Quality boost for Delamine
Delamine, a leading chemical manufacturer in The Netherlands extended its AlisQI Quality Control LIMS with the Document Management and QESH modules. AlisQI now operates as the central quality platform throughout the organization.
In this case study Susanne Haaijer, QESH Manager at Delamine, talks about:
- Their requirements for a QMS
- The vendor selection
- The implementation project
- The results AlisQI brings for Delamine
The auditors were very satisfied with this, they called this: Best Practices and an example to the industry.
QHSE Manager Delamine
Susanne Haaijer
Project background
Delamine had been using the AlisQI LIMS module for a number of years when it decided to overhaul its QHSE and Document Management processes. Delamine’s Quality Manager, Susanne Haaijer, was tasked with selecting and implementing the appropriate solution. Haaijer was ideally suited for this task: not only had she been with the company since the early nineties, but she had also worked with a wide range of QA management software.
What were the parameters of her search? The system had to be widely supported and user-friendly while meeting the stringent requirements of both Akzo Nobel and Delamine. The platform also had to support ISO and VBS (Safety Management System). They found that in AlisQI.
The Quality Management System had to be really user-friendly and comply with the pre-set requirements.
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
From LIMS to integrated Quality System
Although Delamine was very happy with the way the AlisQI LIMS module managed and controlled laboratory and shop floor processes, this did not mean it was the go-to choice for an integrated system. Haaijer is adamant about this. She says: “The fact that we already used AlisQI for QC could not play a decisive role.”
Haaijer looked at the requirements with a fresh eye. Some of the solutions she reviewed failed to meet these, others were not a good fit with Delamine. “They all had too many features, which we were not going to use,” she explains. “We thought: does that really fit our company?”
Apart from user-friendliness, one of the other key functionalities that tipped the scales in favor of AlisQI was document management. “If another package had looked better for document management, we might have chosen that one instead,” Haaijer comments.
She broke down her recommendations for AlisQI as follows:
- User-friendly and intuitive software
- Standard functionality in line with Delamine’s wishes
- Software vendor makes a good impression, in particular, the short lines within the company
- Low costs
- Setting up rights and authorizations can be determined without additional costs
- AlisQI is already used at Delamine by QC, so no new software is needed.
The fact that AlisQI already had a foot in the door was only an advantage once all the other requirements had been met.
Haaijer is confident that her advice was right. “I have used many different QA software products. Every product has its pros and cons, but I am very happy with AlisQI.”
3 easy steps to convince everyone that you need a QMS
On this page, you’ll find all the necessary resources to build a strong business case
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I have used many different QA software products. Every product has its quirks, but I am very happy with AlisQI!
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
AlisQI user-friendliness
Although ease of use was among the top prerequisites for the integrated system, Haaijer is still delighted just how user-friendly AlisQI turned out to be in practice.
She was able to implement AlisQI herself, together with a colleague – neither of them has an IT background.
It doesn’t end there. “It is great that you can paste your own images from Visio,” Haaijer says. “This makes it very easy to visualize the workflows.”
There were no teething problems. “Anyone who has ever worked with Google can also work with AlisQI; it’s a very simple system, and easy to understand.” This made the factory-wide roll-out very stress-free. “You only have to show it once to new employees,” Haaijer explains. “I have never known anyone to have trouble with it.”
Inclusiveness contributes to better Quality Management and this is why AlisQI operates a site license; user licenses would effectively penalize a company for encouraging cross-functionality.
User-friendliness empowers the end-user, as Haaijer realizes. “The department representatives each set up their own part of the system,” she says. “This makes it very clear to the users because they actually recognize their own processes.”
The AlisQI user-friendliness also means the system is easy to adapt. Haaijer: “If you make a workflow, you can easily add everything that goes with it, without extra work in managing the workflow.”
And easy to manage. “The advantage is that you link everything together,” Haaijer continues. “It is always up-to-date: you do not have multiple versions in one system.”
User-friendliness means end-users are in control. For 99% of the time, Delamine itself controls and adapts the software. “It’s nice that you can organize everything yourself. You don’t have to call for every change,” Haaijer says.
The advantage is that you link everything together. It is always up to date: you do not have multiple versions in one system.
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
Dashboards and meetings
With AlisQI, you can create filtered overviews and place them on a dashboard. You can share those dashboards with colleagues.
For example, if you routinely discuss three points at your quality meetings, you can easily create a dashboard for your meetings.
“This saves us time, both in preparation and execution of the meeting. All participants have access to the dashboard before the meeting so they can easily check if everything is up to date or not. During the meeting, the dashboard guides us through the open actions. This speeds up the meetings quite nicely.”
We no longer have to search and filter ourselves. We are getting through our meetings a lot easier.
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
Compliments from the auditor
One of the benefits of implementing AlisQI’s integrated Quality Management Platform is stress-free audits, as Haaijer relates. “We have regular audits and inspections. Recently, emergency situations and incidents were on the agenda during an audit.”
“In AlisQI, we have prepared a form for unusual incidents, which we used to do in Excel.”
“Of course, all registrations result in actions, because when something happens, you have to respond to it. All actions that are a result of unusual events are now linked to AlisQI, and included in the central action list. So you have traceability immediately. If you have an incident, no matter how big or small, actions will flow from that incident.
“Those inspectors could now see: something happened, you can immediately see that three actions have been started, two of which have been completed and one is still running.
“And if they come back next year, and they ask: ‘What’s the current situation?’ You can click on that particular incident and you’ll see those three actions immediately. Our auditors were very satisfied with this, they called this ‘Best Practice and an example to the industry’.”
Our auditors were very satisfied with this, they called this: Best Practices and an example to the industry.
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
Audit results and actions in AlisQI
Haaijer uses the findings that arise from audits to set out action points for the entire factory to follow. She uses the forms and action lists in AlisQI to do this.
“If the inspectors come again next year, they could say: you had 16 findings, of which 6 still had to be done.
“And we can show that the loop has been closed. Furthermore, it’s easy to find!
“Auditors are always looking for the improvement loop. It has to be there. We’ve drawn everything out in AlisQI.
“If we now walk through the management system with the auditor, we can simply show the process flow on the screen.
“You can see what is connected and what belongs together. This gives you immediate insight, so less stress during the audit.”
You can see what is connected and what belongs together. This gives you immediate insight, so less stress during the audit.
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
Looking through the organization in multiple ways
Insight into Quality Management processes means insight for everyone. This is crucial for documentation and certification.
“You can make beautiful cross-links,” says Haaijer. “Every inspector who comes along naturally wants to look through the organization in his or her own way.
“So an ISO auditor wants to see everything in ISO, but an auditor for another certification wants to see other things.
“In the past, the auditors could not differentiate the data clearly and asked: ‘Yes, but which part is specific to element B of this certification?’
“Now I can just say: this is number B. And those are the same documents that are also in the system for ISO, because they need to be the same, plus perhaps some other documents.
“For example, for a Safety Management System you have seven chapters. And what the auditors could not see before we fully implemented AlisQI was: which of those seven chapters do you see where in the management system?
“Of course, we had manual Excel lists with cross references, but it is difficult to keep on updating when new documents come in or others expire.
“That’s been included in the system, and now if we add new documents, we look at both the ISO and other standards to see where this or that new document belongs.”
Every inspector who comes along, naturally wants to look through the organization in his or her own way.
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
KPI’s do the work
Delamine has placed its action lists in AlisQI, and deployed the QA calendar for simple management of all its periodic tasks.
Currently, it is working on the development of KPIs. This makes Quality Management easier to monitor (and therefore better).
The KPIs will help Delamine to continuously assess its processes. Up until now, these indicators were maintained in separate Excel sheets. “The ease of automatically generated performance indicators changed our working lives,” says Haaijers. “It enables us to spend our time on the actual improvements, rather than on the data collection and performance measurement.”
She gives an example of a KPI. “For a simpler view of all high-risk overdue actions, a filter has been stored in the dashboard. I can see that right now.
“You can then also send it back and then you know where you stand. Previously, we knew that as well of course, but now you can show it more clearly.
“And with a KPI on the system, we automatically measure every month, so I do not have to think about it myself.”
The auditors found the links between all registrations to CAPA actions very strong. An example to many, they called it.
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
Documentation accessible to everyone
Nothing but praise for the way AlisQI handles documentation.
“We have a lot of standard documentation and statements about our products,” Haaijer explains.
“If customers had a question about this, it all came to me. We have now put it all into AlisQI.
“Our marketing manager in America can now also simply view our system and send the latest statements to our customers, without me being involved. This saves us both a lot of time.”
Our marketing manager in America can now also simply view our system and send the latest statements to our customers, without me being involved.
Quality Assurance Manager Delamine B.V.
Susanne Haaijer
The real experts
The AlisQI software is flexible and adaptable. This is mirrored in the lean organizational structure of the vendor itself; the team responds quickly to suggestions and is always receptive to new ideas.
Quality experts such as Susanne Haaijer value this greatly. “I always like to think along a bit,” she says. “I have tried a lot of software products for Quality Assurance. And I often think: ‘Gosh, I could do that in other software, why not here?’
“And now I just ask the AlisQI team, and if possible, it is always arranged quickly.
“And even if it is not possible, then I notice that they sometimes come back with it after a while and say: ‘Well, we have thought about it a bit: if you do it like that …’
“To give you an example, Akzo Nobel wanted Delamine to evaluate actions with a high-risk potential. I scratched my head a bit. ‘How do you keep track of that?’ I wondered. ‘The action has already been completed, but it has to be evaluated in about half a year.’
“Well, then I suddenly receive an email from the AlisQI team: ‘The way around it is like this.’ AlisQI solved the problem. And then I realize: ‘Ah, I had not thought of that myself’.”
About Delamine
Delamine produces ethyleneamines, a raw material for a wide range of staples including tea bags, bleach activators for a whiter wash, motor oil, paint hardeners, pills against car sickness and various veterinary products. The company, a joint venture between Akzo Nobel and Tosoh of Japan, exports to over 50 countries with annual net sales well exceeding €100 million.
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