Customer Case Study
MilliporeSigma & AMA unlock the value of AR for remote audits, quality control, and training
1. Challenges
MilliporeSigma’s interest in Assisted Reality (AR) technologies started long before the COVID-19 pandemic affected global mobility. However, the need for technological solutions increased rapidly as MilliporeSigma faced unprecedented challenges across the entire organization because of this health crisis.
In this context, the Digital Experience organization reviewed several remote collaboration platforms, some of the criteria considered included:
- Implementation time: MilliporeSigma needed to act quickly to support the organization and required a partner who could help distribute and implement the technology in no time.
- Technology suitability: Operating in a highly regulated environment brings increased scrutiny to the use of technology within manufacturing areas. The software and hardware providers had to meet the company’s requirements.
- Ease of use: The ability to train MilliporeSigma’s employees in person was limited due to travel restrictions.
The technology selected had to be intuitive and user-friendly for the employees.
To respond to the needs of various use cases such as virtual audits, remote assistance, and knowledge transfer, AMA’s XpertEye Assisted Reality software suite (Lite, Essential, Advanced) was chosen as best suited for MilliporeSigma.
2. Solutions
1. Remote audits and quality control
Supplier audits are part of operating in a highly regulated environment. These audits would usually take place in person, during a period of 4 to 5 days. With XpertEye, quality teams can now provide the same level of information to regulatory bodies, but entirely remotely.
MilliporeSigma uses the XpertEye remote collaboration solution to provide customers with a tour of the facility and show them the manufacturing process. The customer can utilize the pointer functionality to highlight to MilliporeSigma particular areas they would like to check. The interface also allows to take pictures and add annotations for further discussion and evidence of compliance.
2. Remote training and knowledge transfer
Due to the pandemic, MilliporeSigma had to expand its manufacturing capacity to meet an extraordinary demand. Manufacturing of products had to be transferred between facilities worldwide but traveling on-site to complete in-person training was very challenging. As MilliporeSigma benefits from a global network of knowledgeable workers and experts, XpertEye was leveraged to facilitate communication between parties, and to exchange expertise.
The pandemic has changed the way to onboard new employees and suppliers, and to support new customers. Usually, MilliporeSigma would walk them through a tour of the facilities, to show how the company operates.
Now, this is being done virtually by a person wearing smart glasses and explaining what he sees. This way, MilliporeSigma keeps its commitment to be transparent with its customers and to provide them and employees with valuable information and insights into their processes and facilities.
AMA has been a great partner in helping MilliporeSigma adopt and benefit from Assisted Reality technology. I would recommend them as a partner to anyone looking to start their AR journey.
Jeremy Benedick,
Digital Product Experience Manager at MilleporeSigma
3. Results
Business benefits
XpertEye has helped to minimize the impact of global COVID-19 restrictions on the MilliporeSigma business, allowing the company to continue to:
- meet regulatory and customer requirements for auditing
- maintain the sales and distribution of critical products
- increase its manufacturing capacity by transferring knowledge between facilities
CSR benefits
- reduce carbon footprint to meet sustainability objectives
- offer a better work-life balance for employees
- reduce travel expenses
XpertEye met MilliporeSigma’s expectations of a professional, easy-to-use and secure solution, enabling the company to communicate with internal and external stakeholders.