VEKA Cuts Quality Escapes by 88% With a Unified, Digital Approach

VEKA, a global manufacturer of vinyl window and door extrusion, built its reputation on reliability and consistency. As demand increased and production volumes rose across its U.S. facilities, the company faced growing pressure on its aging, homegrown MES. Paper forms, disconnected spreadsheets, and manual documentation dominated daily work. Mislabeling incidents surged to more than 540 in a single year.

Operators had limited visibility into whether the material they produced matched what the system recorded, creating daily friction and limiting the team’s ability to act on quality issues quickly

The situation created a pivotal moment. VEKA needed a more adaptable, transparent, and consistent approach to managing quality — one capable of supporting frontline workers, aligning data across systems, and reducing the burden of manual processes. The challenge wasn't simply about digitizing forms; it required a shift toward real-time, integrated operations.

VEKA needed modern solutions to unify production and quality, without major disruptions to daily operations. A composable platform allowed the team to begin digitizing frontline workflows with minimal disruption, layering dynamic instructions, inspections, and ERP‑aligned data into existing processes. As teams proved value at the line, they expanded their solutions, creating an adaptable, fully integrated system. The team could build and refine solutions at the pace of operations — supporting frontline needs while laying the foundation for long‑term transformation.

A significant portion of mislabeling stemmed from a gap between physical production and digital progression in their ERP, SAP S/4HANA. In the past, operators might continue producing a material for a few additional pieces while supervisors advanced the order in the system — leading to mismatched labels and customer-facing errors. By connecting frontline apps directly to the ERP, VEKA made the current order and its requirements visible to the operator at all times.

The system enforced alignment: every label, quality check, and data point reflected the active order. When material failed inspection, the system automatically flagged it, ensuring nonconforming products were addressed before they moved downstream. AI-powered barcode verification was introduced to catch errors before they left the production line, and Tulip’s operator-facing apps provided guided workflows with embedded quality checks.

With these changes, VEKA was reduced mislabelling related defects by 10x.

To ensure every run started correctly, VEKA replaced paper diagrams and generic checklists with dynamic, order‑driven workflows. When operators log in, they receive the exact setup steps and inspection criteria for the active order—aligned with product specifications, customer requirements, and ERP data.

A required first‑piece inspection acts as a gating step. Operators must validate the first part before production can continue, preventing incorrect setups from advancing and reducing early‑run errors. What once took operators 10–20 minutes now takes about five, and every run begins with an accurate, order-aligned setup.

With a scalable digital backbone in place, VEKA continues to invest in deeper traceability and faster change management. The team is rolling out RFID-enabled storage units to eliminate the last pockets of manual barcode handling and create continuous visibility as material moves through the floor. They are also exploring AI-generated quality tables that extract specifications directly from engineering drawings, enabling faster updates and reducing the risk of outdated documentation.

With a scalable digital backbone in place, VEKA continues to invest in deeper traceability and faster change management. The team is rolling out RFID-enabled storage units to eliminate the last pockets of manual barcode handling and create continuous visibility as material moves through the floor. They are also exploring AI-generated quality tables that extract specifications directly from engineering drawings, enabling faster updates and reducing the risk of outdated documentation.

With a scalable digital backbone in place, VEKA continues to invest in deeper traceability and faster change management. The team is rolling out RFID-enabled storage units to eliminate the last pockets of manual barcode handling and create continuous visibility as material moves through the floor. They are also exploring AI-generated quality tables that extract specifications directly from engineering drawings, enabling faster updates and reducing the risk of outdated documentation.

Once the first piece passes inspection, operators shift into production mode with clarity on what to produce and how to maintain quality throughout the run. Real‑time, order‑specific instructions stay visible at the line, ensuring operators follow the correct steps and criteria.

In‑process inspections trigger automatically at defined intervals, adjusting dynamically to the profile and order. These inspections reinforce quality expectations and maintain alignment with ERP data as production progresses. Operators record good and bad pieces directly in the system and select scrap reasons at the line, creating end‑to‑end traceability.

Integrated scales and digital calipers captured measurements instantly, translating inspections that once took several minutes into quick, guided actions. Operators no longer needed to complete handwritten notes, and supervisors could view results in real-time.

Order changes—historically the leading cause of mislabels—are now supported by proactive guidance. The system surfaces upcoming transitions, flags required material or die changes, and prompts operators with the correct sequence of steps. This reduces confusion, prevents premature order advancement, and minimizes scrap during color or material changes.

The VEKA team quickly learned to begin with a detailed examination of every quality requirement. Engineers mapped each inspection, outlined the necessary data fields, and determined how results should move across the operation. With a shared definition in place, the team built connected apps that automated the most time-consuming tasks.

Digitizing the foundational checks also allowed VEKA to establish a stronger link between frontline processes and quality expectations. Each inspection became a repeatable, traceable step, removing inconsistencies that had developed across shifts and sites.

VEKA began with a single pilot line, validating dynamic instructions, gated inspections, and connected production tracking in one location. Once the team refined the approach, they expanded to full production within the Pennsylvania facility, then scaled the model to Texas, Nevada, and North Carolina.

Throughout expansion, core logic and quality expectations remained consistent, while each site tailored surface‑level elements—such as interface layout or displayed metrics—to fit local workflows. This balance of standardization and flexibility allowed VEKA to scale rapidly without sacrificing adoption, engagement, or process reliability.

The results of VEKA’s connected approach reached every layer of the organization. As a result, they have seen measurable improvements in nearly every aspect of its quality operations:

• 88% reduction in quality escapes related to barcode errors, virtually eliminating the most common driver of customer complaints.

• 96% reduction in scrap related to incorrect dies and materials, reducing both waste and downtime.

• 60% reduction in overall customer returns indicating clearer alignment between production and customer expectations.

• 50% reduction in first-piece inspection time, cutting a 10-20 minute activity with paper down to 5 minutes.

• Cut investigation time from days to minutes with real-time root cause analysis and end-to-end traceability.

Beyond measurable improvements, the organization gained a stronger culture of collaboration and accountability. Operators benefited from clearer workflows and real-time feedback. Engineers gained the ability to track issues instantly and investigate problems within minutes rather than days. Leaders gained visibility into quality across all sites, enabling proactive adjustments instead of reactive firefighting.

Together, these changes created a more predictable, connected, and operator-centered manufacturing system.

With a scalable digital backbone in place, VEKA continues to invest in deeper traceability and faster change management. The team is rolling out RFID-enabled storage units to eliminate the last pockets of manual barcode handling and create continuous visibility as material moves through the floor. They are also exploring AI-generated quality tables that extract specifications directly from engineering drawings, enabling faster updates and reducing the risk of outdated documentation.

These initiatives reflect the organization’s long-term vision: a continuous improvement model built on real-time data, standardized workflows, and tools designed to match the complexity and pace of modern manufacturing. VEKA’s journey underscores the power of empowering frontline workers with modern systems that evolve with their needs, strengthening both quality and agility across the enterprise.