Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

manufatcuring plant worker using tablet

Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

| |

Data analysis is the heart of any well-functioning manufacturing company. Without accurate, real-time data, manufacturing plants are left in the dark about costs, areas that need improvements, quality assurance, employee production, and so many other valuable insights. 

With that in mind, the question is, “What is the best way to collect data in manufacturing?” The answer to that question depends on several factors, including facility size, the type of products manufactured, and resources. 

You can collect data via observation, surveys, end-of-month reports, etc. However, most Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen experts would agree that some form of real-time digital data collection is the best method. 

Continue reading to learn more about the best ways to collect data at your manufacturing plant and how GoCanvas can help. 

Modern-day manufacturing involves a lot of machinery, software, calculations, and people. Depending on the type of facility, manufacturers can collect data in various ways, including but not limited to: 

  • IoT sensor integration. 
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).
  • Radiofrequency identification (RFID).
  • Machine integration. 
  • Paper forms.
  • Observations.
  • Surveys.
  • Document review (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.)
  • Microsoft Excel and other types of spreadsheets.
  • Manufacturing form apps.

While it is essential to collect data, the method of data collection is just as important. In the next section, learn why real-time manufacturing data is beneficial for all manufacturing plants regardless of size. 

If a manufacturer wants to compete in a highly competitive space, they’ll need to improve operations to make it as lean as possible. That means making a product faster, better, less expensive, and more efficient than competitors. 

Collecting data insights from the plant floor can improve your business in the following ways: 

  • Better cross-department communication.
  • Helps implement lean processes and reduce waste.
  • Enhanced decision-making.
  • Optimized manufacturing processes.
  • Elimination of paper trails.
  • Reduced inaccuracies in data collection. 
  • Faster response time to issues.
  • And more.

Suppose your company uses a manufacturing mobile app for quality control and quality assurance. In that case, you can calculate errors committed per day,  the time it takes the average worker to complete a task, material costs, etc. 

Your team can leverage this data to continually improve your manufacturing process until your plant behaves like a well-oiled machine. Additionally, you can use data insights gained from manufacturer apps to: 

  • Improve safety.
  • Streamline productions efforts. 
  • Schedule employees at the right time. 
  • Identify trends and problem areas. 
  • Better understand training needs .
  • Identify, assess, and overcome challenges that hinder growth. 
  • Save time and money.

Learn how GoCanvas has helped thousands of companies streamline their processes and improve the bottom line in the next section. 

Collecting data on paper forms or relying on observations to improve your manufacturing process can lead to unfavorable results. In competitive markets, the more data collection redundancies you have, the more time and information you lose. 

Our manufacturing form apps include countless templates to help streamline your data collection efforts and continuously improve operations. GoCanvas manufacturing templates are customizable, dynamic and help employees submit accurate data in real-time.  

You can use our manufacturing data collection apps to organize work orders, manage doc records, improve floor safety, and more. Browse our vast selection of manufacturing templates and make them your own. Try our manufacturing apps today for free – no credit card required.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

waste management worker

8 Ways Digitizing Your Manufacturing Equipment Maintenance Checklist Can Save Time

Digital checklists are essential for maintaining efficient and cost-effective operations. The key is to find the ideal tools to help you simplify manufacturing equipment maintenance in your facilities.

Improving Your Manufacturing Workflow With Apps

Have you ever wondered how manufacturing companies like Nvidia, SpaceX, Tesla, Intel, and Nike remain at the forefront of their industries? These companies obsess over optimizing their manufacturing process. To create and maintain a near-flawless workflow…

Wastewater Processing: 8 Tips to Make Your Manufacturing Site More Sustainable

When it comes to wastewater disposal, manufacturers can place a significant strain on municipal water systems. The lack of proper waste management leads to sanitary waste, particularly in metropolitan areas’ water supply.

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Improving Your Manufacturing Workflow With Apps

manufacturing worker improving workflows with apps

Improving Your Manufacturing Workflow With Apps

|

Have you ever wondered how manufacturing companies like Nvidia, SpaceX, Tesla, Intel, and Nike remain at the forefront of their industries? Two words: manufacturing workflows. 

These companies obsess over optimizing their manufacturing process. To create and maintain a near-flawless workflow, they collect a lot of data, analyze it, make improvements, and repeat the process over and over. 

If you want your manufacturing business to reach its full potential, one of the best places to start is by implementing apps to improve your manufacturing workflows. Continue reading to learn how. 

A manufacturing workflow essentially details the step-by-step process required to create a product from start to finish. The workflow process begins when the plant receives raw materials and ends when the products are finished. A manufacturing workflow produces a repeatable process, producing consistent and high-quality end products when done correctly. 

When a manufacturer monitors workflows, collects real-time data, and makes improvements based on their findings, they can reduce bottlenecks at an incredible pace. If you don’t monitor and continuously improve your workflows, you risk losing time, purchase orders, and damaging your company’s reputation due to bottlenecks in the production process. With that in mind, a few benefits of improving manufacturing processes include: 

  • Reduced incidence errors.
  • Improved data sharing.
  • Higher quality of products.
  • Reduced downtime.
  • More efficient employees.
  • Decreased manufacturing costs.
  • Higher rates of compliance.

An optimized workflow makes for happier employees, customers, and business owners. In the section below, learn how a manufacturing app can help automate your processes and save time. 

Tools like Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, and GoCanvas can help to improve workflow. However, you’ll still need to take a few additional steps to instill a strong culture of continuous improvement. 

Before using production workflow software, you should ensure that you set your factory and employees up for success by taking the following steps: 

  • Have the right tools and machinery.
  • Organize your tools and machinery in an efficient manner.
  • Keep your production equipment in top shape.
  • Brainstorm with management and employees to create streamlined processes.
  • Provide employees with adequate and regular training. 
  • Encourage open communication about production line issues and hidden bottlenecks. 

Once you’ve fully committed to the process of workflow management and optimization, you’ll be ready to introduce powerful workflow automation tools and manufacturing apps to take your process improvements to the next level. 

GoCanvas’ Manufacturing and Workflow apps help to save you time, money, and a lot of unnecessary headaches. The GoCanvas selection of manufacturing form apps includes templates for manufacturing inspection reviews, work schedule templates, daily production reports, production process documents and so much more. 

Additionally, the GoCanvas Workflow app allows for: 

  • Real-time approvals.
  • Cross department and inner-team collaborations.
  • Powerful automation and access controls.

Are you ready to optimize your manufacturing facility’s workflows? Try GoCanvas For Free – No Credit Card Required.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

Data analysis is the heart of any well-functioning manufacturing company. Without accurate, real-time data, manufacturing plants are left in the dark about costs, areas that need improvements, quality assurance, employee production, and so many other valuable insights.

8 Ways Digitizing Your Manufacturing Equipment Maintenance Checklist Can Save Time

Digital checklists are essential for maintaining efficient and cost-effective operations. The key is to find the ideal tools to help you simplify manufacturing equipment maintenance in your facilities.

Wastewater Processing: 8 Tips to Make Your Manufacturing Site More Sustainable

When it comes to wastewater disposal, manufacturers can place a significant strain on municipal water systems. The lack of proper waste management leads to sanitary waste, particularly in metropolitan areas’ water supply.

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Wastewater Processing: 8 Tips to Make Your Manufacturing Site More Sustainable

woman processing wastewater

Wastewater Processing: 8 Tips to Make Your Manufacturing Site More Sustainable

|

When it comes to wastewater disposal, manufacturers can place a significant strain on municipal water systems. The lack of proper waste management leads to sanitary waste, particularly in metropolitan areas’ water supply. This has catastrophic effects on people’s sense of health, education, and economic growth. In fact, we can trace recent cholera outbreaks mainly to the widespread use of improper wastewater processing, including poorly constructed wastewater management facilities that can leach their contents into surrounding soil and informal pit emptiers that dump sanitation waste into open drains and the local water supply.

This helpful guide discusses how manufacturers can enhance their wastewater processing to make them more environmentally sustainable.

Equipment should undergo frequent checks to assess its current state, performance, and remaining usable life at a given facility. Older machines are less productive, more expensive to maintain, and thirstier for power than their modern counterparts. 

Eliminating potentially dangerous chlorine disinfection systems is a crucial safety advantage of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems, while the systems’ low energy consumption is a welcome side effect. In place of chlorine, you can utilize a UV light disinfection system. This eliminates the need for expensive and sometimes dangerous chemicals. 

Electrocoagulation is a sustainable alternative to chemical coagulation, in which chemicals are introduced to the effluent to induce solid particles to agglomerate and sink to the bottom of a clarity tank. Apart from adjusting the pH, electrocoagulation does not require chemical additions. In contrast to chemical coagulation, which produces an abundance of potentially harmful sludge, electrocoagulation leads to less sludge that poses no danger. In fact, you can dewater this sludge without much effort. As an alternative to disposal, you can sell the dewatered sludge to agricultural businesses which they can use as a soil additive with organic fertilizers.

Anaerobic digesters are another wastewater processing technique that converts wastewater into renewable energy. The methane that an anaerobic digester produces can generate electricity for the wastewater facility at a much-reduced cost. As a result of the total reduction in energy expenditures, the facility can become more self-sufficient.

The most effective way to achieve energy goals and uncover new avenues for efficiency is to educate treatment system operators on the connection between facility operations and energy efficiency. Operators will more likely recommend and adopt efficiency changes after asking for their views. Because they interact with the facility’s processes on a daily basis across all departments, staff members have unique perspectives to bring to the table.

Adding dissolved oxygen control systems and variable frequency drives in blowers and other parts of the air distribution system can reduce the power that blowers use while improving aeration. Around 50% of an activated sludge wastewater treatment facility’s energy goes toward powering the aeration system.

Suppose your current blowers are on the brink of breakdown. In that case, you may consider upgrading to a single high-efficiency turbo blower that you can adjust according to the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water. Is your diffuser system getting on in years? Upgrading to fine-pore or ultra-fine-pore diffusers on the grid can boost oxygen transfer efficiency and reduce treatment air requirements.

By replacing outdated pumps with newer ones, you can save on both operation and upkeep over time. You can match pump speeds to flow rates to further reduce energy consumption using inexpensive and more reliable variable frequency drives. Wastewater treatment facilities typically feel obliged to pump water at rates corresponding to fresh wastewater’s arrival to minimize the need for storing water. In this situation, it is necessary to regulate the flow rate of the pumps.

It is important to keep in mind that not all approaches to flow management are created equal. Throttling valves, for instance, are often employed for flow control, as they create energy losses in the pipeline.

You can control water flow with little energy loss by installing a variable frequency drive (VFD) that rotates the pump’s shaft at the same speed as the water’s desired delivery rate. There will be some heat loss from using VFDs. The pump will also need to function effectively across the working range.

Are you wondering whether your system may need some tweaks and which solution would be appropriate for your facility? You can conduct an analysis to determine whether implementing a potential solution will provide desirable results. Note that pumps may waste energy if they aren’t working within their optimum parameters.

Plants need phosphorus, which is a vital part of fertilizers. If your facility is using or considering biological phosphorus removal, you may want to look into the potential for making a high-quality commercial fertilizer. Lowering phosphorus loading in the recycling streams can enhance the plant’s sidestream performance and the utility gains a new income stream at no additional cost to operations.

As environmental consciousness rises and regulatory oversight tightens, the efficacy of specific traditional wastewater treatment methods is being called into doubt. Since current wastewater processing methods are inadequate, AGTs are being researched, evaluated, and used as eco-friendly replacements.

Bioreactors are the backbone of the most widespread advanced technology used for wastewater treatment. Bioreactors populated with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) can recover precious metal sulfides by precipitating them as insoluble solids from metal-containing wastewater.

When you rely on informal checklists and training, you leave yourself open to oversights that may prove costly. GoCanvas can create official records of your business’s safety and compliance programs, standard operating procedures (SOPs), audit and authentication services, and security protocols.

GoCanvas believes data is too valuable to sit in storage. We can help in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of your wastewater treatment so that you can return to doing what you do best. Our clients come first, and we provide high-quality customer service that will help make your manufacturing site more sustainable. Please don’t hesitate to contact us right away to request a demo and learn more about wastewater processing.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas® is on a mission to simplify inspections and maximize compliance. Our intuitive platform takes care of the administrative tasks, freeing our customers to focus on what truly matters – safeguarding their people, protecting their equipment, and delivering exceptional quality to their customers. 

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

Data analysis is the heart of any well-functioning manufacturing company. Without accurate, real-time data, manufacturing plants are left in the dark about costs, areas that need improvements, quality assurance, employee production, and so many other valuable insights.

Improving Your Manufacturing Workflow With Apps

Have you ever wondered how manufacturing companies like Nvidia, SpaceX, Tesla, Intel, and Nike remain at the forefront of their industries? These companies obsess over optimizing their manufacturing process. To create and maintain a near-flawless workflow…

8 Ways Digitizing Your Manufacturing Equipment Maintenance Checklist Can Save Time

Digital checklists are essential for maintaining efficient and cost-effective operations. The key is to find the ideal tools to help you simplify manufacturing equipment maintenance in your facilities.

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

How Digital Can Transform Manufacturing

worker in a manufacturing bakery factory

How Digital Can Transform Manufacturing

worker in a manufacturing bakery factory

For the most successful manufacturers, technology isn’t an add-on or an afterthought—it’s an integral part of running a company. By automating tedious manual processes, technology saves you money and empowers you to spend more time growing your business.

Customized GoCanvas Forms can help your manufacturing company grow in the following key areas:

gear icon

Automation

Say goodbye to the messy handwriting and disorganized papers associated with manual processes. With GoCanvas mobile forms, you can:

  • Capture richer and more accurate data
  • Require and/or pre-populate certain fields
  • Include photographs and other images
  • Give stakeholders immediate access—wherever they’re located
shield icon

Safety and Compliance

Complying with regulations is vital to avoid high fines and uphold employee safety. By harnessing the power of big data through customizable GoCanvas mobile forms and checklists, manufacturers can:

  • Identify errors and violations in real time
  • Store records in the cloud for immediate access
  • Standardize data capture
chart icon

Standardization

Standardizing your processes with GoCanvas can significantly improve efficiency, allowing you to:

  • Consistently capture and analyze data across all facilities
  • Simplify quality and compliance checks
  • Unlock time savings
light icon

Interoperability

Modern manufacturing relies on using interchangeable parts to heighten production with fewer personnel. GoCanvas can optimize your company’s interoperability with customizable inspection checklists that:

  • Facilitate real-time data collection and insights
  • Operate in offline mode
  • Sync with the cloud immediately (or as soon as connectivity is available)

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

See how GoCanvas can transform your manufacturing business by automating tedious manual processes so you can spend less time on paperwork and more time growing your business.

Our user-friendly digital solution lowers costs, saves you time, and empowers your people to work smarter, not harder.

To learn more, sign up for a demo with our manufacturing experts.

About Us

GoCanvas

Since 2008, GoCanvas has been the go-to for job site management and compliance in construction and manufacturing. We are on a mission to eliminate paperwork, streamline workflows, and become an indispensable tool for any business owner. Together with Device Magic, our customizable mobile forms solution delivers seamless simplicity and optimal productivity. See why our 4 million monthly users chose GoCanvas and unlock your potential with our user-friendly platform.

Device Magic

Simplify fire protection management and enjoy streamlined workflows. With Device Magic’s real-time data collection and reporting, ensure compliance and make quicker decisions for faster response to identified issues. Our form builder and GoCanvas partnership enable easy operation management from your mobile device. Enhance fire inspections, safety and compliance, and payments to achieve efficiency and protect your bottom line with Device Magic and GoCanvas.

Check out even more resources

Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

Data analysis is the heart of any well-functioning manufacturing company. Without accurate, real-time data, manufacturing plants are left in the dark about costs, areas that need improvements, quality assurance, employee production, and so many other valuable insights.

Improving Your Manufacturing Workflow With Apps

Have you ever wondered how manufacturing companies like Nvidia, SpaceX, Tesla, Intel, and Nike remain at the forefront of their industries? These companies obsess over optimizing their manufacturing process. To create and maintain a near-flawless workflow…

Wastewater Processing: 8 Tips to Make Your Manufacturing Site More Sustainable

When it comes to wastewater disposal, manufacturers can place a significant strain on municipal water systems. The lack of proper waste management leads to sanitary waste, particularly in metropolitan areas’ water supply.

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

eBook Content: OSHA’s HazCom Standard: 6 Steps to Compliance

OSHA’s HazCom Standard: 6 Steps to Compliance

Key Takeaways

  • The deadline for having a HazCom program in full compliance was June 2016
  • Be sure to read up on the new standards, and designate at least one employee to be your HazCom point person 
  • Preparing a written HazCom plan doesn’t need to be complicated or lengthy. It just needs to describe how you’re going to communicate the hazards to your team 
  • Your manufacturers and suppliers are required to properly label. But once chemicals arrive at your facility, ensuring that they remains properly labeled becomes your responsibility 
  • New HazCom standards require manufacturers or suppli ers of hazardous chemicals to prepare and send an SDS with the shipment. If you receive a chemical without a data sheet, call and request one right away. 
  • The training requirements of HazCom 2012 are not just about providing information and training, but ensuring that employees understand that information (and could require materials in other languages). 
  • The cloud and mobile apps are key to increasing productivity and morale, and preventing high turnover and workers’ compensation expenses.

Introduction

Pesticides, cleaning supplies, diesel fumes, solvents, and paints — chemicals are everywhere in the modern world. So much so that no one really knows how many chemicals exist in our homes and workplaces.The Chemical Abstracts Service 

The registry (CAS) tracks registered chemicals, and the numbers are staggering. According to the CAS’s latest count, more than 93 million chemical substances exist in the world, with the number climbing daily. Countless industries depend on the safe and effective use of chemicals in industrial processes. With the use of powerful chemicals comes equally powerful responsibility. This was made clear by the major revisions the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) made to its Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) in 2012. As OSHA put in the press release announcing the changes, the new standard will benefit United States employees by:

  • Reducing confusion about chemical hazards in the workplace 
  • Facilitating safety training and improving employees’ understanding of hazards 
  • Classifying chemicals according to their health and physical hazards
  • Establishing consistent labels and safety data sheets for all chemicals made in the U.S. and imported from abroad

But the benefits don’t stop with employees: They extend to business owners and employers too. Why? The new regulations make training and safety requirements less complicated and time-consuming for U.S. companies. 

The Department of Labor (DOL) predicts $475.2 million in enhanced productivity, along with a $3 million cost savings to employers. The new standard also aligns with the one developed by the United Nations and adopted by dozens of countries worldwide. This move is expected to lower trade barriers and make it easier for companies to work together outside their domestic markets. 

With these benefits, though, come harsher penalties for not complying. In 2014, for instance, U.S. companies paid more than $3 million in HazCom penalty fees. The number is expected to rise, given that improper labeling and other HazCom violations are considered easy targets for inspectors. 

If you own or operate a business that produces, transports, utilizes, or disposes of hazardous chemicals, you need to develop and implement a HazCom program that complies with the new standard. The deadline for full compliance of the new standard is coming — June 2016. You can’t put it off any longer.

To help, this eBook walks you through six essential steps to an effective hazard communication program that will meet the requirements of HazCom 2012. It also shares strategies for small-to-mid-size businesses for a streamlined HazCom process.

With planning and the right tools, you can make your HazCom program a real business asset, one that not only boosts employee morale and improves productivity but also contributes to your bottom line.

Step 1: Know the standards, designate responsible staff

OSHA makes clear that you need to consider several factors when developing or updating your HazCom program. Start by visiting OSHA’s website and downloading a copy of the full Hazard Communication Standard. If you own or operate a small-to-mid-size business, also download and read OSHA’s “Small Entity Compliance Guide for Employers That Use Hazardous Chemicals,” an easy-to-digest guide published in 2014 by the DOL. 

Once you understand the new standard and how it differs from previous regulations, nominate a member of your leadership team to serve as your HazCom point person. This person will have to become familiar with the changes and take responsibility for the implementation and management of the program. Work with your point person to select staff members to be responsible for different aspects of your HazCom plan. 

This may not be possible if your company has limited bandwidth. Then, your point person may need to manage the entire program alone. If possible, however, utilize the expertise of your team for a divide-and-conquer approach to your HazCom program. 

One way to divide the work, for example, is to designate an employee to manage or help with each of the following:

  • Written hazard communication plan 
  • Labels and other warnings 
  • Safety data sheets 
  • Employee information and training

Step 2: Prepare a written HazCom plan

By law, if your employees produce, transport, utilize, or dispose of hazardous chemicals, you must create not only a HazCom program but also a written plan that describes how you’re going to communicate the hazards to your team. Writing down your plan keeps you in compliance and helps you figure out how to keep employees updated when various scenarios come up such as:

  • New information about the health hazards of chemicals in your workplace becomes available 
  • Government regulations shift 
  • You fine-tune or adjust your safety measures 
  • Before employees are exposed to a new chemical

This may sound like a lot to cover, but as OSHA explains in its guide for small businesses, your written plan “does not need to be lengthy or complicated.” The primary goal is to, “help ensure that compliance with the standard is done in a systematic way and that all elements are coordinated.” Essentially, your plan needs to:

  • Identify the chemicals in your workplace 
  • Describe your use of labels and other warnings 
  • Describe your use of safety data sheets 
  • Explain your approach to educating and training employees

Start with what’s obvious: a comprehensive list of all the hazardous chemicals in your workplace. Make sure the list includes both the formal product and chemical name. For many businesses, identifying chemicals is challenging. Assess your workplace closely, especially if you haven’t been keeping track. 

Also, know that chemicals aren’t just liquids — they can take many forms, including solids, gases, vapors, fumes, and mists. Tools like mobile apps can help you track the chemicals in your workplace. In fact, some apps are designed specifically for this purpose

In the next three sections of your written plan — labels, safety data sheets, and training — document your approach to these core areas. Be sure to include who on your team will manage the process and how you’re going to handle occasional chemical exposure that happens outside of ordinary work routines.

Step 3: Learn and shift to the new labeling system

Labels typically serve as the first sign of alert — and are an important part of your HazCom program. The 2012 Hazard Communication Standard shifted labeling requirements in a way that makes it easier for employers to comply. It created a downstream approach, which puts the onus on the manufacturer or supplier to properly label each chemical. 

Accurate information is essential when dealing with hazardous chemicals. So, never remove a label from a shipping container. Under the new regulations, the manufacturer or supplier’s label needs to include the following:

  • A product identifier, which is the chemical name(s) designated by the manufacturer.
  • A signal word, such as “danger” or “warning,” to alert employees of the hazard (Note that danger is reserved for higher-level hazards, while “warning” is used for lower-level hazards). 
  • At least one pictogram that relates to and signals a hazard (e.g., a skull and crossbones for acute toxicity or a flame for flammable gases).
  • Relevant hazard statements that describe the risks in a few words (e.g., Toxic if inhaled; May cause cancer; or May mass explode in fire).
  • Any precautionary statements about how to avoid adverse reactions or improper handling (e.g., Do not smoke when using this product or Wear eye protection).
  • Name, address, and phone number of the manufacturer, importer, or other responsible party.

Once a chemical container arrives at your facility, ensuring that it remains properly labeled becomes your responsibility. If you transfer chemicals from a shipping container to a workplace container, take care to label it accurately, with the information above prominently and legibly displayed.

Under the new regulations, you can choose to add supplemental information to your label. Some companies, for instance, include information from third-party labeling systems, such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) or Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS). 

OSHA warns, however, that the numerical ratings used in some outside labeling systems differ from the ones used in HazCom 2012. So if you add information from another system, make sure the rating system matches that of HazCom 2012 to avoid confusion.

The information on your label needs to be in English. But, if your employees do not understand English (or have a limited understanding), HazCom 2012 requires you to translate the label information in a language they do understand.

Step 4: Maintain safe data sheets

Safety data sheets (SDSs) provide detailed information on a specific hazardous chemical. They must be set up and maintained for every hazardous chemical in any workplace. Furthermore, they must be easy to access by your employees, and stored in a place employees can find quickly while working their shifts. 

Just as with the new labeling system, the new HazCom standard requires manufacturers or suppliers of hazardous chemicals to prepare and send an SDS with the shipment. If you receive a chemical without a data sheet, call and request one right away. Manufacturers and suppliers are also required to send an updated SDS each time new, significant information about a chemical becomes available.

Comprehensive information

Data sheets cover a broad range of topics — all related to the single product. Mandatory information on an SDS includes:

  • Identification of the chemical 
  • Hazard(s) identification 
  • The composition (or ingredients) of the chemical 
  • First-aid measures 
  • Firefighting measures 
  • Accidental release measures 
  • Handling and storage 
  • Exposure control/personal protection 
  • Physical and chemical properties 
  • Stability and reactivity 
  • Toxicological information

In addition, an SDS will sometimes come with information about regulations, proper disposal, ecological concerns, and how to transport the chemical.

Creating and maintaining an SDS database

It’s up to you, the employer, to decide how you want to compile and store your SDSs. Some companies print and collect every SDS in a series of binders kept at various known locations, such as work trucks or break rooms. Increasingly, companies create digital SDS databases in the cloud. Then, they use mobile devices and apps to make the information readily available — literally on hand at the work site. This mobile checklist, for instance, allows employees to easily check protocols as they work, with out having to stop and flip through a binder. 

Consider a construction worker about to enter to confined space with potential toxic levels of vapors and gases. With a smartphone or tablet, the employee can check the hazards — and learn what precautions to take — on the spot. Having to leave the work site just to find a paper version takes more time. When on tight deadlines, workers might decide to skip that step, putting their health and your business at unnecessary risk.

Step 5: Educate and train your employee

Keeping your employees up to date on the hazardous chemicals in the workplace is another focus area of HazCom 2012 and a critical part of your overall HazCom program. Any employee working with hazardous chemicals must understand the potentially harmful side effects, appropriate protective measures, and where they can go for additional information — all before they start working with any hazardous chemical. 

The training requirements of HazCom 2012 are two-fold: providing information and conducting training sessions. To fulfill the requirement on providing information, give your employees written and visual materials that explain these three things:

The overall requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard

  1. Where and to what extent hazardous chemicals exist in the workplace
  2. Specific information about your own HazCom program, including where and how employees can access information

As your systems and information shifts over time, keep your employees updated and informed in ways they can digest and understand.

Training requirements

Training, on the other hand, needs to take place face-to-face and be more interactive. According to the new requirements, mandatory training areas include:

  • Methods to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemical in your work area (e.g., odors, visual cues, monitoring) 
  • The physical and health hazards of chemicals in the work area, including simple asphyxiation, combustible dust and pyrophoric gas hazards, as well as hazards not otherwise classified 
  • Measures employees can take to protect themselves from hazards (e.g., appropriate work practices, emergency procedures, and personal protective equipment available on site)

The details of your hazard communication program, including a thorough explanation of how to read and interpret labels and safety data sheets, how employees can access this information, and the chain of contact within your organization so employees can contact the right people quickly in case of a concern or emergency. 

An essential part of your training program is that your employees understand the hazards and risks, know how to protect themselves, and how to respond in an emergency. If you have employees with limited literacy skills, speak little or no English, or need special accommodations, you will need to adapt your materials and training for employees. Utilize OSHA’s resources for non-English-speaking employees, such as the Spanish version of its website, as well as translated versions of some educational materials and publications across these languages: Chinese, Korean, Nepali, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Step 6: Streamline HazCom with technology

Creating a HazCom program is not a one-time requirement. It’s an ongoing obligation, particularly as more chemicals enter our workplaces, and as researchers and scientists learn more about potential side effects. Employers are responsible for training and informing their employees in a way that they can understand. To borrow OSHA’s catchphrase, HazCom 2012 gives workers not only the right to know but also the right to understand.

When new chemicals are brought in, when processes or procedures change might affect how chemicals are transported, used, or disposed of, these are ideal times to re-evaluate your HazCom program. Even if your work environment hasn’t changed, it’s important to assess your program at least every quarter. Only then can you be prepared when an OSHA inspector comes knocking.

Set up an efficient and smooth system

HazCom training can feel like a big task — and is certainly an important one. With the right resources and tools, you can streamline how you develop, manage, and implement your HazCom program. 

Today’s increased regulations make it hard to get by on older methods like paper forms, filing systems, and checklists. These methods might be ingrained in your workplace, but they take time and often require a staff person to manually key in information from the forms to a computer. Cloud-based platforms and mobile apps can speed up and simplify the process. They can even lower the likelihood of something critical slipping through the cracks. 

At the same time, these technologies empower your employees to work as a team and play a more active role in their own health and well-being. Both are key to increasing productivity and morale, preventing high turnover, and workers’ compensation expenses. In today’s highly competitive marketplace, these cost-savings make a real difference. If you aren’t using technology in a way that saves you time and money, know that your competitors are — and you need to catch up. 

Going mobile and switching to the cloud are far easier and more affordable than many people think. In all likelihood, the majority of your employees already use mobile apps in their personal lives. At Canvas, we offer close to 200 mobile apps that help employers and employees monitor and manage the use of hazardous chemicals in the workplace. 

Browse or customize our existing the apps in our Application Store. Create your own custom apps from your existing paper forms — in a few clicks. Or just send us your forms, and we can convert them into apps for you.

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

Check out even more resources

Manage Risk for Oil and Gas Companies With a Risk Assessment Checklist

Today, the challenges faced by the oil and gas industry are considerable. Effective business leaders and managers must thoroughly understand them to determine…

Solutions to Waste Management Issues For Oil & Gas Companies

Waste management compliance is important in every industry. The oil and gas industry, in particular, has a strong risk of waste emissions…

4 Ways Big Data is Transforming Oil and Gas

Oil and gas companies are getting smart about using the data they collect to gain insights and manage people, equipment, and worksites more effectively…

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

How Digital Can Transform Manufacturing

How Digital Can Transform Manufacturing

Manufacturing companies already know that technology is not a luxury — it’s necessary to stay competitive. Learn how you can boost your bottom line by switching from paper to digital and harnessing the power of data you already own. Ensure compliance, create efficiencies, improve safety, and make real-time decisions by changing how you capture your data.

What can you learn in this eBook?

  • How to streamline incident and maintenance reporting, audits, and open-issue tracking
  • How to avoid worker injuries and large fines by ensuring safety compliance
  • How your teams can make real-time decisions and create greater efficiencies

Complete the form to access your copy.

Cerveza Patagonia Saves 1,200 Hours With Mobile Audits

How Cerveza Patagonia Saves Over 1,200 Hours with Mobile Audits and Exams

Quick Facts 

  • Created & deployed 20+ mobile forms
  • Savings of over $98,000 in Annual Productivity
  • 100+ Hours Saved Per Month, Per App

Making the Switch to GoCanvas

Cerveza Patagonia is a globally recognized beer brand. Their brand has become well known not just for their high-quality beverages, but for the incredible experience they strive to provide each of their customers.

Cerveza Patagonia has bar and refuges throughout Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Each location is staffed with highly skilled and knowledgeable staff. In order to make this possible Cerveza Patagonia has implemented an education program where students can take up to 20 subjects in person or online.

Although the program has opened the doors for hundreds of individuals, teachers were struggling with keeping track of student assignments. When Micaela de Armero joined their human resources team she immediately set out to find a solution to streamline the way the Patagonia school was collecting assignments.

She connected with Cerveza Patagonia’s operations team who were already using GoCanvas to for forms such as:

  • Store Audits
  • Inspections
  • Quality Control Checks
  • Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)

After seeing how simple the GoCanvas platform was to manage, it was an easy decision! GoCanvas presented an easy solution for both Patagonia’s teachers and students for streamlining the way exams and assignments were done.

Realizing the Benefits of Going Mobile

Since Cerveza Patagonia’s implementation, they have saved over 100 hours per app each month.

Now, when a student takes their assigned exam they are able to quickly access the test, answer each of the questions within the application, and receive their score immediately after they submit. This process allows for teachers to reinvest the time they would have spent tracking down submissions to focus on the quality of their educational content.

Cerveza Patagonia is continually improving their internal processes and looking for new ways to provide the best customer experience in the market. Today Cerveza Patagonia has further solidified their place as an industry leader by increasing their efficiency and improving the way they share information.


RF Celada Saves $25K Annually with Mobile Work Orders

Man on tablet in front of a moving truck.

How RF Celada Saved $25K Annually through Mobile Work Orders and Invoicing

The Background

For nearly 80 years, RF Celada has been the leading sales and service provider for industrial machinery throughout Italy and has expanded its services to France, Croatia, Slovenia, Emirates, and Switzerland. Since their inception, RF Celada has committed themselves to the highest quality experience possible for each of their customers.

The Problem

RF Celada has over 80 mechanics that travel to customers to service machinery when something needs to be repaired or audited. Prior to GoCanvas, lost forms, illegible handwriting, and missing information was costing RF Celada time and money.

The Solution

That’s why Alberto Bernasconi, ‎ICT Group Manager at RF Celada, decided to ditch the paperwork and automate their data collection with GoCanvas.

The types of forms converted to mobile versions included:

RF Celada has automated their data handling process even further by integrating their web service platform and Google Sheets to the GoCanvas platform. Now, once a submission is made, information auto-populates their web service platform, their central database for customer information. This information also gets passed to Google Sheets for real-time reporting.

The Outcomes

After going paperless, RF Celada has captured 30,000+ digital records year after year with their custom GoCanvas mobile forms!

“What used to take us 10 minutes takes 1 minute and has more information, more statistics, and is more accurate.”Alberto Bernasconi 

Overall, RF Celada has seen a major increase in the accuracy of their reporting and improved visibility into daily operations. Even with 60+ hours recovered every month, RF Celada is still searching for new ways they can implement GoCanvas to save more time and money!

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

Check out even more resources

Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

Data analysis is the heart of any well-functioning manufacturing company. Without accurate, real-time data, manufacturing plants are left in the dark about costs, areas that need improvements, quality assurance, employee production, and so many other valuable insights.

Improving Your Manufacturing Workflow With Apps

Have you ever wondered how manufacturing companies like Nvidia, SpaceX, Tesla, Intel, and Nike remain at the forefront of their industries? These companies obsess over optimizing their manufacturing process. To create and maintain a near-flawless workflow…

Wastewater Processing: 8 Tips to Make Your Manufacturing Site More Sustainable

When it comes to wastewater disposal, manufacturers can place a significant strain on municipal water systems. The lack of proper waste management leads to sanitary waste, particularly in metropolitan areas’ water supply.

MOM Brands Saves Over $3M by Going Paperless with GoCanvas

manufacturing bottles

How MOM Brands Saved Over $3M by Going Paperless

Overview 

  • Data that once took days to analyze is now accessible in real-time
  • Platform integration removes hours of data entry
  • Stronger forecasting and competitor understanding with real-time intelligence dashboard
  • $75,000 in monthly productivity savings

Apps Used

  • Club Store Price Survey
  • Display Compliance Report
  • Grocery Price Survey
  • Retail Team Sales Summary

The Background

MOM Brands® was the largest family-owned cereal company in the United States until its acquisition by Post Holdings in 2015. Family-owned since 1919, MOM Brands built on an unwavering commitment to providing consumers with products that are of the highest quality, delivered at a better price to help consumers save money, and manufactured and distributed in a way that has a limited impact on the environment. MOM Brands and its team now operate underneath the global brand, Post. This is their story of transitioning from a paper-based operation to a streamlined mobile platform.

The Problem

Prior to their acquisition and implementation of GoCanvas, MOM Brands’ latter mission – developing innovative, environmentally sound business processes that benefit the consumer – was evident with the firm’s Bag The Box™ campaign, which emphasizes the environmental benefits of using less packaging by enclosing cereal in a bag instead of the traditional bag-and-box.

Not only is bagged cereal less expensive, but the bag-only packaging also uses 75 percent less consumer packaging than the traditional bag-and-box combination.  

In the same way, MOM Brands addressed the negative cost and environmental impact of cereal boxes, the company sought to improve the way in-store audits were conducted at the 30,000+ retail outlets in which MOM Brands products are sold.

MOM Brands has a team of sales professionals who are responsible for reporting and auditing in-store conditions. These include ensuring each item’s brand standards are being upheld, that products are placed where they are supposed to be, and that there is full compliance with distribution and retail standards.

At the same time, MOM Brands relied on these sales professionals in the field to identify new potential retail sales partners and manage relationships with existing ones.

Historically, auditing and sales management processes were done with paper forms. As a result, MOM Brands’ decision-makers did not have access to real-time data to make rapid, informed decisions. MOM Brands wanted a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to their 3-part forms.

The Solution

In 2010, MOM Brands decided to go with GoCanvas, the global leader in mobile apps for business. With their free trial, they received full support from GoCanvas as they moved from paper to mobile apps.

Each and every account gets a dedicated senior mobile app consultant. With their consultant, MOM Brands was able to explain what they wanted and to create a mobile experience for their unique needs.

MOM Brands found itself in the same position thousands of GoCanvas customers have; the GoCanvas platform—with 14,000+ customizable mobile apps, the app builder and real-time app management—strengthened their internal processes.

Their initial apps focused on enabling auditing professionals in the field to collect in-store data at retail locations for both MOM Brands’ products as well as those of competitors. Then, they could use iPads to transmit the data in real time to decision-makers via the GoCanvas cloud. 

Over the past 6 years, MOM Brands has grown to over 130 users with iPads on GoCanvas, transforming how MOM Brands’ eight sales teams collect data and report this information to others in the organization. They have experienced real, measurable benefits from implementing GoCanvas, including significant efficiency improvements, cost reductions, and environmental benefits. Key results include:

Real-time access to data

MOM Brands has leveraged GoCanvas’ cloud-based, “as-a-Service” mobile app to enjoy real-time, actionable intelligence. At the same time, the ability of sales teams to transmit in-store data from their iPads via the GoCanvas cloud has allowed MOM Brands to shift from ad hoc reporting to a systematic process for data collection that can be converted into actionable intelligence.

Making their work even easier, was integration with EnterBridge. EnterBridge was able to pull in GoCanvas submission information, format it into source data and roll it right into expanding monthly pivot table views at the click of a button.

GoCanvas frequently integrates with systems and clouds of all types and sizes.  While the list is constantly growing, the platform has the capability to integrate with more than 30 systems to date. Some of the most common include SalesForce, SAP, SQL Server Database, Oracle, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, Microsoft Office, and Quicken.

By being able to access dispatch, reference data, and submission data right from Excel the team at EnterBridge was able to seamlessly integrate raw submission data from GoCanvas into a vibrant workbook filled with slice-and-dice visuals.

excel integration for real time data. Save hundreds of hours going paperless with a mobile app

Because of Enterbridge’s integration, Post Consumer Brands receives documents filled with information and visuals in real time.

The submission data pulled by data range and form flowed into pivot table-ready structures. Core data was hidden and the resulting business intelligence dashboards could be used across the organization to understand and explore the data being collected by GoCanvas.

The full power of GoCanvas in the hands of the business team was now on display and dashboards could be refreshed with the latest information on demand. 

Rapid app deployment

GoCanvas’ intuitive mobile app platform has enabled MOM Brands to create apps in a matter of days. It was intuitive enough that apps could be created and deployed by “non-IT” professionals within the organization quickly and sustainably.

Flexibility to meet evolving business needs

As a cloud-based mobile app platform, GoCanvas provided MOM Brands with the flexibility to easily add features and functionality to each app as user and business needs evolve. With other mobile app alternatives, making even minor changes within each app proved cumbersome and diluted the effectiveness of the tool.

Today, Post Consumer Brands (MOM) products are sold in more than 30,000 retail locations, from major recognizable chains to small, mom-and-pop stores. For that reason, MOM Brands needed a tool that was flexible enough to meet the diversity in the size, needs, and locations of their retail partners.

For instance, with seasonable factors or a new product launch, MOM Brands wanted to be able to add a few retail reporting questions to an app for a month and then remove or change those questions later.

GoCanvas allows MOM Brands to do this quickly and easily. This flexibility allows them to be nimble and nuanced in understanding the needs of their retail partners, and ultimately, their customers.

The Outcomes

With more than 20 apps and over 130 users, MOM Brands uses GoCanvas for detailed data analysis that can be collected and shared in real time throughout the organization. Users have the ability to reference historical data, segregate data, and pre-populate app forms on their iPads with information related to each retail partner.

As a result, MOM & Post Consumer Brands can decide each day from which of its 30,000 retail partners it wants to view real-time data.

The origins of MOM Brands as the fastest-growing cereal company date back to 1919 when John Campbell took $900 of poker winnings and started a company. While Campbell’s bet paid off, organizations today cannot afford to gamble when it comes to having access to accurate, real-time data. In 2018, MOM Brands is part of the 1 billion dollar Post Holdings company. The GoCanvas mobile app platform allows the sales team to have complete, accurate information in real-time, helping them achieve even more success as they continue their rapid expansion!

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

Check out even more resources

Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

Data analysis is the heart of any well-functioning manufacturing company. Without accurate, real-time data, manufacturing plants are left in the dark about costs, areas that need improvements, quality assurance, employee production, and so many other valuable insights.

Improving Your Manufacturing Workflow With Apps

Have you ever wondered how manufacturing companies like Nvidia, SpaceX, Tesla, Intel, and Nike remain at the forefront of their industries? These companies obsess over optimizing their manufacturing process. To create and maintain a near-flawless workflow…

Wastewater Processing: 8 Tips to Make Your Manufacturing Site More Sustainable

When it comes to wastewater disposal, manufacturers can place a significant strain on municipal water systems. The lack of proper waste management leads to sanitary waste, particularly in metropolitan areas’ water supply.

TekPak Inc. Mobilizes Their Manufacturing Line and Saves $121K

worker in a manufacturing bakery factory

How TekPak Inc. Mobilized Their Manufacturing Line and Saved $121K 

The Background

As a packaging and manufacturer of everything from deodorizers to medical-grade equipment, TekPak had a paper form for everything. The ability to produce so many things was leading them to accumulate stacks and stacks of paper forms that could not be properly filled out and reviewed on a daily basis. This was resulting in a ton of inefficiencies occurring within their manufacturing process, especially in the areas of Safety, Operations, Engineering, and Quality Assurance. These are the same areas that Ryan Hutson, Technical Services Director at TekPak, wanted to focus on improving when he first met with the Senior Mobile Consultants at GoCanvas.

The Problem

Ryan Hutson needed GoCanvas’ help in streamlining the process of 5 different departments including Safety, Operations, IT, Engineering, and Quality Assurance. These 5 departments shared the same common issues. These issues included the inability to view and analyze data in real-time, the inability to properly organize and manage documents, and having no adequate way to track and review employee time.

The Solution

GoCanvas worked with the TekPak team to begin creating dynamic mobile forms and processes based on their old paper copies. An important part of this process was the implementation of “Workflow“.

This functionality of GoCanvas gives TekPak the ability to have one employee fill out a portion of a form on their smart device and automatically send it to their supervisor’s device for review/approval. It also can be used for employees working at stations on the manufacturing line who are inspecting products. This helps speed up the transfer of information without sacrificing accuracy. Employees no longer have to write everything on a clipboard, leaving their station, and track down a supervisor. Now everything is automated for them right on their tablet.

TekPak also utilized the “Folders” functionality of GoCanvas which allows them to easily manage, organize, and assign data both for their employees and their back office staff. When employees sign into their mobile devices, they just click on the folder of the department that they are assigned and fill out those specific mobile forms. No confusion, no mistakes. The back office can also retrieve, analyze, and export data on these department or workgroup folders as well!

The Outcomes

Since fully deploying Canvas almost 2 years ago, TekPak completed over 48,000+ mobile form submissions and reduced their paper costs by almost $7,000 annually. GoCanvas has given the supervisors like Ryan Hutson at TekPak the ability to not only receive accurate and timely information from their employees on the manufacturing line but also have the ability to view and create real-time reports. These reports are critical for keeping up with quality control and assurance standards and reducing mistakes that could cost the company thousands.

In all, TekPak has developed over 50+ mobile forms using the no-code, drag-and-drop form builder. They have been able to take almost all their process mobile with GoCanvas, which has led to a 50% increase in productivity and a $126,210 annual Return on Investment.

Ready to Rethink How You Work?

GoCanvas has helped a variety of businesses across multiple industries transform their safety processes and rethink their efficiency, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kickstart your process revolution.

Check out even more resources

Best Ways to Collect Data in Manufacturing

Data analysis is the heart of any well-functioning manufacturing company. Without accurate, real-time data, manufacturing plants are left in the dark about costs, areas that need improvements, quality assurance, employee production, and so many other valuable insights.

Improving Your Manufacturing Workflow With Apps

Have you ever wondered how manufacturing companies like Nvidia, SpaceX, Tesla, Intel, and Nike remain at the forefront of their industries? These companies obsess over optimizing their manufacturing process. To create and maintain a near-flawless workflow…

Wastewater Processing: 8 Tips to Make Your Manufacturing Site More Sustainable

When it comes to wastewater disposal, manufacturers can place a significant strain on municipal water systems. The lack of proper waste management leads to sanitary waste, particularly in metropolitan areas’ water supply.

>