Standardised processes
Reduced key-person dependency
Real-time production data
Audit-ready documentation
Why Paper-Based Production Processes Are Holding You Back
In the majority of precast plants, the most important operational knowledge lives in two places: filing cabinets full of paper forms, and the heads of experienced production staff. Neither is scalable, auditable, or resilient to staff absence.
When a QC manager goes on leave, inspection standards change. When a production supervisor retires, scheduling knowledge walks out the door. When an auditor arrives, finding the right paperwork takes hours. These are not edge cases — they’re normal operating conditions for a paper-based plant.
Digitalising your workflows doesn’t mean replacing your people. It means capturing what they know so the business isn’t dependent on any single person being present.
Lost Knowledge
Critical process knowledge held in experienced staff’s heads — not documented, not transferable, and lost entirely when that person leaves.
Audit Vulnerability
Paper QC records that are incomplete, inconsistent, or physically misfiled — creating compliance risk and consuming hours of management time during audits.
No Production Data
No reliable data on throughput, rework rates, delivery performance, or bed utilisation — making it impossible to manage production by anything other than instinct.
Disconnected Systems
Design data in Tekla, schedules in spreadsheets, QC records on paper, and delivery data in a separate system — no connection between them and no single source of truth.
The Microsoft Platform — Affordable, Integrated, Familiar
The majority of precast factories already pay for Microsoft 365. Power Apps, Power BI, and SharePoint are included in many existing licences — meaning the infrastructure for workflow digitalisation may already be in place. LPS builds solutions on this platform because it’s cost-effective, integrates with existing tools, and doesn’t require expensive proprietary software.
Power Apps
Custom Production Apps
Mobile and desktop applications built for your specific workflows — inspection forms, work orders, non-conformance reporting, and production chec and built Built on your existing Microsoft licence.
SharePoint
SOP & Document Management
Centralised, searchable document library for SOPs, work instructions, quality procedures, and compliance records — accessible from any device, with version control and audit trails built in.
Power BI
Production KPI Dashboards
Real-time production dashboards connecting data from Tekla, your production apps, and other sources — giving management live visibility over bed utilisation, quality rates, and delivery performance.
Power Automate
Workflow Automation
Automated alerts, approval workflows, and data routing — triggered by production events, non-conformances, or scheduled reviews. Reduces manual follow-up and ensures nothing falls through the gaps.
Teams
Operational Communication
Structured communication channels for production teams — replacing informal WhatsApp groups with documented, searchable conversations linked to specific projects and processes.
Tekla API
Design Data Integration
Connecting Tekla Structures design data to your production management system — ensuring element schedules, quantities, and specifications flow automatically without manual re-entry.
Common Digital Enabling Projects in Precast Plants
QC Inspection App
Replace paper inspection forms with a mobile Power Apps solution — capturing inspection results, photos, and signatures digitally at the point of inspection. Re feed automatifeed cally into a Power BI dashthat showshowing quality trends by product type, shift, and inspector.
SOP Digitalisation Programme
Structured capture of your existing production SOPs and work instructions into a searchable SharePoint library — with workflow controls ensuring the current version is always what’s in use, and outdated versions are archived rather than accidentally followed.
Production Scheduling Dashboard
A Power BI dashboard connected to Tekla element data and your production records — showing bed allocation, casting sequence, curing status, and delivery schedule in a single view. Updated automatically as production progresses.
Non-Conformance Management System
A Power Apps solution for logging, categorising, and tracking non-conformances from identification through root cause analysis to corrective action closure — with automatic notifications and management escalation built in.
Maintenance Request System
Replace verbal or paper-based maintenance requests with a structured Power Apps system — capturing asset, fault description, urgency, and photographic evidence. Linked to a maintenance schedule and producing data to support planned maintenance decisions.
Delivery Documentation Platform
Digital delivery dockets, element trackers, and installation sequence data — replacing paper delivery notes with a system that connects element identity (via QR or barcode) to quality records, design data, and site delivery confirmation.
Process-First. Technology Second.
The most common mistake in workflow digitalisation is building a digital version of a broken paper process. The technology faithfully replicates the inefficiency — and nothing improves.
Our approach always starts with the process: mapping what currently happens, identifying what should happen, and defining the workflow before touching any technology. The system we build reflects your optimised process — not your current one.
Workflow Discovery
On-site sessions with your team to map current processes — understanding how work actually flows, not how it’s supposed to flow on paper.
Process Design
Define the optimised workflow — removing unnecessary steps, clarifying decision points, and standardising what should be consistent across shifts and operators.
Solution Architecture
Design the technical solution — which tools, which data flows, which integrations. Scoped and costed before any development begins.
Build & Test
Development, testing with real production data, and iteration based on feedback from the people who will use the system daily.
Deployment & Training
Structured rollout with hands-on training for your team — ensuring adoption is successful from day one, not forced on a resistant workforce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need Microsoft 365 to use these solutions?
Power Apps, SharePoint, Power BI, and Power Automate are all Microsoft 365 products. Most business Microsoft 365 licences include access to these tools, though some advanced Power Apps features require additional licensing. We assess your existing licence position as part of the initial engagement — in many cases the infrastructure is already in place and no additional software purchase is required.
How long does a typical digitalisation project take?
A focused workflow digitalisation project — such as a QC inspection app or SOP management system — typically takes six to twelve weeks from discovery to deployment. More complex programmes covering multiple workflows across a plant take longer. We scope and phase projects to deliver usable value quickly rather than building everything before anything is live.
Our team isn’t very technical — will they be able to use these systems?
Yes — this is a central design requirement, not an afterthought. Power Apps solutions are specifically designed for non-technical users: mobile-first, tap-based forms with minimal data entry. We test with actual production staff before deployment and adjust the interface based on what works in practice on the factory floor, not in a meeting room.
Can these tools connect to our existing ERP or production management system?
In many cases, yes — Power Platform has extensive integration capabilities, including connections to common ERP systems, Tekla Structures, and a wide range of third-party tools via APIs and connectors. We assess integration feasibility during the scoping phase and design around your existing systems rather than asking you to replace them.