Sechan Electronics, Lititz, Penn., develops, manufactures and tests military electronics systems and subsystems for the Department of Defense and its prime contractors.

A top electronics contract manufacturing services company, Sechan is one of the most respected small businesses for contract manufacturing in the U.S.  The company built its reputation with cutting-edge electronics systems supported by circuit card assemblies, wiring harnesses and end item integration. 

The Struggle with Paper Work Instructions

Over the years, from a production standpoint, Sechan has relied on detailed paper work instructions to deliver competitively priced, highly reliable, defense electronic and electro-mechanical equipment.

Until about four years ago, the company’s data base allowed engineers to cut, paste and drag information and images into a Word or other work document.  However, in Sechan’s high mix, low volume product mix, it would not be uncommon to have 500 changes over the life of the program -- hundreds per day in 30 to 50 active programs -- that would drive changes to five to seven paper work instructions on the floor. 

“We would grab these documents, manually redline them, accumulate the changes, withdraw them from the floor and replace the changed pages with the updated information,” Sechan Vice President of Operations Steven L. Kaylor says.  “There was one individual who spent all of his time running around notifying people that certain work instructions were on a recall list.  Then he would locate all the copies and check off on a master list that every copy had been updated or redlined.  It was a never ending constant struggle to make sure it was getting done properly.”

Paperless Work Instructions Pay Off

Kaylor was convinced there had to be a better way to get changes to floor. He reviewed a number of alternatives. Some companies offered document management systems, but he would still have to generate separate documents. He then heard of Sequence software, from Knoxville, Tenn.-based FFD, Inc., that would eliminate the need for paper work instructions and streamline his redline dilemma.

Consider what the world would be like without dependable Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).   Air and sea transportation would come to a halt. Militaries would be blinded. The list of consequences goes on.

Fortunately, this scenario is unlikely. Nonetheless, reliable components and subsystems are essential for GNSS to operate for the productivity, safety and security of their users. 

NovAtel Inc. is the world’s leading original equipment manufacturer (OEM) supplier of precision GNSS products, including receivers, antennas, enclosures and firmware. These products are recognized for their high quality as well as low power consumption and comprehensive message suites for configuration and data logging.

The company’s components and subsystems are found worldwide in precision agriculture machine guidance, surveying, Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping, port automation, mining, marine and defense applications – as well as in U.S., Japanese, European, Chinese and Indian aviation ground networks.

Driving NovAtel’s worldwide success is a commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. This dedication to quality is brought to light at the company’s Calgary, Canada, assembly facility where engineers and assemblers rely on precise work instructions for high quality, standardized products.

Wheelchairs, scooters and power chairs help people with limited mobility lead independent lives. Equally important are the mechanisms that move or transport these devices in the home or in vehicles. Mechanical breakdowns or structural failures can have serious consequences and greatly limit the freedom of these individuals.

Bruno Independent Living Aids is a leading global manufacturer of personal mobility device transportation equipment. Since 1984, the company has become the industry standard for unwavering quality workmanship. Headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Bruno is known worldwide for its vehicle vertical lifts, turning automotive seats and residential rail stair and vertical platform lifts.

As Steve Ruder, Bruno process improvement specialist says, “We are not the cheapest, but our products are the best out of the box. We build it right the first time, every time.” 

In 2008, American Science and Engineering (AS&E) initiated a lean manufacturing initiative that included streamlining its manufacturing documentation process. 

Each step of manufacturing -- including keeping a production record book, test procedures, quality inspections and visual work instructions -- was done manually in a paper-based system. The manufacturer of sophisticated X-ray products used to inspect parcels, baggage, vehicles, pallets, cargo containers and people allocated 1.5 personnel headcounts over an eight-hour shift for the documentation process.

“There was tremendous waste of time and paper,” says Doug Capri, AS&E’s manufacturing engineering manager. “We had to manually maintain, audit and laminate each document on a daily basis before we started a build.  We had to use Word and an editing software package for the digital pictures. So we would normally take a picture, crop it, and then paste into Word. That was very cumbersome.”

AS&E chose Sequence Enterprise Software from FFD, Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn.-based software company to capture of AS&E’s core manufacturing knowledge and eliminate the need for an inefficient text editor and a third party graphics packages.