Leading Providers of Support Documentation Solution
Sigma Logistic Solutions produces and developes; Support Documentation, Technical Manuals and Publications and has supplied local and international clients with industry leading product support content for more than 30 years.
Our experience in the commercial, military, and support engineering environments has enabled us to develop world-class documentation which has enhanced our clients’ products, allowing for a better understanding for the end-user, increasing productivity, reducing cost and downtime and creating a safer working environment.
WHAT WE DO
Technical Documentation
We have extensive experience in producing technical documentation by using structured information.
Our technical authors (writers) are specialists experienced in the production of product support documentation written to a wide variety of military and commercial specifications.
Sigma has developed the capabilities to produce documentation in accordance with the S1000D specification, whether you require printed or electronic solutions in terms of documentation, Sigma has the solution for you.
Sigma has brought technical documentation into the 21st century. We have developed an electronic solution for viewing your technical documents anytime, on any device, anywhere in the world.
Maintenance is the process of keeping equipment in good working order by regularly inspecting, testing, and repairing it. It is an essential part of any business operation, as it helps to prevent equipment failures and downtime. Downtime can be costly for businesses, as it can lead to lost productivity, revenue, and customer goodwill.
The Importance of Maintenance
There are many reasons why maintenance is important for businesses. First, it helps to extend the life of equipment. When equipment is properly maintained, it is less likely to break down. This can save businesses money in the long run, as they will not have to replace equipment as often.
Second, maintenance helps to improve the performance of equipment. When equipment is properly maintained, it is more likely to operate at its peak efficiency. This can lead to increased productivity and revenue for businesses.
Third, maintenance helps to improve safety. When equipment is properly maintained, it is less likely to pose a safety hazard. This can protect employees and customers from injury.
The Cost of Downtime
Downtime can be costly for businesses. A study by the Ponemon Institute found that the average cost of downtime for businesses is $160,000 per hour. This cost can be even higher for businesses that rely on critical equipment, such as hospitals or power plants.
Downtime can lead to lost productivity, revenue, and customer goodwill. When equipment is down, employees cannot work and customers cannot be served. This can lead to lost productivity and revenue. In addition, customers who are inconvenienced by downtime may take their business elsewhere.
How to Reduce the Cost of Downtime
There are a number of things that businesses can do to reduce the cost of downtime. One of the most important things is to have a good maintenance plan in place. This plan should identify all of the equipment that needs to be maintained, and it should specify the frequency of maintenance checks and repairs. Businesses should also invest in preventive maintenance programs, which can help to identify and fix potential problems before they cause a breakdown.
In addition to having a good maintenance plan, businesses should also have a plan in place for dealing with unexpected downtime. This plan should include steps for notifying customers, employees, and suppliers, as well as steps for recovering data and getting the business back up and running as quickly as possible.
By taking steps to prevent downtime, businesses can save money and protect their bottom line.
Conclusion
Maintenance is an essential part of any business operation. It helps to extend the life of equipment, improve its performance, and improve safety. Downtime can be costly for businesses, so it is important to take steps to prevent it. By having a good maintenance plan in place and investing in preventive maintenance, businesses can reduce the cost of downtime and protect their bottom line.
Product support documentation is an essential component of any product development process. It refers to the technical documents that provide information about a product's design, manufacturing, installation, operation, maintenance, and repair. The importance of product support documentation cannot be overstated, as it helps to ensure that products are used safely, effectively, and efficiently.
One of the key benefits of product support documentation is that it provides users with the necessary information to operate products safely. Products can be complex and involve many technical details, making it difficult for users to understand how to operate them safely. Support documentation can provide detailed information about the safe use of a product, including warnings, cautions, and instructions. By providing users with clear and concise information about how to use products safely, product support documentation helps to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries.
Product support documentation also helps to ensure that products are used effectively. It provides users with information about the product's capabilities and limitations, allowing them to make informed decisions about how to use it. For example, a product's operating manual might provide information about the maximum weight that it can lift, allowing users to avoid overloading it. By providing users with information about the product's capabilities and limitations, product support documentation helps to ensure that products are used effectively and that they perform as expected.
In addition to helping users operate products safely and effectively, product support documentation can also help to reduce costs. It provides users with information about how to maintain and repair products, which can extend their useful life and reduce the need for costly replacements. For example, an equipment manual might provide information about how to replace a worn-out part, allowing users to make the repair themselves rather than having to hire a technician. By providing users with information about how to maintain and repair products, product support documentation helps to reduce costs and increase the product's overall value.
Product support documentation also plays an important role in product liability. In the event of an accident or injury, product support documentation can help to demonstrate that the manufacturer took appropriate measures to ensure the product's safety. It can also provide evidence that the user failed to follow the instructions provided, reducing the manufacturer's liability. By providing clear and concise instructions for product use and maintenance, product support documentation helps to protect the manufacturer from liability and reduce the risk of legal action.
In conclusion, product support documentation is an essential component of any product development process. It provides users with the necessary information to operate products safely and effectively, reduces costs, and helps to protect manufacturers from liability. As such, it is important for manufacturers to invest in high-quality product support documentation as part of their product development process. By doing so, they can ensure that their products are safe, effective, and efficient, and that they provide value to their users.
Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) is a critical process that involves managing and coordinating the acquisition and lifecycle support of military systems. It is a comprehensive approach to ensuring that military equipment and systems are available for use by the end-users when required, in the right quantity and quality, and at the lowest possible cost. The importance of ILS cannot be overemphasized, as it plays a crucial role in ensuring the readiness of military forces, maximizing operational effectiveness, and achieving cost savings.
One of the key benefits of ILS is that it helps to ensure that product systems are available when needed. ILS involves managing the entire life cycle of a system, from design to disposal, and ensures that the necessary resources, equipment, and spare parts are available to support it. This includes conducting regular maintenance, repairing equipment as needed, and replacing parts that are worn or damaged. By ensuring that product systems are always in good condition, ILS helps to ensure that they are available for use when needed, increasing the readiness of military forces.
Another key benefit of ILS is that it helps to maximize operational effectiveness. By ensuring that equipment is always in good condition, ILS helps to ensure that they perform optimally during operations. This can be especially important in combat situations, where the success of a mission may depend on the performance of military equipment and systems, or in high value-high output industries where even the slightest down time could result in significant losses due to loss of production capacity. ILS helps to ensure that military and commercial systems are properly maintained and serviced, reducing the risk of equipment failure during critical operations.
ILS also plays an important role in achieving cost savings. By managing the entire life cycle of a product system, ILS helps to identify areas where cost savings can be achieved. For example, ILS can help to identify areas where equipment can be repaired rather than replaced, reducing the need for expensive new equipment. ILS can also help to identify areas where equipment can be reused or recycled, reducing the amount of waste generated and the associated costs.
In addition to these benefits, ILS also helps to improve safety and reduce risk. By ensuring that equipment is properly maintained and serviced, ILS helps to reduce the risk of equipment failure, which can be dangerous in certain operations. ILS can also help to identify and address safety issues, such as faulty equipment or hazardous materials, reducing the risk of accidents or injuries.
In conclusion, Integrated Logistic Support is a critical process that plays a vital role in ensuring the readiness of military forces, maximizing operational effectiveness, achieving cost savings, and improving safety. By managing the entire life cycle of product systems, ILS helps to ensure that critical equipment and systems are always available when needed, performing optimally, and in good condition. As such, it is essential for organizations to adopt a comprehensive and integrated approach to logistics support to achieve their strategic objectives.
Sigma Logistic Solutions has been providing solutions to the commercial and defence industries for more than three decades. Throughout this time the company has built solid relationships with local and international clients to supply quality products and services. The company has grown to be the largest dedicated supplier of technical documentation and ILS support services in South Africa.
Sigma employs industry specialists across all disciplines of technical documentation, logistic support analysis, training, asset management, and configuration control. The company has branches in Pretoria and Cape Town that cater to all commercial, aerospace, and defence clients.
The company has been involved in a wide-range of military and commercial projects over the years. Recent military projects include major elements of the South African Army Mobile Air Defence System (MOBADS), the complete Water Provisioning System (WPS), the Milkor Y4 40 mm hand-held grenade launcher, and support documentation for South African Navy frigates and submarines. Recent commercial projects include support documentation for Bell Equipment’s Large E Series of Articulated Dump Trucks and PRASA’s X’Trapolis Mega Train passenger trainset.
Integrated product support and technical documentation services provider Sigma Logistic Solutions has brought technical documentation into the 21st century with its Interactive Maintenance Management System (IMMS). Sigma’s IMMS is being used by Dynateq International to support their Remote Control Weapon Systems for Naval applications.
At the end of 2022, Sigma Logistic Solutions delivered an electronic documentation solution to Dynateq International for its Super Sea Rogue Remote Control Weapon System (RCWS). This 20mm RCWS is equipped with the Rheinmetall KAE 20 x 128 mm rapid fire cannon and is designed specifically for naval applications as a stabilised primary weapon system for a variety of naval vessels, eg Frigates, Coast Guards etc. The RCWS includes an advanced EOS (Electro Optical System) and auto tracking with a laser range finder for a high degree of accuracy.
Dynateq International, a subsidiary of Reunert, designs, manufactures and supports a suite of RCWS’s, namely, the Rogue Light, Rogue and Super Rogue. This suite of RCWS’s is used across multiple platforms for Land and Sea applications. Sigma is the current technical documentation provider for the Land Rogue RCWS.
Sigma’s proprietary Interactive Support and Maintenance Management System is paperless and web-based, allowing documentation to be viewed on any device, anywhere, at any time. The latest documents are always available online, in one place, and there is interactivity between documents. Being digital allows for extra security, with access via encrypted passwords – two-factor authentication is required to log in to the system.
IMMS brings technical documentation into the digital era, and displays support documentation such as illustrated parts catalogues, maintenance procedures, operator procedures, and technical descriptions.
IMMS allows for convenient and easy spares ordering (including from the original equipment manufacturer) through Data Modules (DMs) using a cart based system. Stock levels can be viewed before spares are ordered, and a stock level warning can be sent when stocks reach a pre-determined level.
As part of their product support tool suite, Sigma offers an asset management tool, recording maintenance and the movement and history of system components. Users can, for example, see when the next maintenance date of an asset is.
Sigma has developed an XML Tool that allows it to easily generate documentation. “Basically, these electronic documents are fully interactive which allow users to jump between documents and diagrams by clicking links and also easily find parts by the use of hotspots within the documents,” explains Jan Van Der Merwe, Business Development: Sigma Logistic Solutions. This reduces the cost and time creating documents, ensures a user friendly experience, and is easy to update. Having documentation available digitally means reduced cost, and availability wherever there is an internet connection.
Documents are produced by Sigma in accordance with the S1000D international specification that covers technical publications. S1000D has been in existence for over 30 years and is used across defence, civil aviation, construction, and the shipping industry. “With the adoption of S1000D worldwide, Sigma seeks to be on the fore front of the development of documentation regardless of format or specification. Sigma can provide a tailored solution to suit any requirements,” the company says.
Sigma Logistic Solutions has been providing solutions to the commercial and defence industries for more than three decades. Throughout this time the company has built solid relationships with local and international clients to supply quality products and services. The company has grown to be the largest dedicated supplier of technical documentation and support services in South Africa.
Sigma employs industry specialists across all disciplines of technical documentation, logistic support analysis, training, asset management, and configuration control. The company has branches in Pretoria and Cape Town that cater to all commercial, aerospace, and defence clients.
The company has been involved in a wide-range of military and commercial projects over the years. Recent military projects include major elements of the South African Army Mobile Air Defence System (MOBADS), the complete Water Provisioning System (WPS), the Milkor Y4 40 mm hand-held grenade launcher, and support documentation for South African Navy frigates and submarines. Recent commercial projects include support documentation for Bell Equipment’s Large E Series of Articulated Dump Trucks and PRASA’s X’Trapolis Mega Train passenger trainset.