Paperless production: Reality or utopia?

The vision of paperless production is within reach and is increasingly becoming a reality. In times of Industry 4.0, where flexibility, speed and efficiency are paramount, the reduction of paper is a decisive step. SIGMA GmbH has established itself as a leading provider of RFID-supported solutions and offers companies comprehensive support on their way to a paperless future.

The path to paperless production

Traditional production processes are often paper-dominated. Work instructions, orders, quality controls and traceability are often managed in paper form, which is not only error-prone but also inefficient. With SIGMA's solutions, in particular RFID order management and the RFID middleware GRAIDWARE, these processes can be fully digitized. The integration of RFID technologies enables seamless monitoring and control of production processes - from ordering to production to shipping.

Thanks to seamless integration into existing ERP systems and comprehensive data processing in real time, SIGMA offers user-friendly, paperless support for line production. This is not only relevant for high-volume production, but also for the increasingly important production in batch size 1.

Challenges in the transition to paperless working

The switch to paperless working offers great potential, but also brings challenges that can be successfully overcome with a strategic approach. One key aspect is adapting employees to the new digital processes. This requires extensive training to ensure that the workforce adopts the new, more efficient workflows quickly and smoothly.

Integrating RFID systems into existing IT infrastructures can seem complex at first, but first and foremost it requires close collaboration between internal IT departments and the system providers. With careful planning and coordinated implementation, any technical challenges can be overcome quickly. Overall, these obstacles do not represent insurmountable barriers, but rather offer the opportunity to significantly increase the efficiency and flexibility of company processes.

Practical example: VELUX - paperless from order to dispatch

An outstanding example of the successful implementation of paperless production is the project at JTJ Sonneborn Industrie GmbH, a VELUX Group plant. Here, the final assembly of window frames and sashes was completely converted to an RFID-based system. Each frame and sash is fitted with an RFID transponder so that all relevant information is digitally available at all times during the production process. Paper is a thing of the past.

Depending on the product variant, this system provides the workers with the required information directly at the workplace. The flexibility and adaptability of the system are crucial. It ensures that production runs efficiently and error-free, even with a large number of variants.

Elimination of paper-dominated processes through SIGMA

By integrating SIGMA solutions, numerous paper-based processes in production can be completely eliminated:

• Production and order documents: All information is recorded digitally and is available to employees in real time. This not only reduces sources of error, but also speeds up the flow of information.
• Quality controls: Instead of keeping manual inspection logs on paper, error descriptions and status messages are recorded directly in digital form and fed into the system. This enables precise traceability and improves quality assurance.
• Material management: By using RFID technology, the entire material flow - from the raw materials warehouse to final assembly - is digitally recorded and controlled. Paper-based stock lists and material requirements are no longer necessary.
• Internal production bookings: Whether stock movements, order picking or shipping - all bookings are made digitally, significantly increasing transparency and efficiency in production.

Conclusion: Is a fully paperless production possible?

Paperless production is not a utopia, but an achievable reality. Thanks to modern PDA solutions (production data acquisition) and RFID technologies such as those offered by SIGMA, it is now possible to digitalize production processes almost completely. Although the switch to paperless production requires an initial investment in technology and training, the benefits clearly outweigh the costs: increased efficiency, improved quality assurance and greater flexibility make companies more competitive in the long term.

The future belongs to paperless production - and with these solutions, your paperless production will not remain a utopia!