Critical Manufacturing Reviews

“very frustrating reporting process”

Pros

Some of the features that I really like are the task assignment feature as well as the layout of the notifiication panel. Task assignment lets you send certain task types to specific users. The way you move through workstations and resources is also well designed since you can create a layered folder structure like Site, Area, Line and Station to drill down to exactly where work needs to start.

Cons

It felt far less flexible than you would expect from a platform that presents itself as highly customizable. A clear example is the complete lack of a STEP ID for process or checklist steps. If your existing records use numbering like 1.0, 1.1, 1.1.1 or even 10/20/30, the system has no native field or identifier to handle that. When steps need to be reordered or removed later, it turns into a long and frustrating process. You cant just change or delete one step because then you have to manually rename everything else as well. It is definitely not a simple drag and drop setup and the system does not manage that tracking for you. On top of that there is no way to start an NCMR or deviation directly at the exact production record step where the issue happened. You can open one separately and reference the general step in the record but there is no built in way to stop users from continuing through the same checklist. Reporting development is another weak point because its such a pain and not an easy process at all. Only way to make it all easier is to have someone available who knows SQL database administration.

“Fast responsive updates”

Pros

The setup didn't take long at all and updates when they come are installed really quickly too.

Cons

There's a small issue with one integration involving another partner but we found an alternative way to accomplish what we need so it hasn't blocked our progress.

“Configurable gui but complicated installation process”

Pros

Interface is user friendly and the product offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to configuration and customization.

Cons

Project management, communication and documentation were lacking. During installation, we ran into several delays tied to our customizations because only the first team member knew how to handle certain issues and there was no documentation explaining the decisions made or the trade-offs behind them. At this point, we're also dealing with reporting issues caused by too much customization.