InfinityQS Survey Reveals More Than Half of Automotive Manufacturers Still Reliant on Spreadsheets

FAIRFAX, Va. - May 6, 2021 - PRLog -- InfinityQS announced the results of its latest manufacturing industry survey, which revealed that 55 percent of manufacturers in the automotive sector are still reliant on manual, outdated processes for critical quality management tasks.

A poll of 215 tier one and tier two automotive suppliers found that 55 percent are still conducting capability studies in Excel to satisfy the SPC requirements of IATF 16949:2016, a technical specification for automotive sector Quality Management Systems. 30 percent are using real-time SPC software, with 12 percent running SPC software checks manually, either every week, month, or quarter.

Jason Chester, Director of Global Channel Programs, InfinityQS, commented, "The manufacturing sector has been steadily improving its level of digital maturity by moving away from outdated manual processes and legacy technologies. COVID-19 has significantly accelerated this pace of transformation, with many turning to cloud-based SPC tools as a cost-effective solution for staff to monitor the production line in real-time from the safety of their homes, or any location with an internet connection."

InfinityQS works closely with many of the most capable partners in the world who support and drive forward their manufacturing clients' digital transformation objectives. In response to the pandemic, demand for the company's cloud-based SPC solutions has increased dramatically, as end-users seek new ways to maintain business performance and continuity, as well as ensuring staff can work safely while adhering to government guidelines on social distancing.

Jason stated, "It is surprising that despite the recent widespread adoption of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions across the manufacturing sector, such a high number of automotive manufacturers from tier one and two suppliers are still using an inefficient method of manually inputting SPC data into Excel spreadsheets for capability studies. While it is good to see around 30 percent of respondents actively deploying real-time SaaS solutions to satisfy the SPC requirements of IATF 16949:2016, as this is the most effective and efficient approach, it does show that the industry at large still has a long way to go. We also expect that the 12 percent who are still reliant on manually deploying SPC software will soon migrate to the cloud as a way to overcome the many logistical and economic challenges currently impacting this sector."

"Cloud-based SPC tools have become a key component of the modern manufacturer's digital ecosystem as they can help to drive down costs, increase agility, and enhance competitive edge. Those in the automotive sector should be looking to invest in real-time SPC solutions as a priority, to future-proof their operations and ensure they are as resilient and efficient as possible."

For more, visit http://www.infinityqs.com.