ETQ Reliance includes several features to make it easier to cope with supply chain shortages and put processes in place to help increase resilience. Real-Time Data Visibility It's easier to handle a supply shortage when you know exactly what's happening. Real-time insights allow for quicker decision-making and help business leaders spot a problem before it becomes a bigger issue. With supply chain shortages ever-evolving, it's important to see what the current situation is to adapt and build resilience. Collaboration and Connectivity Williams also uses ETQ Reliance to work closely with suppliers and partners; he explained, "When we go to assign a PPAP, we're assigning it to the quality folks on the shop floor doing the actual work. For the most part, with ETQ, we've set up direct communication to all of our suppliers. From a communications standpoint, it's much quicker now, and we're not having to wait for things to route through the entire organization." Being able to collaborate between departments and suppliers enables a business to bring everyone involved in the manufacturing process into a centralized workflow. This connectivity improves visibility and allows for quicker decision-making as you have all the information at your fingertips. Supply chain shortages are nothing new, and they're one of the challenges most businesses must weather. Deeper visibility into the supply chain can help overcome these challenges. Schedule a demo if you'd like to see what ETQ Reliance can do for you. Cloud Access and Audit Trail Cloud access allows employees, business leaders, and suppliers to access the relevant areas of the system no matter where they are based. This feature allows for collaborative working and a clear audit trail without data silos. Document Control and Reporting Reliance allows you to centralize your documents, enabling those throughout the entire supply chain to contribute to and access necessary documentation. This feature allows you to see supplier certificates and documentation and allows them to understand your workflows and requirements. Automation and Scalability Reliance can help increase efficiency and productivity by automating repetitive tasks. This feature makes it more straightforward to audit your supply chain and generate reports. Customization As a fully customizable solution, the ETQ QMS can be built around how you work with your suppliers — rather than requiring you to change the way you work for the system. In a recent webinar, Darrell Williams, Manager, Supplier Development at the Oshkosh Corporation, said, "We don't really use out of the box. We have processes already and want to make sure we follow those, and [ETQ Reliance] provided the flexibility that we needed, so we didn't have to completely change our processes. We improved them, based on what we saw." Risk Management Using the right QMS can prepare you for supply chain disruptions and emergencies. ETQ's built-in risk-management tools allow you to track compliance, manage tasks, and make decisions based on real risk data. Analytics ETQ Reliance can help you better understand opportunities, mitigate risks, and streamline efficiencies if you're dealing with a supply chain shortage. Detailed analytics allow business leaders to make informed decisions despite its real-world challenges.

Cliff Davis, Quality Systems Development Leader, Rheem

"We turned Reliance into a supplier portal; all of our suppliers have a username and password to log into Reliance and respond to quality-related documents. It's really been great for us to have that portal that allows that customer or supplier to respond to quality issues, key patches, and correction actions. It's pretty powerful to take it out of the control of email and spreadsheets, and now it's a well-oiled machine."

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Terms and conditions

About ETQ: ETQ, part of Hexagon, is the leading provider of quality, EHS and compliance management SaaS software, trusted by the world’s strongest brands. More than 600 customers globally, spanning industries such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, heavy industry, food and beverage, and medical devices, benefit from ETQ to secure positive brand reputations, enable higher levels of customer loyalty and enhance profitability. ETQ Reliance offers built-in best practices and powerful flexibility to drive business excellence through quality. Only ETQ lets customers configure industry-proven quality processes to their unique needs and business vision. ETQ was founded in 1992 and has main offices located in the U.S. and Europe. To learn more about ETQ and its various product offerings, visit www.etq.com. Hexagon is a global leader in digital reality solutions. Learn more about Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B) at hexagon.com and follow us@HexagonAB.

©ETQ, LLC, part of Hexagon

Terms and conditions

CASE STUDY

Supplier quality & new product Integration

Site expansion

Integrating quality control -shop floor with quality management

QUALITY JOURNEY

Today’s economy is facing an unprecedented series of supply chain shocks that affect almost every industry. Addressing these challenges is vital to continued business growth, whether it's through global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic or a shortage of skilled workers due to the growing skills gap. While most of these supply chain disruptions are out of the control of an organization, there's plenty to do to minimize the effect they have on business operations. Insight is one of the most powerful tools because, with the right information, it's easier to predict where those shortages and disruptions may affect your business. The causes of supply shortages include: • Conflict with Ukraine and Russia • The pandemic's effect on workforce, raw materials, and supplier to retailer movement • Brexit challenges in the UK and the EU • Border disputes • Skilled workforce shortfalls, such as a with lorry drivers • Rising global energy costs • Increased shipping costs These causes are leading to shortages across numerous industries. In automotive, for example, the shortage of semiconductors and other components has been well documented, but the supply of raw materials like lithium, nickel, cobalt, magnesium, and many more have also been affected. Not only an issue for automotive manufacturers but also for many of their suppliers and across other industries.

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senior technical Manager, wabtec

We have seen the power of the machine integration elements through our ability to connect using Hexagon’s PC-DMIS/CMM machine that automates nonconformances directly inside ETQ Reliance.”

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How Streamlined Supplier Quality Management can Help with Supply Chain Challenges

How an automated QMS can help alleviate supply chain challenges

One area of quality management that can help with these challenges is supply chain visibility. An automated QMS gives the insight you need into your suppliers. Whether they're currently struggling with shortages or not, understanding what's coming down the pipeline helps you plan and adapt as needed. This visibility has several benefits. It allows you to: • Spot delays ahead of time, allowing you to adapt • Monitor supplier quality • Find opportunities to reduce waste and increase efficiency • Address issues before they're too big to handle • Identify changes in suppliers and customers • Recognize bottlenecks or gaps in the supply chain • Make decisions more quickly The ETQ QMS is designed to provide deep visibility to all elements of an organization, but it goes beyond that. ETQ Reliance allows businesses to bring their suppliers into the fold. In a recent webinar, Cliff Davis, the Quality Systems Development Leader at Rheem, explained how the company uses ETQ's QMS. He said, "We turned Reliance into a supplier portal; all of our suppliers have a username and password to log into Reliance and respond to quality-related documents. It's really been great for us to have that portal that allows that customer or supplier to respond to quality issues, key patches, and correction actions. It's pretty powerful to take it out of the control of email and spreadsheets, and now it's a well-oiled machine." An automated QMS allows a business to treat quality as a key metric. Advanced analytics provide the granular insights needed to combat supply chain fragility. By working with suppliers to improve this metric, an organization can improve resilience in the face of global shortages.

How ETQ QMS can help cope with supply chain shortages

"We don't really use out of the box. We have processes already and want to make sure we follow those, and [ETQ Reliance] provided the flexibility that we needed, so we didn't have to completely change our processes. We improved them, based on what we saw."

darrell williams, supplier Development Leader, oshkosh corporation

"When we go to assign a PPAP, we're assigning it to the quality folks on the shop floor doing the actual work. For the most part, with ETQ, we've set up direct communication to all of our suppliers. From a communications standpoint, it's much quicker now, and we're not having to wait for things to route through the entire organization."

Why are there supply shortages? Supply shortages can happen for any number of reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions with shortages of workers, equipment, and raw materials. More recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has worsened global supply chains adding to surging costs (especially fuel), prolonged deliveries and other challenges for companies trying to move goods globally. What are the major supply chain issues? Currently, the primary supply chain issues are: • Material scarcity • Increased cost of logistics • Difficulty predicting customer demand • Port congestion • Changing consumer attitudes • Conflict with Ukraine and Russia What is causing the supply chain shortage? Several factors are causing the supply chain shortage, and it's not solely down to the pandemic. Other elements include: • Conflict with Ukraine and Russia • Brexit challenges in the UK and the EU • Border disputes • Skilled workforce shortfalls, such as a with lorry drivers • Rising global energy costs • Increased shipping costs

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