Silcoms: Streamlining product management

Introduction

Silcoms, based in Bolton, has over 80 years of experience in manufacturing high-quality components for clients like Rolls Royce, Siemens and Kellogg's. To maintain their competitive edge, Silcoms needed to replace their disjointed manual processes with a centralized product management system that could streamline operations and improve quality.

The challenge

Silcoms faced several challenges before implementing Ideagen:

• Difficulty in controlling and managing various documentation formats, leading to inefficiencies
• Time-consuming and error-prone processes for ballooning drawings and conducting test plans
• A need for a centralized system to standardize and simplify product management activities

Finding the right solution

Silcoms chose Ideagen Quality Management for its ability to centralize and automate their product management processes. Key reasons for their choice included:

• Comprehensive support for the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), essential for their business
• Ability to streamline inspection and test plans, improving the flow of processes from start to finish
• Enhanced control and ease of use, making it simpler to provide customers with accurate progress updates

Implementation and impact

Ideagen has become an integral part of Silcoms' operations, providing a centralized system that enhances both efficiency and quality. The implementation led to significant improvements at Silcoms:

• Centralized documentation processes reduced the need for multiple formats, saving time and reducing errors
• Improved inspection and test planning enabled smoother process flows and better quality control
• Enhanced communication with customers through easier control of the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

The ability to control and manage processes from a single platform has not only streamlined operations, but also built stronger customer relationships by ensuring that products meet exacting standards.