Our quality system hadn’t been updated in years, and employees barely used it. Most of the time, we only brought out the documentation for audits. So, we invited the four leading software providers on the market to demonstrate their systems over the course of a single day. We tried out a few typical day-to-day tasks, like how easy it is to locate the relevant work instruction—and how straightforward it is to make edits.  

Effective Document and Case Management 

We were looking for effective document and case management across non-conformities, audits, and corrective actions—but above all, we prioritized user-friendliness. 90% of our staff are skilled technicians on the production floor, so the system had to be intuitive and easy to modify. That way, we wouldn’t need constant support. 

The day after we signed with IPW, the system was ready to go. Two of us attended an introductory course, where we got valuable input on setup and saw examples of how others use the system. We then built the structure ourselves, set up the menus, and migrated everything from the old system. From there, we tackled one document at a time. If a document was still relevant, we updated it and issued it with a ‘Read and Understood’ acknowledgment. 

Registering Non-conformities Directly 

Where I used to log non-conformities in complicated spreadsheets, my colleagues now enter data directly. We’ve also gained a centralized space for all the documents that used to sit in physical folders. Now, all documentation is consolidated in IPW—which also strengthens our internal communication via the Bulletin Board. There, we share updates ranging from the day’s visitors and canteen menu to customer stories that show employees why our work matters.  

The system continues to unfold its potential. We’re constantly learning about new features that might come in handy, and being part of the community around IPW is genuinely valuable. My next step will be to explore the audit and competency management modules.