Focus Application: Training and Certification Management

Feyen Zylstra has served Bradford White for over 10 years, providing plant floor expertise that has transformed their operations. Recently our team bridged the gap between the office and the plant floor, providing industry 4.0 solutions
for their employee certification and training process. Using Ignition, an Integrated Software Platform by Inductive
Automation, our team transformed Bradford White’s current process to increase compliance, reduce risk, and improve overall safety.

Prior to our work, Bradford White’s Human Resource and Safety team utilized a large excel document to store, sort, and track their training and license data. This document was cumbersome, erroneous, and was incapable of showing real-time data. With Ignition’s strong MES functionality, our team set up the system to seamlessly track and display employee certifications and licenses so that any leader could quickly identify who is licensed to work on a specific piece of equipment. The platform alerts the HR and Safety team when certifications and licenses are due for renewal. This allows their team to plan and schedule training to best suit upcoming needs and expirations so that their employees are always equipped with the information they need to be safe and successful. Bradford White currently is tracking over 1,300 certifications across 870 active users within Ignition.

One of the most adaptive functions of Ignition is production management. Using the training and certification data,
Ignition links with machinery on the plant floor to prevent unauthorized users from accessing equipment. By revoking
unauthorized users from operating equipping, safety is increased while risk is greatly decreased. Our team also custom-built a module using Ignition scripting that provides traceability that translates into quality control across the facility. Real-time data is tracked and stored on who is working on what machine at any given time. In the case of a part or machine fault, a report can be pulled to show who was working on that machine to identify user or machine error. Bradford White is also now equipped with a simplified app that syncs with the system to allow for remote, wireless use on cellphones or tablets. Specified users can quickly and easily access data anytime, anywhere.

As an integral safety function, Ignition has streamlined and simplified actionable data inside and outside of Bradford White’s plant floor. While our team has experience with all types of software and platforms, our depth of knowledge truly shines when it comes to Ignition and data management. As we continue to better equip Bradford White’s ongoing operations, we’re pleased that they’ve become a more data-driven enterprise with greater visibility within their plant floor.