved folks. In his blog Don’t Drive Blindfolded—The Importance of Real-Time Data in Modern Manufacturing, InfinityQS COO Doug Fair says, “The art of manufacturing is best understood by operators who have had extensive amounts of time operating a production line. Over time, operators get to know the unique sounds and vibrations—even smells—of the machines they operate. Based upon these inputs, operators understand how each affects the products they are making.” These are important employees, on the front line of manufacturing.

Furthermore, Doug states that “While the frequency of checks varies widely, it is important that data be collected and then analyzed in real-time. This helps provide instantaneous insight into how a machine is running and what is necessary to prevent quality issues.” And the first step, obviously, is ensuring that data is collected. That’s where timed data collections come in. Operators have enough to worry about with all the intimate details of their production line(s). Taking the worry of when to collect data off their plates is a positive move that they all appreciate.
 
Timed data collection helps ensure that data collections are conducted on time—to meet the sampling requirements of a manufacturing process. Visual reminders alert the workers who are assigned data collection duties. Our add-on Dynamic Scheduler tool is used for this purpose and supports both on-premises and on-demand implementations of ProFicient.
 

Visual Reminders

Reminders are key to Dynamic Scheduler. You can ensure that your team consistently collects the quality data needed to meet the sampling requirements of your key manufacturing processes.
 
Since your busy operators already have a lot to do, Dynamic Scheduler makes it easy by presenting them with large onscreen reminders (like the one pictured above), which clearly show—displaying in a pop-up window on top of all other open windows—the quality checks that are due and when they’re due. Operators simply click “Yes,” and ProFicient automatically opens to the correct data collection screen.

Instructions

As mentioned, consistent and accurate data collections are a key aspect of effectively monitoring quality. If you want your products to be manufactured consistently and of the highest quality, you must have accurate data. To ensure that each shift performs the collections accurately, you can add work instructions to timed data collection reminders so operators can complete checks with confidence. Example work instruction:

Countdown Clock

Focus on the job is everything. When your operators can focus, they cut down on errors and miscues. Dynamic Scheduler enables you to empower your operators to focus on production-related tasks—instead of worrying about missing quality checks.
 
Reminders include a countdown clock for each check, informing operators exactly when their quality checks are due. They can easily track the time remaining until the next quality check. You can even change the color of a reminder, so the operator knows that the deadline for a check is approaching.

Automatic Notifications & Sampling Compliance Reporting

Improve the accountability of all your team members. And make sure your team leaders are aware of missed checks via automated email notifications and ProFicient’s Sampling Compliance Report. Notification emails immediately alert managers and supervisors to missed data collections.
 
Sampling Compliance Reports provide managers with visibility into areas they can improve, such as determining whether there are issues with operator workload, training deficiencies, or the need to add resources.

Triggered Data Collections

Manufacturing processes start, stop, and change over time. ProFicient and Dynamic Scheduler work together to detect significant events and then trigger appropriate data collections, so you have the data you need to better understand the condition of your processes.
 
Here are some of the applications of triggered data collection: 

Rechecks

If a quality check violates a manufacturing limit, the system will issue an immediate recheck so you can confirm the violation is valid.

Accelerated Checks

If an SPC violation occurs, you want to understand the seriousness of the issue. The system can generate an accelerated data collection schedule for the process—for instance, every 15 minutes instead of once per hour—so you can monitor the issue in more detail.
 

Automated Checks

If your ProFicient implementation includes fully-automated data collection, you can leverage Dynamic Schedular and the Automated Data Collection service to automatically generate single rechecks and accelerated checks if an SPC violation occurs.  
 

Special Condition Checks

You can also issue data collection reminders for a variety of special operating states, such as pre-op, start-up, idle, shut-down, and post-op. You can also generate data collection reminders for clean-in-place checks, maintenance checks, and more.
 

Common Uses of Dynamic Scheduler

Regulated or Controlled Testing

• For example, FDA requirements for weight or net content checks

Start-up Checks

• During process start up, special checks are typically required
• A change in process state triggers these special checks
• Timed data collections can be sequenced so checks for each machine in the process occur in order
• For example, in bottling, the filler machine must pass start-up checks before progressing to the next machine in the process
• Once all sequenced checks pass, the process state can change to a normal running state
• These types of timed checks also apply to shutdowns and cleaning processes

Preventative Maintenance Checks

• Maintenance checks are often performed hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or by shift
• Checks of this type can include data such as pressure, speed (RPM), and temperature

Clean-in-Place (CIP) Checks

• CIP checks can be time-based

Sample Requests

• Checks triggered by specification limit violations
• The check is required within a specific time period after the violation occurs

 

Case in Point

A large U.S. microbrewery uses Dynamic Scheduler to provide automatic reminders for testing and process steps—so operators can keep pace with the progress of every batch.
 
When data collected by ProFicient indicates that a potentially serious quality event has occurred, Dynamic Scheduler modifies the testing schedule so more frequent data collections are automatically scheduled—or new or more extensive tests are included to help operators better manage developing quality issues.
 
Improve your timed data and event tracking.
Ready to learn how Dynamic Scheduler can help?
Email us at info@infinityqs.com or call us at +1 800.772.7978