About four Tech Tips ago I wrote about one of the cool factors of GainSeeker 8.7: a new feature that sends you an alert if an inspection is overdue. This is such a cool new feature that I couldn't wait to share it, and it might be enough to get you to download the new release. I now feel I cannot let all the other new features hide in the darkness. While I cannot mention all the awesomeness in the new version, I can point out some major wow factors and also direct you to the link that explains all the new awesomeness in GainSeeker 8.7.

The SPC Variation Wizard and the DMS Drill-down Wizard take time and guesswork out of your day as it helps you find the sources (root causes) of variation in your processes. The Big Data Widget (yes, there is one for both SPC and DMS.) is your Variation Wizard / Drill-down Wizard on steroids. This control analyzes all your Standards having data during a given time period. Not just one Standard at a time, but all of them!!

A recent example of an increased drive for standardized SPC software across the supply chain comes from Consolidated Container Company’s (CCC) deployment of GainSeeker Suite. Up until recently, GainSeeker Suite was one of several SPC software solutions in use across CCC’s 59 plants in North America. Some months back, the company decided to standardize on a single quality system. After an exhaustive process, they selected GainSeeker Suite as their standard platform for quality data. Find out how it's going.

Last month I highlighted the SPC Variation Wizard in the GainSeeker Charts module. GainSeeker's Defect Management System (DMS) incorporates a wizard as well. Welcome to the Drill-Down Wizard for defect data!

Defect Management is one of the most effective methods for improving manufacturing operations because it is so simple. Everyone understands the idea of defects, and the statistics are simple and intuitive. People understand a Pareto Chart at a glance. But implementing a Defect Management System takes thoughtful planning. Here are a few key ideas we’ve learned over the years.

Unless one of our technicians provided training to you and your staff, it is very possible you are unaware of the GainSeeker Variation Wizard. The Variation Wizard is just one of the many analysis tools incorporated into our GainSeeker Charts. The Variation Wizard finds the greatest source of variation within a few simple clicks of the mouse.

Every business leader knows that company culture drives performance. You’ve probably heard the adage: “Culture eats strategy for lunch.” Leaders can set all the strategic goals they want, but their efforts stumble if the goals run counter to the company culture. So how do you change culture?

We’ve earned a solid Five Star rating on Capterra, the independent software review site. We’re pretty proud of that. One of the reasons for this success is a decision we made several years ago: we do not pay sales commissions. For most business leaders, getting rid of sales commissions sounds like business suicide. I think it is one of the keys to our success.

Big Data is already here. Gages, devices, and innumerable sensors produce mountains of data. This equipment is connected by USB ports and various communication protocols in vast networks of operational data. Chances are you are buried under manufacturing big data. OAK is a free tool from Hertzler Systems. It asks the right questions to help you and your team uncover the critical connections between business drivers, strategic outcomes, actions, decisions, and data. One customer said, “The OAK worksheet prompts all the right questions. Fits very well connecting top to bottom. This was a good exercise.” Download a free copy of OAK today.

While I'm naturally inclined to skepticism about the latest buzzword trend, "Systems of Insight" resonates with me. It matches what I see our customers doing with GainSeeker Suite, and the value they're striving to get from working with us. Clearly GainSeeker Suite, as a Manufacturing Intelligence Platform, is aligned with this vision of a System of Insight. Whether we're talking about turning field failures into supply chain leadership, or reducing product giveaway, or knowing where stuff is, or improving manufacturing performance, or any other application of real-time actionable intelligence, the ability to gain insight from data and make better, faster decisions is critical. GainSeeker delivers.