Software helps cutting tool maker organize documentation for ISO certification

Situation

The management teams of CountyLine Tool, a cutting tool manufacturer and refurbisher in East Peoria, Ill., were working toward the goal of ISO certification. But there was an elephant in the room: The company’s entire documentation was printed and kept in binders, and it was becoming impossible to keep up-to-date.

Laying the groundwork for a successful ISO certification is no small task. “Consistency is the name of the game when it comes to ISO,” said Casey Graf, manufacturing engineer and ISO coordinator tasked with leading the certification. Content authored in Microsoft Word, printed into binders, and distributed to staff by hand wasn’t going to make achieving the ISO goal easy.

An exhaustive pile of heavy binders and distribution confirmation systems made organization seem impossible. Aside from the distribution of documents, the generic authoring tools meant that work instructions were never in the same format, let alone saved in one central location. When changes had to be made to outdated versions, it could take hours to track down the original to update it.

To improve their efficiency, effectiveness, and documentation management, managers needed to rethink the system. Graf searched for a system that would give CountyLine Tool a centralized location for documentation, tracking capabilities, standardized formatting, and easy authoring.

Resolution

The company reached out to Dozuki, a builder of software designed to help companies implement a continuous improvement culture to improve their people, processes, and communication.

“Before Dozuki, we didn’t have any way to organize work instructions or training documents. Now our work instructions are easy to create, edit, and—ultimately—maintain,” said Graf.

Using the software, the company improved both the efficiency and effectiveness of its instructions, setting the stage for successful ISO certification.

“Dozuki has made it incredibly easy to manage and trace our documents,” said Graf, “and having our work instructions in the same format and in the same location is great.”

Evolving away from endless paper trails and heavy binders to clean, digital documentation has helped CountyLine Tool train new staff and maintain operational excellence. Most importantly, thanks in part to Graf’s hard work, the company’s ISO certification dream became a reality.

Dozuki

www.dozuki.com