Enabling Supplier Quality on Unifize
Clarissa shares her experiences with supplier quality management on Unifize, highlighting how the platform has revolutionized this aspect of her work. She discusses the challenges of dealing with non-conforming parts from various suppliers and illustrates how Unifize aids in documenting and analyzing these issues. Through her narrative, Clarissa showcases Unifize's capability in identifying supplier performance trends, facilitating impactful discussions, and driving quality improvements, all contributing to enhanced manufacturing efficiency.
Transcript

[00:00 - 00:28]
When we had our paper system, you know, and we were getting parts in from different vendors. And if there were parts that were out of specification or that sort of thing, you know, being in the research space, kind of documenting it. And it was very tribal knowledge of, you know, oh, we just know that this vendor has difficulty with this, that or the other which tribal knowledge is pretty useless, especially when you have people leaving the company coming back to, you know, new people joining the company.



[00:28 - 01:03]
And a lot of that knowledge gets lost. So the ability, you know, we've seen in Unifize, you know, we've had vendors who we've been working with since the beginning and noticing that, oh, wait, you know, because of the trending, we're able to see they've actually have a terrible yield rate. Or every time they send us a lot of parts, we've noticed that, you know, 30% are out of spec or, you know, they're there's a specific type of part that's really critical to the robot that almost always comes in out of spec.



[01:03 - 01:26]
And we're always scrambling to try to fix that. And I think it's really easy to be reactive in that situation where you're like, okay, let me fix it. Let me contact the vendor and get them to send me another part and make sure that it's correct. And it's really easy to put out a fire and move on. But with Unifize, we've been able to see, Oh, hey, this is a pattern.



[01:26 - 01:54]
And being able to use that evidence to go to our vendor and say, Hey, this is what we need from you. You know, we need you know, this is what we need from you. We need you all to work on your yield, to work on your processes. And that has been able to allow us to work with our vendors and have the evidence to say, hey, we you know, we deserve we deserve parts that are made correctly.



[01:55 - 02:31]
And especially when you have a small company that doesn't have like the buying power of a large medical device company like Stryker or whatever, you know, it's really you have to be you have to advocate for yourself and Unifize is allowed us to abdicate for ourselves by showing them these trending non conformance is or these trending issues to be able to open up a SCAR (supplier corrective action) report really easily and say here's the history, here's why we need to work together to come to a solution or we're not going to be working together anymore.



[02:31 - 03:09]
And that's able to work on, you know, time is money. And so being able to build robots in a quick way with good parts, you know, that's able to allow us to have a higher yield on the manufacturing floor to build more parts in a more efficient way because we're able to show what we need. And if we need to go to a different vendor, we have the history to explain to maybe higher ups or other people who don't understand what's going on, why we need to have a change.



[03:09 - 03:19]
And Unifize just makes that so much more simple, because right at a click of a button, I can go instantly to what we're referring to and double check it and make sure we're compliant.

Unifize Results

10x
Speed to compliance
Unifize accelerates compliance, delivering 10x faster regulatory approval for medical devices
4x
Faster time-to-market
Map Unifize to your processes and streamline workflows, process automation
70%
Fewer meetings
Less meetings with in-app collaboration, real-time updates, and decision logs
Transcript

But what we've known from what I experience was, is we were able to get there with the system. We still there with the system. The system has what is needed to provide us what we're looking for, because every company, admittedly, is trying to get compliant. If we educate people, if we get people the education that they need and to get over the fear factor, I think 90% of those things can be resolved because most people will go to what they're most familiar with.What I worked with from a different company, but they're not willing to sit down and look at what the demographics are saying. People are into social media now. People are moving fast into fast paced world. But technologies are still antiquated. So there's a disconnect here, right? So while we're moving at a fast pace at home with dragging at work, so why can't we continue that speed while we at work?If your supplier has issues and you're not informed on time, you want to have an alternate supplier in place. If your suppliers are not qualified, you may not know that that needs to happen. And so when you have an integrated system that speaks to itself and is giving you all this data, you literally have the pulse of the organization in your hands as an executive at a money bound access.

Related Case Study Videos

00:30
How to standardize institutional knowledge for enhancing clarity
Seth Bozman shares insights into how Unifize has played a crucial role in capturing and standardizing institutional knowledge at Efco. He highlights the challenge of relying on knowledge passed down through years of experience and how Unifize's structured approach to operational procedures has facilitated better decision-making. This video demonstrates Unifize's impact on preserving critical knowledge and ensuring it's accessible to all, thereby speeding up processes and enhancing efficiency.
01:31
How long did it take to get up and running with Unifize
Mikala discusses the quick, intuitive setup process of Unifize and contrasts it with the lengthy, complicated setups of other systems. She highlights the system's immediate usability and minimal onboarding requirement, emphasizing its efficiency and user-centric design. Mikala also touches upon the ease of integrating Unifize into their existing workflows, the smooth transition experienced by the team, and how the software's intuitiveness has enabled quick adoption and immediate improvement in their operational processes.
01:25
Taking faster decisions on Non-Conformances with Unifize
Jesse Kolstad underscores the agility Unifize brings to decision-making on non-conformances at Biovation Labs. The platform fosters rapid issue identification and enhances collaboration for swift resolutions, ensuring effective and timely corrective actions.
01:42
Why is Carol using Unifize now
In this video, Carol Wilson from Efco shares her transformative experience with Unifize, highlighting how it revolutionized their document management process. Facing a daunting challenge of retrieving ten-year-old certification documents for a government audit, Carol discusses the inefficiency of their previous system, where critical documents were buried in emails or physical files, leading to weeks of searching by multiple team members. She outlines how Unifize streamlined this process, allowing for easy access to documents through purchase orders, significantly reducing search time and improving efficiency for the entire team.
01:28
How I reduced Mock Recall time down to 18 minutes with Unifize
Jesse Kolstad dives deep into the world of Mock Recalls, often perceived as a compliance necessity and a cumbersome task. Highlighting the typical time constraints faced during certification audits, he recounts past experiences where meeting the set time frames was challenging. With Unifize, Jesse experienced a game-changing shift, significantly enhancing the efficiency and speed of the Mock Recall process.
01:41
How Unifize speeds up change control
Jesse Kolstad emphasizes Unifize's prowess in managing change, navigating the challenges of either over-documentation or under-documentation in some companies. With features like versioning, Unifize ensures comprehensive tracking, offering unparalleled visibility and accountability in change management at Biovation Labs.
03:53
The ROI of Quality Management Systems
Jesse Kolstad delves into the significant ROI of quality management systems, underscoring efficiency gains and cost savings. Unifize emerges as a pivotal tool in optimizing the ROI of quality management, demonstrating tangible benefits at Biovation Labs.
02:14
Time saved in streamlining communicaton
In this video, Seth Bozman delves into the significant time savings and efficiency gains Efco experienced by transitioning to Unifize. He vividly illustrates the cumbersome nature of their previous system for handling quality control documents and how Unifize simplified these processes. Seth’s narrative underscores the direct impact on productivity, from reducing the time it takes to write and manage remake cards to enhancing collaboration across departments. This transformation allowed Efco to not only save time but also improve accuracy and accountability in their operations.
01:55
How Unifize improved our Non-conformances closure time by 75% within the first month
Within just a month of deploying Unifize, The Will-Burt Company slashed non-conformances closure times by an impressive 75%, as Tedd Carr attests. Previously languishing non-conformances averaging 4 to 5 weeks for resolution are now dealt with in a mere 7.2 days. This remarkable improvement in efficiency extends to customer complaints as well, with closure times cut by 60%, signaling a swift and responsive quality management system that's set to evolve further.
02:27
Establishing Accountability and taking faster decisions with Unifize
Tedd Carr expresses how Unifize transformed The Will-Burt Company's approach to quality management. The previous system, a chaotic mix of emails and ad-hoc methods, lacked clear ownership and accountability, leading to prolonged issue resolution times. With Unifize, they have consolidated five systems into one, establishing defined accountability and enabling rapid task completion—what once took weeks or months now concludes in days, significantly optimizing their operational efficiency.
00:48
How Unifize links raw materials to lots, formulas and finished products
Jesse Kolstad highlights Unifize's capability to seamlessly link raw materials to lots, formulas, and finished products. Providing a comprehensive view of the production process, Unifize ensures unparalleled traceability and accountability, enhancing production oversight at Biovation Labs.
01:30
How important is having a single system for everyone to collaborate on all things quality
In this video, Erica expresses her enthusiasm for the collaborative aspect of Unifize, emphasizing its effectiveness in facilitating smooth teamwork without overlapping efforts. She appreciates the platform's ability to connect various departments, including their contract manufacturer, which she frequently mentions in relation to finished good lots. Erica highlights how Unifize streamlines communication, particularly with the contract manufacturer, offering a quicker and more efficient alternative to email or other methods. She notes that other departments also find value in Unifize for accessing files and information. Erica acknowledges some challenges in getting everyone to adapt to a new system but is optimistic about the ongoing efforts of the quality team to improve collaboration across teams. She believes that embracing Unifize will greatly enhance overall efficiency and productivity within the company. This video showcases Unifize's role in promoting effective inter-departmental collaboration and communication.
01:24
How Unifize already had everything we were looking for
In their quest for a QMS that seamlessly aligns with their operations, The Will-Burt Company found Unifize's platform to be the perfect fit. Tedd Carr lauds its all-in-one capability, which encompassed core needs like internal audits, non-conformances, customer feedback, and corrective actions, eliminating the need for multiple modules. The flexibility to tailor the software to their specific processes and the inherent ease of use ensured Unifize stood out, satisfying their desire for a customizable and user-friendly system.
01:15
Resolving non-conformances in just hours with Unifize
In this video, Mikala discusses how Unifize has revolutionized the handling of non-conformances in their products, reducing resolution time from days to mere hours. She highlights the software's ability to initiate non-conformance processes directly and efficiently, linking all relevant data to the identified issue. Mikala emphasizes the ease with which users can trace raw materials and other factors contributing to the non-conformance, leading to a significant decrease in the time spent documenting and resolving such issues.
02:42
About Harmonic Bionics- a robotics MedTech company in Austin, Texas
Harmonic Bionics, based in Austin, Texas, designs robots to assist in upper chest healing for patients with mobility challenges, especially those recovering from strokes. By facilitating limb movements, these robots aid in retraining neural connections. The company is FDA-registered and collaborates with the University of Texas for research.
03:00
Accelerate any process on Unifize: Quotes, Formulas, Lot Release, Raw Material, Specs and Approvals
In a regulated environment, Unifize streamlines processes from raw materials to product releases. Jesse Kolstad highlights its flexible approval workflows, instant quotation transfers, and collaboration features, emphasizing how Unifize instills confidence in approvals and accelerates operations at Biovation Labs.
03:13
How Unifize's collaboration empowers continuous improvement
Jesse Kolstad heralds Unifize's transformative impact on collaboration at Biovation Labs, empowering continuous improvement through open communication. By breaking down silos and fostering cross-functional collaboration, Unifize establishes real-time feedback loops, ensuring alignment with company objectives and facilitating rapid growth.
03:26
Building a knowledge base in a startup with Unifize
Michael delves into the distinctive aspects of working in a compact company setting. He underscores the pivotal role of relationships, whether with colleagues, suppliers, or clients. Highlighting the importance of human-centric approaches in startups, Michael contrasts this with the rigidity and compartmentalization of vast corporations. His reflections shed light on the balance between the personal touch and systematic workflows in different company sizes.
01:58
The one important feature that sold the deal for Seth
Seth shares his enthusiasm for Unifize's filtering capabilities, which revolutionized how Efco manages its data. This feature allowed for a more organized, efficient way to access and analyze information, significantly impacting decision-making processes. Seth’s account highlights Unifize’s flexibility and its ability to adapt to specific user needs, showcasing how this single feature made a profound difference in operational efficiency and data management at Efco.
00:35
How we use Unifize to manage SOPs and their revisions
In this video, Erica discusses the practicality of Unifize in managing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). She appreciates the platform's robust feature that meticulously tracks revisions, highlighting its significance in an environment where procedures are frequently changing. Erica points out that Unifize is particularly useful in overseeing these changes, ensuring that every modification is clearly documented and traceable. She emphasizes the convenience of being able to instantly access any SOP, as all documents are centrally stored in Unifize. This capability not only saves time but also enhances the accuracy and efficiency of managing operational processes. Erica's insights illustrate how Unifize serves as a vital tool in maintaining up-to-date and accessible SOPs, crucial for the smooth functioning of quality assurance processes.

Experience the benefits of Unifize

4x Faster time-to-market

Map Unifize to your processes and streamline workflows, process automation, and prioritization

70% Fewer meetings

Less meetings with in-app collaboration, real-time updates, and decision logs

10x Speed to compliance

Unifize accelerates compliance, delivering 10x faster regulatory approval for medical devices

View More Case Studies
Video icon

Here’s how Biovation Labs reduced testing costs from $146K to $65K in two months

Learn how and why Biovation Labs, an FDA regulated nutraceutical manufacturer based in Salt Lake City, took the decision to transition from MasterControl to Unifize for their product lifecycle (PLM) and quality management (QMS) processes.

Video icon

Here’s how Harmonic Bionics slashed time to market by 80%

Clarissa Archer shares her experience integrating Unifize into Harmonic Bionics, underscoring its value in streamlining change control, facilitating communication, and ensuring robust documentation for regulatory compliance in the medical device sector.

Video icon

Will-Burt's game changing boost to quality process cycle times

Learn how The Will-Burt Company was able to implement and adopt a new quality management system across 8 collaborating teams in less than a day and streamline internal / supplier non-conformances, customer complaints (VOCs), internal / supplier audits, 8D reporting, corrective actions and preventive actions.