Streamline Defect Reporting in Manufacturing: How Solvace Improves Maintenance WorkflowsReduce equipment downtime with faster, digital defect reporting built for manufacturing teams.

Effective defect reporting in manufacturing is essential to reducing unplanned downtime, avoiding recurring issues, and improving maintenance efficiency. When equipment problems are reported late—or not at all—productivity, safety, and operational costs all suffer.

That’s where Solvace’s Digital Defect Tag comes in. 

Built specifically for manufacturing environments, Solvace’s Defect Tag is a structured digital solution. Consequently, it helps teams identify, track, and resolve equipment issues from the shop floor to the maintenance team. In addition, it supports Autonomous Maintenance practices while providing full traceability and integration with existing maintenance systems. 

How Solvace Digitises Defect Reporting in Manufacturing

The Defect Tag is a Solvace module designed to digitise the process of capturing and resolving equipment defects. Teams can report faults using mobile devices—adding photos, videos, and standardised information—making it easier for planners to prioritise actions and maintain visibility. 

In contrast to traditional paper tags, Solvace’s solution enables real-time communication, automated reporting, and integration with systems like CMMS and SAP.

Why It Matters: The Challenge with Unstructured Defect Reporting in Manufacturing

Worldwide, equipment issues are still tracked using paper notes or informal methods. However, this leads to: 

  • Inconsistent reporting 
  • Missed or delayed maintenance 
  • Difficulties in tracking repeat issues 
  • High administrative effort to consolidate data 

Solvace Defect Tag helps manufacturing teams overcome these challenges by standardising how defects are reported, tracked, and escalated.

Key Features of the Solvace Defect Tag 

Digital Defect Reporting in Manufacturing with Visual Evidence

Mobile-First Defect Reporting
Operators and maintenance staff can report defects directly from their smartphones or tablets using intuitive forms. This real-time input capability reduces delays between detection and action, especially in large or multi-line facilities. With mobile access, issues are documented the moment they’re identified—minimising the risk of miscommunication or forgetfulness. 

Photo and Video Attachments
Visual documentation helps contextualise the defect, especially when describing noise, vibrations, or hard-to-reach areas. Photos and videos eliminate ambiguity, allowing maintenance planners and engineers to make informed decisions without requiring multiple follow-ups or on-site checks. 

Colour-Coded Forms by Category or Risk
Defect tags can be categorised using custom colour codes that indicate type (e.g. mechanical, electrical, safety) or severity. This visual prioritisation supports quicker triaging by planners and helps supervisors instantly assess the operational impact. 

Custom Workflows and Automated Planning

Customisable Defect Types and Workflows
Solvace allows teams to define specific defect types aligned with their own safety protocols, production standards, or machine configurations. This flexibility ensures the tool fits into your existing maintenance strategy—whether you follow TPM, WCM, or ISO-based processes. 

Defect Planning and Scheduling
After logging a defect, planners can assign, prioritise, and track it using the planning interface. This bridges the gap between frontline identification and back-office scheduling, improving responsiveness and helping avoid missed follow-ups. 

Automated Reports and Dashboards
The system generates reports automatically that are broken down by department, asset, area, employee, tag type, or time to resolution. These reports help maintenance managers and Opex leaders detect recurring problems, spot trends, and drive continuous improvement initiatives without the overhead of manual data collection. 

Reports, Dashboards and CMMS Integration

Integration with CMMS and SAP
Solvace’s Defect Tag connects seamlessly with Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), including SAP. When a tag is reported, a maintenance notification can be triggered automatically. Once the corresponding work order is completed in the CMMS, the defect tag is automatically closed—eliminating double entry and ensuring synchronisation between systems and simplifying the number of systems operators and technicians have to interact with. 

Link with Action Plans Module
Teams can directly link defects to corrective or preventive actions within Solvace’s broader Operational Excellence platform. This creates a closed feedback loop—from issue detection to resolution and verification—fostering accountability and enabling teams to track which problems were resolved permanently, not just patched. 

Who Benefits from Better Defect Reporting in Manufacturing?

Frontline Workers 

  • Report defects immediately from the shop floor 
  • Eliminate paperwork and delays 
  • Add context through photos/videos for better decision-making 

Maintenance and Safety Teams 

  • Get real-time visibility into reported defects 
  • Avoid data re-entry into CMMS platforms 
  • Track resolution times and recurring issues easily 

Opex and Plant Managers 

  • Standardise defect reporting across shifts and sites 
  • Monitor performance and MTTR over time 
  • Strengthen the link between AM, PM, and HS&E initiatives 

A Tool for Proactive Maintenance and Operational Discipline 

The Defect Tag is more than a reporting tool—it’s a key enabler of Autonomous Maintenance and Progressive Maintenance processes. By making defect tracking easier, faster, and more visible, Solvace helps teams maintain a continuous improvement mindset on the shop floor. 

It also supports paperless operations, reducing non-value-added activities related to manual data consolidation, printing, and audits. 

 Final Thoughts 

Solvace’s Defect Tag helps standardise and speed up how equipment issues are captured and resolved—leading to measurable improvements in maintenance responsiveness, traceability, and plant efficiency. 

If your organisation is aiming to reduce downtime, strengthen Autonomous Maintenance, or simply gain better control over maintenance workflows, the Digital Defect Tag module can play a central role.