Helping a Major U.S. Manufacturer Scale Assembly Operations and Improve Build Visibility
Protivix connected shop-floor execution, quality reviews, project documentation, and management reporting through a solution built with Microsoft technology.
Overview
When a major U.S. manufacturer of large equipment secured two significant sales, it needed to prepare for the delivery of more than 50 units to two customers. Meeting those commitments required additional mechanical and electrical resources, consistent assembly processes, and clear visibility into each unit’s progress.
Protivix helped the manufacturer replace paper-based build tracking with a connected solution that brought together task priorities, specifications, completion updates, and photos. Shop-floor teams accessed the application on iPads, while Production Managers and Executives used their laptops.
The solution helped new resources get up to speed faster and provided management with status information grounded in recorded work.
At a glance
- Client
- Major U.S. manufacturer of large equipment
- Business need
- Scale assembly operations and coordinate delivery of more than 50 units for two customers
- Microsoft technology
- Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Planner, and Teams
- Devices
- iPads for shop-floor use; laptops for Production Managers and Executives
- Roles supported
- Production Manager, Mechanic, E-Tech, Electrician, Quality Control, and Executives
- Protivix services
- Prototyping, requirements gathering, application development, training support, and deployment assistance
- Key benefits
- Faster onboarding, clearer priorities, centralized project documentation, coordinated quality reviews, and better project visibility
The challenge
The manufacturer’s existing build process relied on paper checklists. Team members read assembly instructions and manually marked off completed steps. Those build sheets then had to be consolidated to determine the status of each unit, followed by the manual preparation of management reports.
This process created administrative work and made it difficult to maintain a current view of progress across builds. Assembly teams also needed convenient access to specifications so they could follow the required steps consistently.
With the additional workload, the manufacturer needed to bring new mechanical and electrical resources onto its teams quickly. It needed a way to make build knowledge accessible, communicate priorities, coordinate quality reviews, and keep management informed while meeting business timelines.
The solution
Protivix developed a solution using Microsoft Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Planner, and Teams to connect assembly work, project documentation, workflow automation, and reporting.
The solution supported Production Managers, Mechanics, E-Techs, Electricians, Quality Control personnel, and Executives. Shop-floor users worked through the mobile application on iPads, while Production Managers and Executives accessed the solution from their laptops.
Automated project documentation setup
When a new project was created, the solution automatically created a dedicated Microsoft Teams channel. The channel provided a central location for machinery specifications, photos, and Quality Control documentation related to that project.
This gave teams a consistent place to organize and access the information needed to support each build.
Task guidance at the point of work
Team members could see their role-specific tasks for each build and open the specifications relevant to the work. This put build instructions within reach while equipment was being assembled.
Completion tracking and photo documentation
With one click, team members could mark a task complete and update the master plan in Microsoft Planner used by the project manager. They could also take photos to record completed work and support customer progress updates.
Weekly priorities and quality reviews
The solution sent weekly updates to each team member outlining their priorities. Quality Control personnel received a weekly list of items requiring review, helping coordinate quality checks with assembly progress.
Connected oversight and reporting
The master plan provided a common source for project status and executive reporting. Updates reflected the work teams had recorded as complete, improving visibility across individual units and the overall delivery effort.
| Capability | Business value |
|---|---|
| Automatically created Teams channels | Established a consistent location for project photos, QC documentation, and machinery specifications |
| Role-based task views | Clarified responsibilities and priorities for each build |
| Accessible build steps and specifications | Supported consistent execution and faster onboarding |
| One-click task completion | Kept the master plan updated as work was recorded |
| Photo capture | Created a visual record and supported customer updates |
| Weekly priority updates | Helped team members focus on planned work |
| Weekly quality review lists | Made required reviews visible to Quality Control personnel |
| Connected planning and reporting | Improved visibility for production management, project managers, and executives |
The Protivix approach
Make the concept tangible
Protivix began by building a prototype to demonstrate how the application would look and function. This gave client stakeholders a concrete way to understand the proposed experience and discuss how it would support their work.
Capture requirements across the organization
Following the prototype, Protivix gathered detailed requirements for shop-floor teams, project managers, and executives.
These requirements guided development of an application that supported the people assembling equipment and those responsible for coordinating builds, reviewing quality, and reporting progress.
Support training and deployment
Once the application was built, Protivix worked with the client team to create training guides. Protivix also assisted the client’s IT team with iPad setup and application deployment, helping put the solution into users’ hands.
The business impact
Faster onboarding and increased capacity
With build processes and documented specifications available through the mobile app, new mechanical and electrical resources could get up to speed faster. This helped the manufacturer scale its teams to support the additional workload and meet business timelines.
Clearer priorities and better coordination
Role-based task views gave team members clarity on their daily responsibilities. Weekly updates reinforced priorities, while dedicated review lists helped Quality Control personnel identify the items needing their attention.
Together, these capabilities improved communication between those completing assembly work and those responsible for reviewing it.
Organized project information
Automatically creating a Teams channel for each new project established a consistent place for photos, QC documentation, and machinery specifications. Teams had a shared location for the materials supporting each build.
More consistent assembly execution
Digital checklists and accessible specifications gave teams a shared process to follow when building each unit. Photos added a visual record of completed work, while weekly quality review lists supported follow-through on required checks.
Better visibility for management
As team members marked tasks complete, the master plan reflected their recorded progress. This kept the project manager informed and supported executive reporting based on actual task completion.
The connected workflow reduced reliance on manually consolidated build sheets and subjective progress updates.
Stronger customer communication
Photos captured through the application helped the manufacturer show customers the work completed on their equipment. This added visual context to progress updates throughout the build process.
Bringing execution and oversight together
Protivix helped the manufacturer connect shop-floor work with the information needed to coordinate delivery. Accessible build instructions supported faster onboarding, digital task tracking improved progress visibility, and weekly communications helped teams coordinate assembly priorities and quality reviews.
Dedicated Teams channels brought supporting documentation together for each project. Combined with access through iPads and laptops, the solution connected the people performing the work with those managing production and overseeing business commitments.
The result was a more connected process that helped the manufacturer expand its assembly capacity and manage the additional workload against business timelines.
Contact Protivix to discuss how connected applications and workflows can help your teams scale operations and improve project visibility.
