The Fabricator - November 2013

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In addition, VKS has many other features that separate it from competitors’ products.

It is a cloud-based system, which means it can be accessed with any computer or tablet through the Internet. Users don’t need to download software on their computing devices to access the work instructions that have been prepared with the software. All programs are stored on secure servers located miles away from the Chateauguay headquarters.

VKS also has a form-based communication tool that al-
lows it to enhance the interactivity between the work in-
structions and the user. Within these visual work instruc-
tions, a form can appear to ask the operator a question, to
send a notification, or have the operator input information.

For example, CMP employees in the finishing department are recording variables such as paint thickness, gloss, and production time on these forms as they work on high-quality external doors for a transportation project. As the information is recorded, it is simultaneously sent to the customers as well.

;is approach is useful in reminding workers that following production steps is critical.

“We could have forms appear later
[in a project] asking them, ‘Are you
following the instructions? Have you
done this? Have you done that?’ Zim-
mermann said. “And they have to
confirm and actually save the form,
which gets stored in the reporting
section of the software. We have
physical evidence that the operator
is actually following the work instruc-
tions in the process.”
“;at’s one of the main things that
sets VKS apart from many competing
solutions. You can give your employ-
ees and operators work instructions,
but who’s to say they’re actually look-
ing at them?” O’Reilly said.

Because all of this production information is permanently archived and anyone can access it at any time, VKS can be used to generate reports to provide a key glance into manufacturing operations. A manager can call up a dashboard type of user interface through the software and can review key performance indicators. On a macro level, the manager can tell if a department is exceeding the expected time scheduled for a certain fabricating operation. On a micro level, a manager can drill down to see if an operator is not producing parts at an expected pace.

To create these work instructions, Zimmermann said that the software’s “editor” mode is designed to be as intuitive as possible. ;e creator of the work instructions is presented with a template with prompts such as “Add text” or “Upload image.” Arrows can be added easily to draw attention to something in the photograph.

He added that editors of visual work instructions within the CMP family come from all types of backgrounds. In Mexico, engineers build the instructions. In Chateauguay, an employee with an English literature degree and a certified welder are among the people creating visual work guides.

;e focus right now for the VKS team is manufacturing, but O’Reilly said the product makes sense for other industries where step-by-step procedural guidance might be useful. ;e company planned to unveil its knowledge-sharing tool to metal fabricators at FABTECH® in late November in Chicago.

Editor-in-Chief Dan Davis can be reached at dand@thefabricator.com. Visual Knowledge Share Ltd., 1241 Cascades St., Chateauguay, QC J6J 4Z2, Canada, 855-201-4656, www. vksapp.com.