Efficient inspections using Microsoft Office 365

Refrigeration manufacturer Hillphoenix has transformed its inspection process with Nintex Forms and Workflow

By Lindsay James on 30 July 2019

Efficient inspections using Microsoft Office 365

This article was originally published in the Summer 2019 issue of The Record. Subscribe for FREE here to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox.

Hillphoenix, a brand of Dover Food Retail, is a leading manufacturer of commercial refrigerated display cases and industrial refrigeration systems. But the company’s manual, paper-based line inspection process was done from memory each time. It increased the risk of errors, wasted inspection time, limited tracking records, necessitated hefty excel files, and delayed reporting. Hillphoenix looked for a digitised and mobile solution to standardise, streamline and improve the overall accuracy of its inspections.

After defining the line inspection process requirements and standardising the terminology used for inspections, Hillphoenix asked Office 365 consultant Mike Walsh to implement a solution. Using Nintex Workflow and Forms for Office 365, Walsh built a mobile application that inspectors access from a mobile device to complete the inspection process.

Now with Nintex, each inspector scans the item to be inspected on a mobile device and then works through a checklist of items. If there are any defects or repairs needed, inspectors take photos with the device and submit them with the inspection data. Once submitted, all inspection data is recorded and tagged in a SharePoint online library, with any photos attached to the specific record. If defects are found, an inspection report is generated with Nintex DocGen, shared with the rework facility, and the unit is labelled for repair.

Inspectors’ day-to-day duties are streamlined, and the new process allows for just-in-time reporting as inspectors can capture and share notes immediately – all while reducing costs for their customers. The inspection checklist and form ensure that each unit is inspected properly and consistently examined using only standardised terminology for any defects.

The digitised inspection process has brought new focus on the lean six sigma culture at Hillphoenix. Everything an inspector requires to do their job is now digitised and readily available from the inspection line – giving them more time for a thorough and accurate inspection.

Since introducing the solution in Q2 2018, internal defect per unit has decreased by 20% and the number of manufacturing-related warranty claims has decreased 17%. Thanks to Nintex, Hillphoenix has completely dissolved the use of paper forms and executed 3,000 digitised inspections in the last month of its peak production season.

The Nintex inspection process has been rolled out for all refrigerated cases built in the Hillphoenix Case Division, with plans to expand to other facilities within Dover’s Food Retail Group.