The paperless factory – part 4: operators don’t want software

“My people don’t want software”

It’s been a while since a customer said this to us. That comment opened the door to a much deeper conversation about the role of software on the shop floor.

People on the shop floor want to produce, not do administration. And there is still a perception that shop floor software looks just like an ERP system: lots of buttons, tabs and input fields.

Good software goes unnoticed

We came to a simple conclusion: good shop floor software should almost go unnoticed. It should only show the information people actually need. The work order. The quantity. Maybe a drawing or work instruction. Nothing more than necessary – and in an intuitive way.

Think about WhatsApp. Nobody ever took a course to learn how to use WhatsApp. You open it and you simply understand what to do.

Involve the people who use it

Just as important: involve employees in the selection and implementation. Ask them what they need and look at how they work today. Then make that process simpler: no buttons nobody uses, no unnecessary information and as few clicks as possible. So simple that the software almost disappears into the production process. Its only job is to make sure the right information appears at the right place, at the right time.

Surprisingly simple

Want to digitalise your shop floor? Start by looking closely at what your employees really need. And that turns out to be surprisingly simple:

• less clicking;
• less searching;
• less administration;
• more time to produce.

Missed it? Read part 3: from paper to digital in just a few days. Or see how JobControl shows operators only what they need.