Digital to world class quality

Excellence, class, target fulfillment: There are many definitions of quality - and just as many ways to achieve it. At Siemens Building Technologies, agile quality management encompasses seven principles: These include customer and business focus, real-time data and openness, and early review and testing to learn quickly. Equally, quality managers are valued business team members, and prevention, risk management and systemic improvement are central.

By pursuing these principles, quality management contributes significantly to the implementation of the division's vision. The goal of Siemens Building Technologies is to make buildings better and thus also people's lives better. With its focus on fire protection, safety and building automation, the company creates a portfolio of products, solutions and services with which it sustainably drives the digital transformation in the market.

In order to continuously improve its products and services, Sie-mens Building Technologies has been using the EcoWebDesk software since 2012. With eight modules, the online solution covers the areas of occupational safety, audit and hazardous materials management, legal compliance, online instructions, process management, eco-controlling and sustainability. Users can put together the individual modules individually. Locations, plants or organizational units are precisely mapped in the SaaS solution (Software as a Service). Each user receives task-oriented access to the areas he or she needs - whether for detailed information in the specialist department or for an all-round overview in management. In this way, corporate processes can be controlled efficiently, legally compliantly and sustainably.

Integrated management system and quality management
Patrick Lüscher is a quality manager and the main person responsible for the audit management module at Siemens Building Technologies. Since 2010, he has been working in the IQM team, in which quality management and EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) experts work together. The department is also responsible for the division's integrated management system. It combines methods and instructions for complying with the requirements of various areas. This includes the Siemens Organization Manual and Process Framework, EHS and quality management principles, as well as the ISO 9001 (quality), 14001 (environment) and OHSAS 18001 (occupational safety) standards. Since 2013, the company has had matrix certification: several sites are brought together under one roof, work according to the same criteria and are audited periodically. Before the introduction of EcoWebDesk, audit management was handled differently by those responsible.

"The tools we used ranged from Excel spreadsheets and Outlook calendar entries to SharePoint. Now everything flows together uniformly in one system," says Patrick Lüscher.

What is the status of planned, performed or postponed audits? How many measures were carried out by whom and when? In the past, the quality manager needed a whole day to compile the quarterly results. Thanks to the online solution, all data is now available in a structured, consistent and real-time manner. In addition, the questionnaires for internal audits no longer differ from one another.

Plan and prepare audits
Patrick Lüscher first heard about Eco-WebDesk when he was talking to an EHS colleague. The division from Germany was already using the Occupational Health and Safety software module. After Lüscher's team had tested the Audit Management module in detail, they decided to support the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) with EcoWeb-Desk in the future. The software accompanies the company through all internal and external audit phases - from planning and execution to the identification of recommendations for improvement and the elimination of possible non-conformities. All those involved in the process are integrated in an uncomplicated manner.

After an intensive preparation period, the quality management team meets annually for a management review with the division's CEO and CFO. Together, they approve the audit program for the coming fiscal year. The planning is then further refined. The lead auditors coordinate appointments with specialist departments and other people involved. In the online solution, they have an overview of all upcoming audits and inspections.

Appointments can be easily prepared. With just a few clicks, the responsible persons select the desired questionnaire and can supplement it with additional questions if required. Connected documents are attached in an uncomplicated manner. Audit participants are also registered and notified by e-mail via the online solution. Siemens employees create rules for the reminder depending on the audit type.

Individual use, uniformly documented results
"One advantage of EcoWebDesk is that we can flexibly adapt the software to our needs," says Patrick Lüscher. Some colleagues take notes directly during the audit and use the online solution on their tablet or notebook. If no internet connection is available during an inspection, the offline function can be used. Questions defined in advance are provided in an Excel template that contains all the necessary information for carrying out the audit.

The answers are entered and evaluated on mobile devices regardless of location. Documented results can then be transferred back into the system. Those who prefer to work with pen and paper can print out the respective questions and make notes later in the system. The results of the audit are then transferred to the audit report and evaluated. If lead auditors identify a need for action during the assessment, they initiate recommendations or minor and major deviations directly in EcoWebDesk and pass them on to the responsible colleagues. If a measure exceeds the due date, a reminder is immediately sent to all parties involved. The current progress can be viewed in the system depending on the role.

In order to further advance its high quality standards, the company has relied on the six-eyes principle since the introduction of EcoWebDesk: lead auditors initiate and control the implementation of measures. As the person responsible for the measures, department managers ensure that they are carried out by a person responsible for implementation. "The loyalty of our customers is a consequence and result of Siemens quality. That's why we make sure that quality management is integrated into products and processes right from the start and is lived by every single employee," says Patrick Lüscher.

Passion for cooperation
The definition of the responsible key users as well as the country and regional managers was particularly important for the smooth introduction of EcoWebDesk. The consulting team of the software manufacturer EcoIntense also provided support in training sessions and workshops for the users. Even today, internal training courses are offered on a regular basis, during which the advantages are demonstrated directly in the system. In addition to regular feedback and best-practice rounds, auditor training also helps to ensure that all employees work easily together in EcoWebDesk.

"A great side effect is that since its introduction, there has been a cross-country, cross-divisional and cross-departmental exchange that did not exist in this form before. Cooperation and knowledge sharing have increased significantly," explains Lüscher. As teamwork grows, so does the online solution. At Siemens Building Technologies, the areas of hazardous materials management and occupational safety are also controlled via corresponding EcoWebDesk modules. Data collected by a department in one module can also be made available to other departments. Thanks to the budget-friendly SaaS use, there is no need for costly installation or additional administration. All users can work together independent of time and location.