Altachem: Global leader in 1K-PU foam valve technology

Challenges: Enhancing Knowledge Retention and Efficiency

Altachem faced significant challenges in its operations:

1. Know-how Capture: A critical concern was the risk of losing special expertise, as the knowledge about machine operations was held by a single individual nearing departure, with no immediate replacement at a similar skill level. A common challenge in operations is an over-reliance on specific individuals for their unique know-how.

2. Accessible and understandable Instructions: The need for easily accessible, understandable instructions that can be used at the moment of need was crucial in both the Quality and Quality Control departments.

3. Manual Creation Backlog: The existing team responsible for creating manuals could not keep pace with the growing backlog. This was slowing the manual creation process and leaving out of date manuals in circulation or no manuals at all.

Joint Strategy with Altachem

To address these issues, Manual.to and Altachem took the following actions:

1. Knowledge Capture with Manual.to: We helped Altachem to capture 80% of machine errors in Manual.to with the help of one operator by going after the 20% most common machine errors (Pareto). This meant vital knowledge was captured and preserved all within the working day.

2. On-Floor Access to Instructions: Workers on the shop floor were provided with easy access to Manual.to work instructions and SOPs using QR codes that are scannable with any device, right at the point of use.

3. Best Practices Exchange: A continuous exchange of best practices and ideas was established between the Manual.to team and Altachem. This generated a number of innovative ideas that helped increase operational efficiency.