Documents Module
Paperless Job Packets with Factivity
Factivity extends the capabilities of its award-winning Factivity Shop Floor Workbench with a module that connects directly to factory documents, such as, routings, BOMs, drawings, instructions and whatever information you want your operator to have at the touch of a button.
How It Works
Factivity provides seamless connection to your document files:
- Real-time Visibility into all job pack documents
- Performance information displayed through Web Browsers (FactViews)
- Capture of Quality data through User Built Templates
Experience the Benefits
Factivity supports lean manufacturing by reducing waste through:
- Reduce shop floor paper
- Minimize bottlenecks between operations
- Shrink WIP Inventory and improve material accuracy
- Eliminate waste time of either manual or bar coded data entry
- Provide a value-stream mapping as a bi-product of using the system
- Alert management real-time to work problems and inefficient activities
- Optimize the sequencing and scheduling of the production supply chain
- Provide a systemized approach to a Kaizen Events by getting operators involved
Getting Started
Factivity Documents Module is flexible, scalable and easy to implement:
- The interface is worker-friendly and color coded touch screens are specifically designed for the needs of the factory floor
- Operator training is simple and intuitive: employees can be trained within two hours
- Touch screens are located where employees need them – on the factory floor
- Security passwords protect data integrity
- Alerts are sent to email and pagers when shop floor issues occur for rapid response.
- Factivity will integrate quickly & easily with your ERP system.
MES Myths and Mistakes …
Not knowing about the issues surrounding this technology can cost your factory plenty!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Documents Module solves the job packet problem — the time and cost of assembling, printing, distributing, and managing paper packets for each job that moves through the floor. In most factories, preparing job packets requires someone to pull together drawings, work instructions, quality forms, and setup sheets for each order, print them, attach them to the job, and then sort and file them when the job is complete. FACTIVITY's Documents Module replaces this entirely: documents are stored electronically and delivered to the work center terminal at the touch of a button, always current, always in the right place, with no physical handling required.
The Documents Module can deliver virtually any electronic file to the work center — CAD and PDF drawings, setup instructions, video clips, ISO/QS 9000 controlled documents, quality inspection forms, special work instructions, and any other file type relevant to the operation. Documents are organized into groups tied to specific jobs and operations, so operators see only the documents relevant to what they're currently working on. This focused delivery reduces cognitive load and the risk of operators using the wrong revision of a document.
Quality templates are created by non-technical users through a drag-and-drop template builder — no programming required. A template can include fields for measurements, pass/fail checks, process parameters, and notes, configured to match the specific quality data the operation requires. During production, operators fill in the template on the touch screen. Data can also be captured automatically from measuring devices, weigh scales, and PLCs connected through the machine interface — reducing manual entry and the errors that come with it. When a captured value falls outside pre-defined tolerances, the system generates an alarm immediately so the issue can be addressed before more parts are affected.
For manufacturers with quality certification requirements — ISO, QS 9000, IATF, or similar — the Documents Module provides controlled document delivery that ensures operators always access the current, approved revision of every work instruction and quality form. Electronic signatures are captured for accountability. Quality data collected through templates creates a complete, auditable record tied to specific jobs, lots, and operations. The Material Review Board (MRB) tracking capability provides a documented decision trail for any nonconforming material. All of this supports audit readiness without the administrative overhead of maintaining paper-based quality records.
No. Operators interact with the Documents Module through the same touch screen interface they use for the rest of FACTIVITY — large, color-coded buttons that guide them through each step. Accessing a document requires a single button press. Filling in a quality template is guided by the template layout with no navigation required. Factivity's consistent design principle across all modules is that factory floor workers — including those without technical backgrounds or strong reading skills — can use the system effectively within hours of training.