Modern manufacturing is well versed in the use of cutting-edge tech to optimize operations.
And yet flat PDF and even paper-based work instructions, manuals, SOPs, and other manufacturing documentation continue to underpin many procedures, including shop floor assembly, new product development, change requests, and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO).
For such a critical component of the overall success of modern manufacturing, documentation may in many cases be acting as a blocker to true agile manufacturing.
A 2022 survey of 500 U.S. manufacturing professionals revealed the following:
It is easy for sub-optimal and damaging processes to be accepted as "just how things are done." But sticking with outdated, ineffective, and unclear work instructions is something no manufacturing organization can afford to tolerate.