“As a direct result of our rapid growth, we realized that we needed to upgrade our existing methods for managing statistical process control.”
Medline Industries, Inc., the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of health care supplies in the United States, implements WinSPC as its statistical process control system of choice for its 600,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Lithia Springs, Ga.
After doubling capacity in just under a year at its new state-of-the-art adult incontinence manufacturing facility, Medline required that its swiftly-growing quality data be stored digitally in a central repository for ease of access and to help comply with its internal ISO 13485 audit requirements. Additionally, Medline desired to capture shop-floor quality data in real-time to reduce process variability and eliminate lost revenue due to product scrap.
“As a direct result of our rapid growth, we realized that we needed to upgrade our existing methods for managing statistical process control,” states Rufus Hamilton, Quality Manager at Medline’s Lithia Springs facility. “We needed an automated, real-time solution for capturing trend-able data and WinSPC delivered both the real-time data collection and ease of use we required.”
With the ability to collect shop-floor data in real-time from virtually any source, including gages, devices, machines, and other data sources, WinSPC provides Medline with an efficient way to quickly create, organize, and manage their quality program. Furthermore, WinSPC’s built-in triggers can be set to automatically alert Medline personnel, execute custom programs, or engage other systems if a nonconformance or rule violation occurs.
“Medical device manufacturers are a great fit for WinSPC because of their stringent regulatory and audit requirements,” said Ned Greenberg, President of DataNet Quality Systems. “As in the case of Medline, WinSPC provides Medline’s operators and engineers with the power to quickly identify and control process variation that can lead to defective products, effectively eliminating scrap and increasing Medline’s overall profitability.”
Medline anticipates demand for its FitRight™ brand of adult incontinence products to continue to grow in step with the increasing number of elderly Americans. By 2030, nearly one out of every five Americans will be 65 or older. As production ramps to meet demand, WinSPC offers Medline continued support to meet their changing needs through the DataNet Extended Service Contract (ESC) program. With their ESC agreement in place, Medline has access to all maintenance and enhancement releases for licensed software free of charge.
About Medline
As the nation’s largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of health care and surgical products, Medline manufactures and distributes more than 350,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, physician offices, home care providers and retailers. Recently named one of the nation’s “Best and Brightest Companies to Work for,” Medline is headquartered in Mundelein, Ill. and has more than 1,100 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.
Medline has been the fastest-growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 450 major hospitals and healthcare systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities and on-staff clinicians.
About DataNet Quality Systems
DataNet Quality Systems empowers manufacturers to improve products, processes, and profitability through real-time statistical software solutions. The company’s vision is to deliver trusted and capable technology solutions that allow manufacturers to create the highest quality product for the lowest possible cost. DataNet’s flagship product, WinSPC, provides statistical decision-making at the point of production and delivers real-time, actionable information to where it is needed most. With over 2500 customers worldwide and distributors across the globe, DataNet is dedicated to delivering a high level of customer service and support, shop-floor expertise, and training in the areas of Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma, and Lean Manufacturing services.