Elevating Quality in the Precast Industry with GoQ and Epicor’s Advanced Quality Module

Introduction

The Precast & Concrete Industry stands at the intersection of high-stakes projects, rigorous client demands, and ever-evolving quality expectations. From casting and curing to final finishing, each stage requires meticulous oversight to ensure products meet performance requirements and reduce costly errors or rework. This is where a robust Quality Management System (QMS) becomes indispensable.

GoQ and Epicor’s Advanced Quality Module represent two complementary approaches to quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA), enabling precast manufacturers to streamline operations, maintain consistent standards, and stay audit-ready—regardless of which codes, guidelines, or certifications they need to satisfy.

Modern precast operations can span multiple facilities, product lines, and raw material suppliers. Managing quality data from each segment can quickly become overwhelming if you’re relying on spreadsheets or paper checklists.

• GoQ:
  • Unified Quality Data: Allows teams to capture and store critical parameters— mold temperatures, mix designs, curing cycles, etc.—all in a single digital hub.
  • Immediate Visibility: Real-time dashboards help QA managers see deviations as soon as they appear, cutting response times from days to minutes.
  • Industry-Specific Templates: Preconfigured forms and reports can be adapted to specific precast processes, ensuring compliance and consistency.

• Epicor’s Advanced Quality Module:
  • Seamless ERP Integration: Merges quality metrics into your broader ERP data, linking production orders and inspection records for a 360° view of operations.

Key Benefit: Having all quality data in one place not only simplifies day-to-day management but also lays the foundation for more advanced analytics, such as predictive maintenance or process optimization.

The Challenge

In precast manufacturing, small oversights—like a slight variance in curing temperature or a hairline crack forming in the mold—can quickly escalate into larger quality or safety issues.

The GoQ Approach

• Real-Time Alerts: Configure triggers for critical parameters. When the system detects a deviation (e.g., air temperature dropping below a set threshold), it sends instant notifications to your QA team.
• Automated Escalations: Assign tasks to specific individuals or departments if the issue isn’t resolved within a defined time, ensuring accountability and speed. Epicor Advanced Quality Module Integration
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Production, quality, and maintenance teams can collaborate in real time, dramatically cutting down on the time to corrective action.

Example: Suppose you have a critical production run where the water-cement ratio is tightly controlled. The moment your ratio sensor flags a deviation, GoQ’s live notification pings your QC supervisor and automatically opens a non-conformance workflow within Epicor. This integrated response prevents subpar batches from moving forward and averts costly rework or product failures.

Why It Matters

In a field as hands-on as precast, not everything can be communicated through numbers. Visual evidence of surface imperfections, reinforcement placement, or mold conditions can be the key to swift and accurate assessments.

GoQ’s Unique Multimedia Capabilities

• Photo & Video Capture
  • Immediate Record-Keeping: Inspectors can upload images or videos from the production floor directly into the system via mobile devices.
  • Link to Specific Records: Tag each file to a particular batch, mold, or inspection checklist, ensuring easy retrieval during audits or root-cause analyses.
• On-Image Annotations
  • Highlighting Defects: Draw arrows or circles to pinpoint cracks, spalls, or other anomalies. This visual clarity reduces misunderstanding about where repairs are needed.
  • Text Overlays: Add concise instructions or comments directly on the image, helping teams quickly grasp the nature and location of the issue.

Epicor Advanced Quality Module Synergy

• Attach Visuals to NCRs or CAPAs: Enrich non-conformance reports and corrective action plans with annotated images, making it easier for cross-functional teams to understand problems and implement lasting fixes.
• Automated Storage & Retrieval: Since the Epicor module ties into your ERP, referencing specific orders or product lines becomes straightforward—especially during audits or customer inquiries.

Example: Imagine an operator discovers a minor chip on a freshly cast panel. Instead of scribbling notes on paper, they can snap a photo with a tablet, circle the defect, and upload it to GoQ. Epicor automatically receives this data, linking it to the production order. The quality team reviews the annotated image and decides whether a quick fix is feasible or if the panel should be scrapped—all in near real-time.

• Mold Preparation and Maintenance

  • Capture and Annotate: Technicians can photograph mold surfaces before pouring to document cleanliness, surface conditions, or any existing wear.

• Reinforcement and Inserts

  • Real-Time Checks: Inspectors can record video clips showing proper placement of rebar or lifting anchors, ensuring adherence to design specs.
  • Collaboration Made Easy: If an engineer working remotely spots a discrepancy in the video, they can highlight the issue and immediately send a note back to the plant floor for correction.

• Finished Product Inspection

  • Instant Approvals: Capture detailed images of the finished product’s surface texture, dimensions, and labeling. This can be sent to the client or internal stakeholders for immediate feedback.
  • Streamlined QC Paperwork: With Epicor’s Advanced Quality Module, generate certificates or final inspection reports automatically, appending relevant visuals for comprehensive documentation.

Beyond Checklists

Simply having digital forms or capturing photos is not enough. Continuous improvement flourishes when data is converted into insights.

• Trend Analysis
• • GoQ Analytics: Spot recurring defects, analyze root causes, and track improvements over time.
• Team Empowerment
  • Interactive Training: Annotated images and videos serve as training materials, helping new hires understand best practices and past pitfalls.
  • Cross-Functional Engagement: A unified system encourages communication between production, engineering, and quality teams, leading to smarter, data driven decisions.

Quality management in the precast industry can feel like a juggling act, but with GoQ’s multimedia-friendly QMS and Epicor’s Advanced Quality Module, you can streamline the entire process—from initial mold prep to final product release. Live notifications ensure you’re always on top of potential issues, while image/video capture and annotation bring a layer of clarity that numeric data alone can’t match.

By integrating these platforms, precast manufacturers gain a holistic view of their operations, reduce the risk of non-conformities, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement. Whether you’re looking to enhance your existing QC processes or launch a transformative quality initiative, combining GoQ and Epicor’s Advanced Quality Module can set your operation on a path to operational excellence and industry leadership

Contact us today for a detailed walkthrough of how GoQ and Epicor’s Advanced Quality Module can work together to meet your precast quality goals. From real-time alerts to robust visual documentation, these tools are designed to make compliance, collaboration, and continuous improvement second nature in your organization.