When quality problems are detected too late

Challenge: ”Quality issues are detected too late and are difficult to trace.”

In many industrial companies, quality is still handled separately from daily production. Checks are carried out retrospectively, data is scattered, and once a deviation is detected, it is often too late to avoid scrapping, rework, or delivery disruptions.

In complex production processes, where small variations have major consequences, quality must be an integral part of the work, not something that is checked after the fact.

In this article, we explore why late quality discoveries are so common in batch- and process-intensive manufacturing, the risks they pose, and how you can embed quality into the production flow itself using AVEVA™ MES.

In industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, chemicals, and energy, quality is not just an internal goal. It is a business-critical requirement – and often a regulatory requirement. Traceability, documentation, and correctly executed processes are central parts of the business model.

Despite this, quality is often managed manually or in systems that are not integrated with production itself. This leads to increased risk in the event of batch deviations, more difficult root cause analysis, and more extensive work during audits.

AVEVA MES is designed to make up a quality part of your day-to-day work. We help you design solutions that link quality data, process parameters, and material flows – a crucial requirement in environments with high demands on product safety and regulatory compliance.

When quality is not integrated, the same pattern often emerges: manual checks that vary between teams, a lack of connection between process data and quality outcomes, and extensive work in the event of deviations and audits.

In many factories, quality checks are carried out as separate activities after each production stage – or after the entire batch has been produced. Samples are analyzed, results are reviewed, and only then is it decided whether the product meets the required quality standards.

The problem is that by then, the deviations have already had consequences. If the error occurred early in the process, entire batches may need to be discarded or redone. This entails direct costs in the form of waste and rework, as well as disruptions to planning and deliveries.

In regulated industries, there is also the risk of non-compliance, which can have major consequences for the business.

Another major challenge is that quality systems and production systems are often separate. Production data is stored in automation and MES, while quality data is stored in other systems, Excel spreadsheets, or paper logs.

This makes it difficult to link process events to quality outcomes. In the event of a deviation, root cause analysis often becomes manual detective work, requiring data collection from multiple sources. This takes time, increases the risk of errors, and makes it difficult to work preventively.

To build a robust quality culture, production and quality systems need to speak the same language – and work in the same flow.

The fact that quality often ends up on the sidelines is due to how traditional MES systems are structured. Quality functions are often added as add-ons or special solutions, making integration difficult and maintenance costly.

AVEVA MES, which is modular and model-driven, offers a different approach. Production logic, workflows, and quality functions are built with reusable building blocks that can be used consistently across multiple factories. You get a consistent structure that is easy to scale and update.

Quality becomes part of the process – not a side activity.

With AVEVA MES, quality is moved into the natural flow of production. Quality checks can be triggered automatically at defined steps: when a job starts, when batches change, at shift changes, or based on a process time interval.

The operator receives clear instructions on what measurements to take and what to record. The results are automatically linked to the correct batch, equipment, and materials. This creates an unbroken chain of traceability from raw material to finished product.

Quality thus becomes something that is monitored while the work is in progress, not something that happens after the fact.

When quality deviations are detected earlier in the process, the consequences are both smaller and less expensive. Production can be adjusted before an entire batch is affected, and work can be returned to the correct tolerances more quickly.

This leads to:

• lower scrap rates
• better resource efficiency
• more stable processes
• faster recovery from deviations

At the same time, you gain a better understanding of which process parameters really affect quality – an important prerequisite for long-term improvement.

In many businesses, traceability still requires significant manual effort, especially during audits or customer inquiries. Data must be collected from several different systems, and sometimes even from paper or manual logs.

When traceability is built into the MES flow, connections between raw materials, process steps, and finished products are automatically established. If necessary, the entire production history can be tracked digitally – without manual compilation.

This simplifies operations, investigations, and audits, and reduces the risk of incomplete information.

In life sciences and other regulated industries, the requirements for documentation, validation, and audit trails are very high. Systems must support this without becoming an administrative burden.

AVEVA MES can be configured for validated workflows, electronic signatures, and clear audit trails. This provides a combination of efficient production and a high level of regulatory compliance – and is often crucial for companies that operate under GMP, for example.

At Roima, we ensure that quality processes are an integral part of the production solution, not a separate IT track. We build quality requirements into process models, workflows, and data collection right from the start – in a way that works in actual operations.

By combining in-depth system expertise with experience of industry quality and regulatory requirements, we help you create solutions that are both practical and sustainable. The starting point is always your actual working methods and needs.

When quality problems are detected too late, the consequences quickly become costly – both operationally and commercially. Deviations, scrapping, and rework affect delivery schedules, resource utilization, and regulatory compliance.

With AVEVA MES, you can move quality into the production flow, link measurements to the right batch and equipment, and detect deviations while production is in progress.

At Roima, we help you build quality workflows that work in practice and meet the requirements of regulated environments.

Want to see this in action? Watch our on-demand demo of AVEVA MES.