The Problems With Paper On Glass In Today’s Digital Age

As manufacturers increasingly adopt technology to improve the way they manage their operations, digitizing paper-based SOPs and work instructions is often a common place to start.

For many manufacturers, digitizing work instructions can be as simple as taking paper-based SOPs, scanning them on a computer, and displaying them on a basic tablet or computer. This style of digital work instructions is commonly referred to as “paper on glass”.

While this surface-level approach to digitization does provide some benefits over traditional paper, paper on glass is an outdated method for providing work instructions to employees.

In this post, we’ll discuss the challenges with basic paper on glass work instructions, and why manufacturers need to consider a more comprehensive approach to digitizing operator workflows.

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Paper on glass refers to any production-related documents displayed in digital form, primarily on computers, tablets, or mobile devices. Paper on glass has become increasingly common in pharmaceuticals and medical device industries which involve several steps and quality checks as well as thorough documentation throughout the production process.

While these complex manufacturing industries have historically relied on paper-based documentation for things such as batch records and logbooks, paper records present a number of challenges for manufacturers.

For example, paper-based records require manual, hand-written inputs from operators which can become illegible for those responsible for reviewing them. With paper on glass, data can be entered into digital formats that are designed to reduce errors, such as drop-down menus, validation checks, and automatic calculations.

Additionally, paper on glass allows for better data management as digital records can be easily searched, sorted, and exported, which means that the data can be more easily analyzed and reported on.

While paper on glass does provide some benefits for manufacturers and shop floor operators when compared to paper and pen, there are countless additional benefits that come with a more comprehensive, dynamic work instructions solution.

Manufacturing environments produce a tremendous volume of data from machines, sensors, and IoT devices. For businesses looking to optimize their operations, this data can provide tremendously valuable insight into areas of inefficiency and bottlenecks.

One of the primary challenges that many face with paper on glass is the lack of connectivity between the digital interface and the various other systems being used across the business. This makes real-time data analysis nearly impossible, and prevents supervisors from identifying challenges that are impacting productivity until it’s too late.

Additionally, paper on glass fails to solve for the manual data input resulting in inaccuracies caused by human error. In most cases, paper on glass solutions do not enable automated data collection and require operators to enter data as they progress through their work.

In today’s competitive business environment, manufacturers need a comprehensive approach that combines inputs from other systems to provide complete a picture of their operations. Because of this, integration between shop floor tools like digital work instructions with backend systems like MES and ERP is critical.

One of the primary benefits of upgrading from paper on glass to a more comprehensive digital work instruction solution is increased efficiency. Digital work instructions built with Tulip can be easily integrated with existing systems, which means that operators can access the most up-to-date information at all times. This enables supervisors to access shop floor data and respond to any shop floor issues or inefficiencies in near real-time.

Another benefit of digital work instructions is the ability to provide interactive instructions including videos, images, CAD designs, and animations, which can help to improve worker understanding and comprehension of the production process. Ultimately, this additional level of context helps to reduce quality defects and increase productivity.

Finally, Tulip work instructions can be used to streamline compliance records by automatically capturing critical details including personnel involved in production, materials or ingredients, quality measurements, environmental conditions, etc. As a result pharma and medical device manufacturers can focus more of their resources on production, and fewer resources on compliance activities.

If you’re interested in learning how Tulip’s work instructions app can help you increase productivity and efficiency, reach out to a member of our team today!

Lack of Context and Real-Time Data
Paper-on-glass systems look like progress, until you try to use them in a live environment. They replace clipboards with tablets, but the work itself doesn’t get any smarter.

Most digital forms stay frozen. They can’t read what the line is doing, can’t pull live data from machines, and won’t flag an operator when something drifts out of spec. Instructions stay static, no matter what’s happening around them. The result is a digital façade over manual work.

Integration Silos and Maintenance Overhead
Each paper-on-glass deployment tends to create another standalone system. These platforms rarely mesh cleanly with MES, ERP, or quality databases, leaving engineers stuck moving data between tools, or typing it twice.

Even a minor update, like changing a tolerance, can ripple through hundreds of forms. Each version becomes a maintenance task waiting to break something else.

What starts as a digital upgrade often adds more IT overhead and fragility than the paper it replaced.

Compliance and Traceability Gaps
In regulated industries, paper-on-glass can create a false sense of compliance. The screens may look official, but without version control, role-based permissions, or full audit trails, they don’t meet regulator expectations.

You can’t easily prove who did which step, when it happened, or what process data was captured. When auditors show up, teams end up piecing together records from PDFs and backup files.

This isn’t just a documentation issue, it’s operational risk. In one audit analysis across life sciences, nearly one in four compliance deviations traced back to instruction or documentation gaps.

Paper vs. Paper-on-Glass vs. True Digital Instructions

It’s easy to assume that moving a paper form onto a screen equals digital transformation. It doesn’t. Without structured data, system connections, or logic behind the interface, a PDF on a tablet behaves no differently than a printed sheet.

Here’s how the three common approaches actually compare on the shop floor:

Paper-on-glass may look modern, but it inherits the same constraints: manual entry, poor traceability, and little connection to production systems. True digital instructions go further as they use live data, logic, and feedback loops to guide work, not just display it.

Paper-on-glass was the first step toward digitization. The next step is instruction systems built to guide real work, not just display information. These aren’t digital forms in fact they’re interactive, connected, and built for operators as much as engineers.

Modern digital instructions combine no-code configuration, live data capture, and system integration. Engineers can build and update apps directly from the floor, roll them out quickly, and adapt them as processes change, all without custom code or long IT projects.

Data Capture and Contextual Feedback Loops
Every task becomes a data point. Measurements, timestamps, operator inputs, photos, and machine signals feed directly into structured datasets. The system reacts in real time by flagging out-of-spec readings, blocking incomplete steps, or adjusting guidance based on actual conditions.

These live feedback loops turn production activity into usable insight. Teams see how work is done, where errors occur, and where process variation starts, without waiting for an audit or chasing tribal knowledge.

Rapid Deployment Through Cloud and Composable Architecture
Modern platforms use cloud infrastructure and modular design, which means you can start small and expand quickly. Build a single process app e.g. say, for a changeover and scale from there. Updates push instantly, and rollouts stay consistent across sites.

Because apps are no-code, process engineers own the configuration. IT stays in the loop, but not in the critical path. This flexibility is what separates composable MES systems from the legacy model, they adapt to the process instead of forcing the process to adapt to them.

Moving past paper-on-glass isn’t mainly a tech project. It’s about how people, processes, and policies line up. The software helps, but the way it’s rolled out decides whether it lasts.

Change Management on the Floor
Real adoption starts where the work happens. Operators and engineers have to see that the change removes friction, not adds to it.

Bring them in early. Walk the line, find the slow spots, and build pilots that target those problems. Let the people doing the work shape the design. When the new approach saves time or prevents mistakes, word spreads on its own.

GxP Validation with Modern Tools
Regulated sites still need full control of records, versions, and signatures. Most current systems already include these functions i.e. electronic sign-off, revision tracking, and audit trails.

No-code platforms now allow partial validation, so a single app or workflow can be qualified without touching the rest of the system. That makes updates faster and lowers the risk of unintended changes.

Security Must Be Proven
Cloud systems have to meet the same safeguards as any enterprise platform: isolated environments, defined access levels, and encryption for data in motion and at rest. Certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR should be expected.

Check the fine print. Some vendors use operational data for external AI training. Make sure yours doesn’t. Production data should stay in your control at all times.

Operator Use Is the Real Test
If the interface slows people down, they’ll drop it. Screens should fit the way the job runs i.e. simple layouts, big touch targets, clear prompts. Inline guidance and fast feedback help when something’s unclear.

When the system fits the work, people keep using it without being told to.

Finally, Tulip work instructions can be used to streamline compliance records by automatically capturing critical details including personnel involved in production, materials or ingredients, quality measurements, environmental conditions, etc. As a result pharma and medical device manufacturers can focus more of their resources on production, and fewer resources on compliance activities.

If you’re interested in learning how Tulip’s work instructions app can help you increase productivity and efficiency, reach out to a member of our team today!

Paper-on-glass moved work instructions off the clipboard, but it didn’t solve the deeper issues of context, connectivity, and traceability. Static forms still leave processes isolated, hard to maintain, and vulnerable during audits.

True digital instructions close those gaps. They link people, data, and machines in real time, capturing every step as structured information. With modular, no-code tools, engineers can build and validate apps quickly, keep them compliant, and update them as processes evolve all without waiting on IT.

The payoff is straightforward: fewer errors, faster revisions, and a system that helps people do the work right the first time.