The Challenge
Blitz is a Belgian family-owned company that produces charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs). It was established in 2021 by Alexander Hertsens, who currently serves as its CEO. Blitz Power Stations aim to make mobility more sustainable by making EV charging more efficient and affordable to the public.
Blitz focuses on three pillars in its charging station designs: sustainability, customization, and cutting-edge technology. By designing and assembling all products locally in Belgium, they minimize their carbon footprint from transport. Customers can personalize their charging stations by adding logos or colors. They can also configure the advanced functionalities based on their technical needs. These customization options set Blitz apart from competitors.
Close to 2,000 Blitz Power charging stations have been installed in homes and office parking spaces across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. As a fast-growing start-up, Blitz aims to double its production to 4,000 charging stations in 2024 and expand installations to public spaces beyond offices and homes.
Blitz faced challenges in managing digital work instructions and quality control but found a seamless all-in-one solution with Azumuta’s platform. The modules were deployed rapidly and smoothly into Blitz’s shop floor. It took only 1-2 weeks to deploy Azumuta, which was spread over 1-2 months. This deployment included everything, from its integration into Blitz’s existing ERP system to the drafting of its first-ever digital work instructions. Interestingly, most of the setup and integrations to the existing systems were done independently by the personnel.
This case study explores Blitz’s past difficulties with managing work instructions, standardizing the operator onboarding process, and overseeing quality control. Thanks to Azumuta’s digital solutions, they were able to overcome these challenges.
Managing and Editing Work Instructions
1. Digital Instruction Variants for Configurable Assembly
Producing Blitz Power charging stations involves around 120 precise steps for assembly, testing, and packing. Any assembling mistake can lead to future malfunctions, necessitating countless work instructions to manage these complexities.
Blitz’s diverse product line, with three models—Tower, Wall, and Push—adds further complexity. Each model has unique data-gathering capabilities, add-on hardware, and personalization options, resulting in about 1,600 possible configurations. This variety requires detailed work instructions to ensure accurate assembly and customization.
In the past, Blitz faced challenges in documenting and standardizing its diverse product configurations. Relying on senior operators’ knowledge instead of formal documentation led to forgotten or misunderstood details, especially for less-produced configurations. The lack of formal documentation created production, development, and onboarding bottlenecks, resulting in assembly errors and product quality inconsistencies.
Blitz has recognized the need for a comprehensive digital solution to manage its knowledge base. This solution will not only support its expansion plans but also reassure the management team about the company’s commitment to quality and its ability to ensure consistency and efficiency across its operations.
How Did Azumuta Help?
Azumuta’s Digital Work Instructions module solved this problem. All of the company’s work instructions are now managed through Azumuta, consolidating what would have been thousands of Microsoft Word files into a single, navigable platform. This centralization has harmonized around 1,600 possible configurations into three work instruction sets.
Each instruction set at Blitz covers a specific work post: assembly, testing, or packaging. Each charging station model has its instruction cluster, divided into sub-instructions for particular tasks like installing a cover panel. These instructions serve as a “single source of truth,” allowing operators to consult a unified set rather than scattered sources. Operators access instructions by scanning a serial number on a charging station component, automatically displaying the correct instructions on their device, ensuring precision and consistency.
Managers only need to edit work instructions once, saving significant time due to the module’s variant functionality. This makes updating products and scaling production easier, ensuring uniform work instructions and consistent product quality. Any edits are automatically notified to operators’ devices, eliminating the need for manual updates.
Unlike conventional top-down instructions, Azumuta’s Digital Work Instructions also value operator input. In this system, operators can provide feedback and send images to support their suggestions, enriching the production process with their insights. This two-way communication improves work instructions and overall efficiency.
We regularly edit our work instructions, because every now and then, there are things that need to be adjusted. For example, changing a cable type that will be installed in our charging stations. We can implement these adjustments easily, thanks to Azumuta.
2. Static Work Instructions
Before discovering Azumuta, Blitz considered using Microsoft Word as its central platform to make and edit work instructions. This solution wouldn’t have been optimal. As previously mentioned, Blitz’s highly configurable products require many work instructions. Daily, navigating thousands of text-heavy documents would be exhausting and time-consuming, complicating product updates and scaling.
Also, Microsoft Word documents are text-heavy and don’t usually offer many visual aids like videos, symbols, and 3D models. As a consequence, important information will not be sufficiently conveyed. Operators would have had to rely on their imagination, leading to frequent mistakes such as misplacing cables or installing the wrong covers. These errors, detected during end-of-line quality control, required disassembling, fixing, and reassembling the charging stations.
How Did Azumuta Help?
Like the previous concerns, Azumuta’s Digital Work Instructions solved these problems and brought tangible improvements to Blitz’s human resources. Unlike the static Microsoft Word Documents, the platform’s instructions are visual-intensive and interactive. Managers can include visual supporting elements such as images, videos, symbols, and 3D models. These visual elements are more transparent and convey more information. Conventional Microsoft Word-based work instructions tell what operators need to do – while Azumuta’s Digital Work Instructions show precisely what needs to be done. Thus, work instructions became more apparent than ever.
The results? Human errors in the assembly process were slashed drastically, which is reflected in Blitz’s excellent First Time Right (FTR) rate. In this context, an FTR rate is a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that measures the percentage of products that are free of any defect and pass all quality control checks in their first attempt. The FTR rate is one of the most frequently used KPIs in quality management. In Blitz’s case, its latest FTR rate is as high as 98% – a near-perfect score. This means that almost all of it’s products pass its quality control in their first attempt – without needing any additional time-consuming reworks.
3. Non Standardized Onboarding and Workforce Rigidity
Blitz onboarded new operators using traditional methods, including individualized verbal mentoring by senior operators and a week-long job-shadowing period. While these onboarding methods are standard in manufacturing, they didn’t suit Blitz’s operations.
In the first place, the variability in mentors’ teaching skills led to inconsistent training quality, as their knowledge and communication skills varied. Additionally, the lack of standardization in the 1-on-1 onboarding process allowed new operators to adopt practices that didn’t align with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). New operators relied on memory for verbal instructions, leading to frequent mistakes. Lastly, the week-long job shadowing was inefficient as mentors spent significant time guiding new operators, reducing their productivity and limiting meaningful production activities.
Due to limited onboarding time, the operators were proficient in only one of the three workstations: assembly, testing, or packaging. This specialization meant they couldn’t cover for absent coworkers, leading to occasional production backlogs. The company needed to prevent any production disruptions to remain competitive as a new player in the EV charging station market.
How Did Azumuta Help?
Azumuta’s Digital Work Instructions significantly sped up onboarding. Previously, managers spent a week training new operators; now, it takes only half a day for them to function independently. This is because Azumuta’s visually intuitive work instructions now include all the expert’s information. As Alexander puts it: “Operators only need to follow instructions on their screen, and that’s it. If they have questions, they can write them down, and we will address them later.”
The digital nature of Azumuta’s platform gives new operators autonomy, allowing them to access instructions and training materials anytime and anywhere. They can track their progress and ask for feedback from their mentors – which flattens the learning curve. This way, Blitz’s shop floor operators became more versatile, because they can swiftly master new tasks and switch between working stations. Overall, the employability has been enhanced.
To illustrate the improved versatility of Blitz’s workforce, currently, there are three workposts on the shop floor: assembly, testing, and packaging. Previously, an operator could only function in one work post. But thanks to the use of the Digital Work Instructions module, its operators can be stationed in any of the three workposts. If their co-workers are absent (e.g., due to holidays or sickness), they can temporarily cover them during their absence. This ensures that Blitz’s production timeline is always on schedule.
The onboarding process has drastically improved. In the past, new operators had to be directly supervised for an entire week. Now, only half a day is sufficient. Operators only need to follow instructions on their screen, and that’s it. If they have questions, they can write them down, and then we’ll address them later on.
Quality Control and Product Traceability
As a young company, maintaining product quality is crucial for the Blitz Power stations. In the past, Blitz used the end-of-line quality control method, where the quality control phase only took place at the end of the production process. This method can be improved. If a problem is detected during this phase, the charging station must be disassembled, and the problematic component will be fixed or replaced. Afterwards, the charging station will be re-assembled and tested again to see if the issue has been resolved.
If the issue hasn’t been resolved, then this entire quality control process must be repeated again. This end-off-line quality control process was inefficient and needed improvement. It was heavily time-consuming, which stalled Blitz’s production schedule. Not to mention the additional labor hours that will be ultimately billed to Blitz’s coffers.
How Did Azumuta Help?
Blitz now relies on Azumuta’s Quality Management module to perform in-line quality control alongside its existing end-of-line checks. This allows for simultaneous inspection during assembly, enabling quick defect detection and immediate fixes. This approach is more efficient than addressing defects at the end of production and has significantly reduced defects during final quality checks. As a result, Blitz’s current First Time Right (FTR) rate is 98%, and customer complaints are almost non-existent.
The employees can now attach scannable article numbers to its charging station components. This allows them to track components, address customer complaints immediately, and maintain comprehensive digital records. The tracking feature simplifies audits and maintenance, and in case of a recall, manufacturers can quickly identify and recall defective products, minimizing the impact on customers.
Azumuta’s Digital Work Instructions module also plays a crucial role by guiding operators through manager-set verification steps, drastically reducing human errors and minimizing rework, thus saving time and resources. Additionally, the module records operators’ actions on the shop floor, encouraging adherence to instructions and SOPs.
To conclude the challenge,
Blitz’s success with Azumuta was not just a result of the platform’s capabilities, but also the active involvement of operators. By creating ‘good enough ‘ work instructions quickly and documenting diverse product configurations in a short time, operators demonstrated their ability to handle complex information smoothly. This approach not only highlighted Azumuta’s capability but also fostered a culture of continuous improvement and collective ownership of the production process.
Implementation
Blitz’s digital transformation is a prime example of moving from traditional operator onboarding to a modern, efficient system. Initially, the operations relied entirely on senior operators’ expertise and lengthy mentoring periods for new operators, which had scalability and consistency issues. Recognizing the inefficiencies of conventional tools like Microsoft Word, Blitz sought a scalable digital solution, leading to the discovery of the Azumuta platform.
Azumuta’s flexibility and user-friendliness made creating, updating, and harmonizing work instructions easy, allowing Blitz to adapt products to market demands without hindering productivity. This adaptability also facilitated the integration of other quality control tools. They chose Azumuta over paper-based or static digital tools, enhanced operational efficiency, product quality, and workforce empowerment by involving operators in drafting and editing processes.
The transition to Azumuta was swift and seamless, with modules easily compatible with other platforms and integrated into Blitz’s existing systems. Deployment took only 1-2 weeks across a 1-2 month implementation period, including integration with it’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. With this integration, operators could scan product or component article numbers to access all relevant information and work instructions on their screens. This process, done mostly independently by Blitz’s team, showcased Azumuta’s ease of use and effectiveness in supporting the company’s growth in a competitive industry.
