Fairview Machine's Journey from Paper Inspections to a Digital QMS
Company Overview
Fairview Machine Company, founded in 1963, is a third-generation, family-owned business, delivering precision components to Aerospace & Defense, Medical, and Commercial industries.
Fairview recently deployed 1factory's Quality Control (Inspection Management) and Quality Management System (QMS), transitioning from a manual and inefficient paper-based system to a streamlined and deeply-integrated digital system.
Read on to learn more about the scope of the challenge and the extraordinary results achieved with 1factory.
The Challenge: Paper-based Inspection and and QMS
Scattered Documentation: Prior to implementing 1Factory's QMS, Fairview's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Quality Operating Procedures (QOPs), and standards were scattered across different network folders throughout their system. This fragmentation made finding specific documents a time-consuming and frustrating process for employees at all levels.
Manual Training Management: The company had no automated system for tracking employee training requirements. There were no reminders for when employees needed refresher training or new certifications, creating an administrative burden for quality managers who had to manually track training status across the organization.
Inspection and Documentation Challenges: Fairview's inspection processes were equally problematic, with several critical issues impeding operational efficiency:
Paper Dependency: Fairview's foremost challenge was its heavy reliance on paper documentation for inspection data. This traditional approach not only consumed precious office space but also hindered efficient quality assessments. The frustration of deciphering illegible handwritten notes impeded the review of critical data.
Handling Part Revisions: Keeping up with part revisions proved to be a cumbersome task, often necessitating the creation of entirely new plans whenever a revision was introduced.
Communication Hurdles: Reliance on handwritten mark-ups and engineering changes led to repeated discussions on the same reports. This inefficiency wasted time and effort, affecting operational efficiencies.
Burden of Data Transfer: Operators manually transferred data from Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) printouts, prolonging inspection times and potentially affecting the workflow. Fairview sought a more efficient and resilient data transfer method to enhance overall operational efficiency.
The Implementation Journey
Fairview selected 1Factory's comprehensive platform as part of their broader digital transformation initiative that began over three years ago. In the first phase, Fairview implemented 1factory's Inspection Management (Quality Control) solution, followed by the implementation of 1factory's Quality Management System (QMS) in the second phase.
Benefits of a Digital QMS
Version Control: 1Factory's QMS completely transformed Fairview's approach to document authoring, version control, and approval workflows. As Harrison Moulton, Quality Manager for Fairview explained, "Version control could not be more simple. The revisions go up numerically and it is either pending or approved. You can identify who needs to sign off and there is always a status of who needs to do what and when."
The QMS enabled Fairview to streamline regulatory and customer compliance by creating direct links between their QOPs/SOPs and specific standard requirements. This unique approach provides clear objective evidence of how the company complies with each section of the standard, eliminating guesswork and reducing audit preparation time.
Both AS9100 and ISO13485 auditors were extremely impressed with 1Factory's ease of use during Fairview's certification audits. The Quality Manager reported, "There was no fumbling around between network folders to show how we comply to each standard. Version control and owners were easily identified and there was no confusion."
Training Management: During a recent customer audit at Fairview, the customer expressed particular concern about Foreign Object Debris (FOD) training. Fairview's Quality Manager was able to immediately access records in 1factory, showing that all employees had completed required FOD training with mandatory 18-month review cycles, demonstrating compliance in real-time and supporting the new business opportunity.
Previously, quality managers had to rely on emails and manual tracking to ensure employees completed required training, creating administrative burden and compliance gaps. With 1factory's training management software, quality managers can now instantly see past-due training requirements across the entire organization, providing complete visibility into training status at any given moment.
1Factory's training management system supports role-based training assignment, allowing organizations to automatically assign relevant training based on each employee's specific job function and responsibilities. Quiz creation functionality ensures employees truly comprehend procedures rather than simply reading through training modules. Recurring training schedule automation eliminates the need for manual follow-up on certifications that require periodic renewal. Finally, 1factory maintains comprehensive training records that provide auditors with clear objective evidence of compliance.
Issue Management: The QMS simplifies the management of Non-Conformance Reports (NCRs), Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs), and Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCARs).
The systematic approach to documenting quality issues has helped Fairview reach root causes faster and more efficiently. The ability to assign tasks to specific users and track progress throughout the resolution process has significantly improved their quality issue resolution capabilities.
CAPAs often require follow-up months after initial implementation, making them difficult to remember and track manually. The QMS status bar with due dates provides clear visibility into ongoing responsibilities, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Benefits of Digital Inspection Management
Real-Time Revisions: 1Factory streamlined part revisions, eliminating the need to start from scratch with each new revision. Part revisions are now initiated and tracked in real-time, building upon the work previously completed for improved efficiency.
Automation and Time Savings: Fairview not only achieved a significant return on investment but also streamlined their operations by seamlessly integrating their CMM outputs directly into 1Factory inspections. Currently, Fairview effortlessly records over 150,000 data points every month from their CMMs without the need for any manual input or button clicks.
Advanced OCR: Fairview had previously utilized software solutions for ballooning drawings and generating quality control plans. However, these software tools fell short of Fairview's requirements. While they enabled ballooning drawings and the creation of exportable Excel sheets for documenting inspection data, 1Factory has now taken on the role of these previous software tools and more.
Streamlined Quality Planning: Once a plan is established in 1Factory, it serves as the central hub for ensuring part quality. Previously, it took hours to create a ballooned drawing and quality control plan, but Fairview now completes these tasks in real-time, thanks to the capabilities of 1Factory.
Ease-of-Use: One significant concern when implementing software like 1Factory is how the shop floor will respond. For a quality control software to be truly effective, it must not only handle the front-end processes of quality control, such as ballooning and plan creation but also meet the demands of shop floor users in a real-time manufacturing environment. Not only did the shop floor readily embrace the introduction of 1Factory, but as 1Factory became more integrated into daily operations, the common request transformed into, "When can my cell run on 1Factory?" This question has been resolved, and currently, every part produced at Fairview Machine Company is controlled using the 1Factory platform.
User Delight, Personalized Support and Continuous Improvement
The comprehensive 1Factory platform received enthusiastic adoption across the organization. Management gained full visibility into open tasks, NCRs, CAPAs, and SCARs, ensuring no project is forgotten, while employees appreciate the streamlined processes and elimination of manual tracking systems.
The Quality Manager's assessment is unequivocal: "I would 100% recommend the transition to 1Factory's QMS. It has helped Fairview go completely paperless over the past 3 years while helping us maintain exceptional traceability across the board."
The Fairview team appreciates the dedicated support and continuous improvement approach at 1factory. As the Quality Manager noted, "Any time there is a problem or we have a suggestion, we reach out to the 1Factory team and it is addressed immediately. It is refreshing to have a system where you actually feel heard."