A logistical leap for inspections
To guarantee safety in the process industry, components need to be inspected before use. By using the Therefore digital platform, the lead time for each inspection has been reduced by 50%. The time saved as a result of this is considerable if you have to complete 1,000 inspections a month in the peak season. Digital inspections also provide increased transparency, reliability and a significant quality improvement.
Complex inspection process with many transfers
Evert van de Nobelen, Manager Supply Chain at Sitech Services, explains which steps make up the inspection of a component. “When a component arrives
in the warehouse, DHL Supply Chain checks whether the delivery matches the order and whether the dimensions are correct. It is then up to the Sitech inspectors to check whether the component meets the strict standards of the Chemelot site and whether it is suitable for the application. Components are transferred between the various inspections many times, so it was not always clear where the paper inspection folders were. The working method was also ambiguous, which resulted in many additional checks. All of this led to unnecessary delays: one of the biggest annoyances for our customers.”
Customized solution with high added value
Together with our logistics partner DHL Supply Chain, we found an improved working method: the Therefore digital platform. “As a logistics service provider, we receive many documents, such as consignment notes, packing lists or product certificates,” notes Robin Werner, Site Manager of DHL Supply Chain. “That is why we prefer to handle as much as possible digitally; that is sustainable and efficient. For many customers we use Therefore, a digital platform where customized solutions can be created. The solution for Sitech Services is the most extensive one I have seen so far and it also provides the highest added value.”
“The information in Therefore allows us to discuss matters with colleagues and suppliers in a targeted manner to permanently improve the quality of the work.”
Evert van de Nobelen, Manager Supply Chain at Sitech Services
Faster, more reliable and more transparent inspections
The entire process for material inspections was mapped out and then digitized. When a component arrives at the warehouse, a digital record is created that completes an entire workflow. The successive inspectors digitally receive the component for inspection in Therefore. Once they have finished an inspection, the record moves up to the next person
in line. After finishing the process, the component is returned to the warehouse and the digital
record is automatically archived, after which it remains accessible for everyone. “This has reduced the lead time for regular inspections by 50%,” responds Evert enthusiastically. “All the steps are automatically covered,
which increases reliability. Additionally, inspectors are now no longer bound to certain locations for work, which saves them a lot of travel time. Searching for a record will now also be a thing of the past, because everyone can see in the system where the inspection folder is. That is highly transparent.”
Higher quality, less re-work
A pretty important aspect is that a lot can be gained in the field of quality. “Due to the strict requirements, it often happens that a component fails the inspection,” explains Evert. “This leads to re-work for a large group of colleagues, such as purchasers and engineers. It goes without saying that we would like to prevent that. The reports from Therefore quickly give us an insight into the possible rejection causes. This gives purchasers all the info they need straight away and allows them to provide feedback without intervention by Quality Control.”
Continued optimization of Therefore
Therefore also provides greater efficiency for turnarounds. Evert: “The material index list no longer needs to be checked after every level three update. That saves at least half a day on the lead time. It is also useful that the digital records can now be accessed anywhere at any time, for example, in the turnaround sheds near the plants. This already had a positive effect during the spring turnarounds.” He concludes: “Our goal for the future is for engineers in the field to be able to see on their tablets when materials were inspected, the standards used for this and who performed the inspection. In this way we will continue to optimize Therefore.”
