Strategic Materials deploys InfinityQS’ cloud-based quality intelligence platform

InfinityQS International Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, has announced that Houston-based glass recycler Strategic Materials has deployed the company’s cloud-based quality intelligence platform, Enact, to standardize data collection and quality programs at 31 of its recycling plants, with plans to expand to others. Enact is designed to provide quality professionals at Strategic Materials real-time visibility into the process performance within these plants so they can immediately detect issues and make corrections. It also allows Strategic Materials to perform the cross-site analysis needed to drive continuous improvement, according to InfinityQS. 

Strategic Materials supplies recycled glass to manufacturers of glass containers, fiberglass insulation, highway bead, decorative glass, glass fillers and other specialty glass products. Previously, the company used nonstandardized data collection methods, which required plant personnel to manually enter quality data into separate spreadsheets for each process, InfinityQS says. In addition to being time-consuming, this method prevented consistent, regular quality checks and the timely discovery of issues.

Differences in the data collected between sites—such as process nomenclature—made it challenging for Brad Bell, director of quality and continuous improvement at Strategic Materials, to look at each plant’s performance and uncover actionable insights. Bell needed a quality system that could easily unite Strategic Materials’ disparate quality data.

Built to collect quality data and conduct deep-dive analyses, Enact is designed to provide a richer way for manufacturers to understand their processes and delivers the intelligence needed to make rapid improvements, according to InfinityQS. Enact helps companies see trends across an entire enterprise, which allows them to respond quickly and make required process tweaks in the moment, preventing out-of-specification product from leaving a plant, the technology provider adds.

Enact is a cloud-native platform, enabling Strategic Materials to quickly roll the solution out to multiple plants—starting with 12 sites and expanding to 31 in only three months, InfinityQS says.

Today, Strategic Materials benefits from the insights gained from having centralized data that gets entered in a standardized manner. Bell and his team can assemble quality data from all 31 plants into a single report, exposing opportunities for process improvement.

Regarding the deployment of Enact, Bell says, “How quickly we built standardized data collections—and how easily we can visually identify trends—is nothing short of great. Enact gives us a real-time, complete picture of all our processes. We use the system to closely monitor performance across facilities on a day-to-day basis. Most notably, we share Enact data with our customers every week. The reporting enables us to demonstrate—to current and future customers alike—that we are a consistent, worry-free supplier who produces a high-quality product.”

“The Strategic Materials story is a compelling example of what’s possible when organizations have unified, standardized data—and the ability to effectively act on them,” says Eric Weisbrod, vice president of product management at InfinityQS. “Beyond the cost and waste savings that come with better process monitoring, manufacturers can attain a clear competitive advantage by way of a focused commitment to quality. Using Enact, Strategic Materials has set themselves apart from the competition, leading to increased business, additional revenue streams, and overall greater profitability.”