Leveraging Technology for Maintenance and Calibration: Going Paperless

December 18, 2013/Jim Erickson

Several factors have recently come together to make going paperless a realistic investment for many companies. In this series of blog posts, we will explore some of the factors of the transition to mobile including the benefits and components.

In the past, the transition to paperless had been a challenge for companies because of limited technology. Companies that had previously gone paperless often had to create alternative methods of achieving processes including substituting ways to handle on-going document storage, electronic Part 11 compliance and data collection in the field (more on this below). As a result, these companies had many complicated paperless processes.

Today, the components of paperless systems are widely available and simplified. This is a result of advancements in technology and acceptance of compliance requirements. Integration of the following components have opened the door to low cost paperless implementations and productivity and cost saving benefits:

Acceptance of Part 11 – with electronic signatures and audit trails
Automation of processes and workflows
The ability to access and record data in the field
Calibration and maintenance technician buy-in
The ability to store data in an organized, guaranteed manner without the risk of broken links and lost files

Advancements in technology have also created numerous additional paperless benefits. These benefits include efficiently utilizing capital within a company by cutting labor intensive, inefficient work and eliminating the need to file paper data sheets. In addition, changing to paperless also enables vast data tracking capabilities and implements powerful key performance indicators. The ability to track data is especially beneficial across multiple manufacturing sites at a corporate level. By leveraging technology, you can cut unnecessary spending.

The change to paperless provides facilities with return on investment in several significant areas:

Improved compliance with audit trails, e-signatures and controllable review processes
Reduced cost in personnel time and storage areas
In-depth data analysis
Automated rather than manual workflows

In our next blog, we will discuss the alignment of these components and how to effectively leverage technology for maintenance and calibration through workflow automation.

Click here to view a recorded version of our “Leveraging Technology for Maintenance and Calibration: Going Paperless” webinar.