Structuring and controlling the individual qualifications via a project management system has proven to be simple and practicable in use cases. The qualifications themselves are created and managed as digital checklists within the system and can be assigned to different areas for processing thanks to the support of multi-level workflows. This can also include the classification of all materials relevant to production as part of risk management – categorization according to risk groups (technological risks, legal risks and supply chain risks) and risk level (low, medium, high) – as well as automatic calculation based on certain factors. This allows targeted processing according to priority. In this way, comprehensive planning and fulfillment control of all commodity-related activities is possible via a central dashboard.

• End-to-end digitalization of all raw material and supplier qualifications as part of structured project management
• Platform capability, integration into a wide range of systems, such as asset management, project management, ticket, reporting, shift book systems, etc.
• Mapping of dependencies and links: A checklist comprises a complete qualification, it is cross-process
• Cross-company and cross-national risk management is supported, multilingualism of checklists

By using a digital solution, it is only a small step to turn individual completed inspection reports into clear and comprehensive reports. This helps to quickly understand the correlations between individual inspections and to derive appropriate measures, so that cleanliness and food inspections in supermarkets can be carried out quickly.

Typical evaluations in this context are how many inspections were carried out in a period of time with how many defects were discovered or whether there are particularly frequent anomalies in an area. If, for example, the number of defects increases or stagnates over time, you should adapt your processes. Cross-location evaluations are also possible; if location A uses a different cooling system to location B, the number of associated problems will probably also differ.

A picture is worth a thousand words. That’s why many of our customers use the option of taking photos directly in the checklist to better document any problems that occur.

• Simply click on the photo function
• Possibility to draw directly in the captured image
• Image is displayed directly in the inspection report

Here, for example, is a bar chart showing how many inspections were carried out by location and how many of them were deemed to have been passed. This gives you a quick insight into how the locations compare with each other and allows you to identify differences.

A wide range of search options to find individual inspections carried out, for example in a specific period, by a specific inspector, even a direct search for entered answers is possible.

The process can be standardized and thus carried out more easily, reliably and transparently if it is triggered directly from the device management (IT Asset Management, ITAM) – as in one of our use cases. This increases product quality and productivity in equal measure because the data collected on the functionality of the measuring and testing devices flows directly back into ITAM and can be used for subsequent processes.

The accuracy of industrial and laboratory scales is calculated using various mathematical formulas. This results in values such as the standard deviation, the minimum weight, etc. The formulas are stored in the digital checklists so that the employee only has to enter the measured values in the fields provided. The system then calculates the values automatically in real time.

• End-to-end digitalization of business processes and the implementation of Industry 4.0 initiatives in production and quality management
• High product quality thanks to the regular inspection of measuring and testing devices as part of quality assurance
• User-friendliness, as the digital checklist provides even less experienced employees or beginners with a kind of guide through the calibration process
• Mapping of multi-stage processes in an IT system without media disruptions

With an asset management system, the green infrastructure can be managed much more efficiently – including the services required for operation. All data relating to technical assets, faults and service requests is stored centrally in such a system, yet employees can maintain it locally and use it worldwide. Plausibility checks ensure uniform and correct data collection. The integration of barcode or RFID scanners further simplifies the recording of asset inventories. All purchase, rental, maintenance or service level contracts are also stored in the system as electronic documents and are therefore available at all times. Access to the data is restricted by a sophisticated authorization concept.

The maintenance process itself is supported by customizable, digital checklists and workflows. This begins with the registration of a maintenance activity at the control center, includes all inspections and extends to the subsequent deregistration. All inspection points are stored in an audit-proof manner. Points that are marked as “not OK” can be documented on site with a photo and then used as a ticket. The list of defects and inspection report are sent by e-mail.

The problem-solving process is also documented using digital checklists, creating a history of problems that have occurred and how they were resolved. It is also possible to see at any time which defects still exist in which turbines or solar modules. Changes can be made to the inspection log without any programming knowledge.

Switzerland is currently leading the way in the expansion of its 5G networks. One use case in which digital checklists accelerate project processes may play a role here: The intelligent forms, which can be completed online as well as offline on any mobile device, support site managers in preparing construction projects. During the site inspection, they carry out a thorough analysis of the conditions and document all details precisely with the help of the digital checklists.

The digital checklists react dynamically to inputs and branch out into various subsequent processes, as the following example shows: if the new 5G antennas are to be installed on a building, for example, the system asks whether it is a flat or gable roof. Can you stand on the gable roof? No. How many roof hatches are there? Is a crane with a lift truck required? Yes. Can it stand in front of the house?

If the data for site preparation and route and construction site inspections is recorded digitally right from the start, this ensures a high degree of transparency, speed and process reliability: no task is forgotten and the collected field information is automatically synchronized with the central project database. It can then be read out immediately and used for construction project-specific and cross-project evaluations and reports. The data is available centrally and can be used for subsequent project steps just as quickly: for example, the crane and lift truck mentioned above can be ordered and the official road closure can be requested for the day in question. Necessary safety precautions can be taken in good time, which increases the safety of everyone involved.

Digital running lists have decisive advantages over their paper-based counterparts: The data is available electronically right from the start and can be stored centrally across all locations. Thanks to the centralized provision, everyone works with the latest version, which is provided via smartphone and saves walking distances. In addition, routing lists react dynamically to entries, and it is also possible to branch out into various subsequent processes: if, for example, the delivery pressure of a pump is lower than specified, a warning message opens immediately upon entry and the inspector can send a message for maintenance or create a task for a specific person. The streamlined and seamless processes therefore consume significantly less working time than the paper form.

More data is often passed on digitally than with paper-based inspections, be it with image, voice or text information. If the inspector detects a malfunction in a unit, for example, he can also document this with a photo and mark the position using a GPS signal so that maintenance can locate the problem more quickly. It is also possible to create ad-hoc evaluations of inspections and defects. These and similar functions not only improve the quality of inspections. Better data also provides greater insight, and users can make better decisions and deductions.

As digital routing lists are location- and device-independent, their use contributes to process reliability in the food and healthcare sectors as well as in critical infrastructure (CRITIS companies). The inspector does not have to carry their mobile device with them throughout the entire inspection process, but can, for example, interrupt the checklist in zone A and resume it in zone B on another device. This process design makes it possible to avoid cross-contamination caused by a device being carried along, for example.

But there is another way, as the use case of an Austrian company shows: This company has established a digital system to ensure the quality of staff in its bus and rail transport operations. The system checks, for example, whether toilets and passenger areas are clean, whether ticket machines are working, whether gearboxes are regularly serviced and whether drivers are careful and friendly on the road. The list of possible safety and quality checks is long, and the number of vehicles and employees to be checked is in the hundreds in the extensive region.