AMIC Takes Flight at Langley AFB
QSI's TMSWeb document management system
For large companies that adhere to strict operating procedures and submit to internal and external audits, real-time, centralized management of processes, training and documents is a core day-to-day issue that can make or break productivity.
The Acquisition Management and Integration Center, a division of Langley Air Force Base, is one such organization. The AMIC includes many divisions and has struggled with a number of common challenges, including the inability to develop up-to-date procedures quickly, and communicate and manage strategic or tactical documents across disparate locations in real time. With the added challenge of high turnover from enlisted employees changing posts frequently, the AMIC needed a way to ensure that each employee could quickly and easily find the documents and resources necessary to do his or her job. TMSWeb from QSI Inc. fit the bill.
"QSI's solution enabled us to integrate all of our various functions into one centralized system and automate the process from start to finish, and it provides us with a seamless depository for our internal and external audits," says John Gray, quality assurance manager of AMIC.
To secure buy-in from upper management during the selection process, Gray and his team highlighted the problems with the current process and the solutions QSI offered. The prospect of using the Internet to connect disparate divisions and sources of information together in real time, having the ability to implement corrective action much faster, and allowing managers to instantly identify systemic problems instead of isolated problems were all key in getting the green light for the implementation.
"QSI made the implementation of TMSWeb painless," observes Gray. "I have never before worked with a technology provider that was as invested in our success as QSI. Their customer satisfaction ratings are through the roof, and I have seen why that is… they studied our business needs, including the military nuances, and delivered a solution that fits perfectly."
AMIC's results reflect that. Since implementing TMSWeb just four years ago, the center has experienced dramatic increases in productivity. The division has seen an 800-percent improvement in the amount of time needed to train or inform employees on new procedures. Work that used to take 90 days now takes fewer than 10. The TMSWeb system also has cut the time to process internal documents down from 120 days to just 15 days--a 700-percent improvement. Additionally, acquisition time has been cut in half--from 20 days to fewer than 10.
"We could not be happier with the results," says Gray. "Not only are tasks being completed much quicker, but our ability to foster integration of key processes across the organization has become much easier. That truly is the goal."
The AMIC currently has more than 75 international users on the document management module--a number that is expected to double or triple during the next three or four months--and 25 users on the supplier-auditing module. Plans are in place to expand the use of QSI technology to take advantage of the quizzing capabilities in TMSWeb.
"As our ISO 9001 scope broadens within our organization, so too will our use of TMSWeb," Gray says. "Now that we know people have the right documents and we have automated their training requirements, we can turn our attention to accountability. Testing will enable us to know if the procedures are comprehensible and effective. If they are not, we can rewrite them or develop new approaches. That insight will be a tremendous asset."
Another benefit of adding the TMSWeb system to the AMIC is an increase in job satisfaction. Expectations are clear, and employees have great access to resources and therefore more knowledge of their day-to-day responsibilities.
"The TMSWeb system has improved every area of our business," says Gray. "Not only has our information access and management been revolutionized, but so have our relationships. Employees are happier and our internal communication is better because the focus is now on a mutually beneficial process that makes everyone's job easier and more effective."
QSI's TMSWeb document management system
- 800-percent reduction in training time
- 700-percent reduction in processing time
- Seamless audit process
- Increase in employee job satisfaction
www.qsi-inc.com
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