In 2005 after being unable to find an automated way to record production related information consistently and accurately, JJ Kotze began work on the software that is now the Principle Suite. Since its inception the Principle Suite has blossomed into a product that provides many businesses with a simple and efficient tool to capture information and provide data which can highlight trends and will ensure both quality and profit margins are maintained.
Unlike many business applications our software is ‘off the shelf’ is extremely easy to use and can be either incorporated within or stand alongside your current systems quickly. Every part of our software has been designed, tested and managed by our in-house resources. The software has been developed to be ‘future proof’ so when the business is ready it can be easily scaled further without having to learn new routines or invest in new versions. The software has been specifically designed from a users’ perspective so they can define a specific area to focus on initially then extend the same technology through further departments if and when necessary.
Who We Work With
Applied Principles is passionate about developing easy to use intuitive software which enables customers to focus on their strengths. This has been our focus for over five years and we believe we've become quite good at it.
Customers both large and small have invested in our products and services as they see them as a beneficial means to ensuring their companies brand and profitability are protected.
What We Do
We recognise that businesses are always looking for ways to work smarter and more systematically in order to sustain profitability and remain ahead of the competition in today’s marketplace. The competitive edge goes to those businesses which produce products of utmost safety and of the highest consistent quality whilst ensuring production efficiency is at its optimum. We believe it is essential to understand and measure what is happening on the shop floor to be able to manage the business effectively. Paper based data capture systems can be ineffective at times as the data inputted can be inconsistent and at worst incorrect. The time to analyse results can also be labour-some and time consuming which has a negative effect on overall margins especially if the data being analysed is incorrect. We believe a more effective approach to data capture is by using mobile tamperproof digital systems which can be deployed easily at low cost.
The Principle Suite is a computerised data capture management system which enables you to comply with regulations, ensure product quality, reduce operating costs whilst be beneficial to staff, customers and insurers. The data inputted is consistently accurate and reports are immediately available for analysis. You can use the system to monitor and manage compliance, drive continuous performance improvement and implement and monitor the results of new strategic changes. Since using the system all of our customers have recognised efficiency gains and reduction in product wastage the savings of which have been used to undercut the competition.
How We Do It
Principle Suite is real-time mobile data system which is easily configurable and can be deployed across the organisation over time. A choice of rugged mobile devices capture information on the ground which present the data via reports that can be accessed securely via the web.
The system asks the operator a series of simple questions which it uses to build up "tasks" which mimic the current checks being recorded on paper. The user logs onto the system and for example enters the job code before the checks are performed. The software is extremely flexible and can also easily accommodate checks associated with locations, sub locations, items of equipment, products and raw materials. This ensures that the appropriate targets and tolerances are selected for each task so there is no longer an need to compare the results to for example a (paper) specification table, avoiding some of the common sources of error with many existing approaches. If any result is outside of the accepted parameters, further actions (advanced questions) are automatically triggered which require a response before the operator can progress onto the next task.
These advanced questions are tailored to suit the circumstances, guiding the operator through the corrective actions, helping them to rectify the situation while also logging the actions and results. Out of process results trigger an alert ‘escalation’ mechanism which can if necessary send an SMS and/or e-mail to defined people. This is a useful notification in the event tolerances are exceeded at critical control points.
A computerised system averts human error and negates transcription mistakes because with a digital handheld device handwriting interpretation and typing errors and abbreviations are eliminated. All the entries are time and date stamped to the individual operator and records can if necessary incorporate a digital signature for further authenticity. The ownership of responses is unquestionable and accountability is enhanced as data can not be missed during tasks. You can therefore ensure all essential data is collected because the system can prompt for and enforce further questions before the operator can proceed further.
This enhanced level of information provides businesses with greater visibility to make decisions more efficiently; whilst ensuring compliance standards are maintained the system provides additional business intelligence which provides additional business intelligence which enables organisations to make important commercial decisions which will deliver greater profitability.
The following benefits can be expected from the system:
Easy to set-up
Prompted corrective actions make it much easier to identify problems early and to address the issue at the point of query non-conformances are recorded although often dealt with at a later time; with paperless, the system is designed to highlight the ‘red’ non conformances so individuals do not need to spend unnecessary time analysing the acceptable ‘green’ results. In the event of a non-conformance the operator will be provided with simple on-screen choices advising them of the action to take. Notification of non-conformances by e-mail and/or SMS alerts will enhance communication further should the non-confirmance be escalated. A labour saving will be experienced in this situation as the Line Manager will be aware of the non-conformance thus negating the requirement for the operator to locate the respective person within the organisation.
Enhanced Traceability
The integral high mega pixel camera makes it possible to record instances of non-conformances which will be time and dated stamped. This will negate the requirement for third-party cameras and labour collating and saving files. As the picture is recorded with the task the operator does not have to identify the associated picutre which will reduce the possibility of error of attaching the incorrect photograph to the incident.This facility will make it much easier to provide reports on demand for auditors and customers which will enhance confidence in systems and product quality.
Business Intelligence
Real-time, trend-able data available from anywhere with a secure password and internet connection; so if a site is experiencing problems a manager can review their actual process parameters and ensure there is nothing obvious that can be dealt with without necessarily visiting the site or department. The comprehensive suite of reports will save you time and money creating individual bespoke graphs in other applications such as Excel. As data is stored centrally your information will be backed up securely negating the requirement for storage space to hold paper files.-
Short and medium term analysis of accurate data, will allow you to manage and minimise variation within the process, thereby assisting in the reduction of complaints of a quality nature.
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Long term analysis will allow you to fully understand our operational capabilities and to identify areas for improvement or investment.
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Any change to the QC documentation or the specification targets can be rolled-out immediately as changes can be made to a live system; there is no existing paperwork to find and replace.
Rugged Handheld Mobile Devices
A selection of rugged IP rated handheld devices are available to suit the majority of working environments whether in the plant or during internal and customer site audits. Each unit has been thoroughly tested to withstand demanding conditions and due to an extremely long battery life will operate over 24 hours. The devices have an integral high spec digital camera and can integrate with devices such as temperature probes and swabbing devices.
