Leading Tool Manufacturer Enhances Quality with End-to-End Traceability

For decades, a leading tool manufacturer has been at the forefront of innovation, producing high-quality tools for professionals and DIY enthusiasts alike. As its product line expanded and market demands evolved, the company recognized the need to modernize its manufacturing processes to maintain its competitive edge.

"We realized that to keep up with the rapid growth and changing market demands, we needed to transform our operations," explained the Director of Operations Technology. "Our processes were scattered, and we lacked the real-time data needed to make informed decisions."

By embracing digital transformation with Tulip's Frontline Operations Platform, the team has not only improved its current operations but has also positioned itself for future growth and innovation in an increasingly competitive market.

Before starting their digital transformation journey, the tool manufacturer encountered various obstacles. These included inconsistent processes spanning several locations, a lack of immediate access to real-time production data, challenges with quality control, and difficulty in tracing defects.

Additionally, the company struggled with inefficient manual data gathering and reporting procedures, which further compounded its operational challenges.

"Before implementing a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), our processes were all over the place," a manufacturing engineer noted. "We were struggling to standardize operations across our sites and lacked the agility to respond quickly to issues on the production floor."

"Data is the most important thing," explained the data analytics lead. "We needed to make closed-loop decisions as things were happening, not retroactively."

After careful considering and evaluating various options, the company implemented Tulip's Frontline Operations Platform. The decision was driven by Tulip's modular capabilities and ability to integrate with existing systems.

"We started out with a bigger scope but quickly realized we needed to break it down into smaller pieces," the project lead explained. "This approach allowed us to focus on use cases that would provide the biggest return on investment."

1. Traceability and Quality Control

One of the first applications developed was a traceability system that allowed the company to identify and prevent potential defects quickly.

Ahead of a new product launch of a new premium product, the team identified a batch of defective blades where they had been welded due to a fixture issue. Rather than quarantine, recall, and re-manufacture the entire supply, the team was able to pull weld data and traceability to identify the source and identify which blades were impacted.

In the past, such an issue could have taken days to detect and resolve. With Tulip, they were able to pinpoint the problem and prevent any defective products from leaving the facility in a matter of hours. Without this visibility, the manufacturer would have had to push out the launch and spend an upwards of $266,000 reworking the entire supply of products.

2. Digital Work Instructions and Automated Workflows

The team created customizable, digital work instructions to standardize processes across shifts and production lines. Added workflow automations, such as a connected printer that automatically prints labels, saving operators time.

These apps improved consistency and efficiency and significantly reduced training time for new operators and contract workers.

3. Real-time Production Visibility

By implementing Tulip's analytics capabilities, the company gained real-time insights into its production processes.

"We now have dashboards that provide instant visibility into our operations," an engineer, who focuses on quality and manufacturing operations, explained. "This allows us to make data-driven decisions and quickly address any issues that arise."

4. Inventory Control

The team integrated Tulip with their ERP system to improve inventory management. The team can now trigger inventory moves automatically and prevent discrepancies that were common with their previous manual system.

"We're building with modularity in mind," one engineer emphasized. "Before we start building, we do our due diligence around documentation. We want to make sure everyone is using the same language and understanding the data in the same way."

By engaging operators early on in the app development process and continuously seeking feedback, they've been able to build trust and improve the effectiveness of the apps.

As the company continues to grow and innovate, the Tulip platform has become an integral part of their operations.

The success of the initial implementation has sparked enthusiasm for further digital transformation initiatives. The team is now focused on:

1. Creating standardized, modular apps that can be easily transferred across multiple sites.

2. Enhancing quality control processes by tracking defect reasons and managing large batch reworks

3. Developing more sophisticated work instructions for contract workers

4. Expanding the use of Tulip's analytics capabilities for more in-depth reporting and insights

"We're just scratching the surface of what's possible," the project lead mentioned. "The modularity of Tulip's platform allows us to continually improve and adapt our processes as our needs evolve."

With Tulip, the tool manufacturer has improved their operations in several different ways:

• Improved product consistency and production efficiency with the standardization of processes across multiple sites

• Faster quality investigation with end-to-end traceability, reducing the time needed to find the source of defects from 5 days to just 30 minutes.

• Quality control is bolstered through real-time defect tracking, ensuring a higher standard of product quality.

• Faster operator onboarding and engagement and efficiency with intuitive apps

• Improved decision-making with real-time data insights

"It's not just about the technology," the project lead concludes. "It's about the conversations it enables. We're having more discussions about our processes, engaging directly with people on the shop floor, and constantly finding ways to improve. That's the real power of this digital transformation."