What are GainSeeker Suite users saying about the software?

GainSeeker

We use the system for not only what is was developed by it designers to do, but many other areas. We use it to be a tool for data collection info from may areas of our process. It pulls them all together and analyses the data and gives us a statistical representation of all that is happening.

Pros

We were looking at multiple companies for our new program. GainSeeker gave us the most options and allowed us to customize the system to our needs. The other systems wanted us to fit our needs into their predetermined mold.

Cons

At times it was difficult to get across to our service rep what we were looking to do (when it came to customization) but in the end when we detailed it out (defined what we really wanted and needed) they were able to give us exactly what we wanted.

Customizable SPC Powerhouse that drives tactical and strategic improvement

Our experience has been a real partnership. We have worked together on multiple implementation projects across multiple facilities and they have a great grasp of what we do and how we work. They truly partner with us when implementing something new to ensure seamless implementation, training, and deployment. The speed at which we have launched new projects has been a huge asset and is in no small part to their philosophy of partnership.

Pros

GS is completely customizable. It's only limits are what you and your teams limitations on creativity are. It has an easy to use spc suite of tools including OEE, control charts, process capability ratios and indexes, and many others that can be shown for easy interpretation. We use it for all quality metrics, labor assignments, downtime, process improvement logs, and leader standard work. It's versatility, ease of use to drill down, and customizable dashboards are what really set it apart

Cons

Nothing I like least. Looking for the Hertzler team to develop some more data entry tools such as drag and drop. They've been very responsive to requests for improvements/ enhancements for future versions.

Super glitchy

We have had several error messages that popped up shortly after implementation, which frustrated several employees. The dashboard data only takes screengrabs, which makes it difficult to send to the team when we have more information than is on the first part of the box

Pros

Very easy to use on front line

Cons

Glitchy

Great bang for your buck and awesome customer service

My company has had this software in operation for a little over 2 years now and we have expanded its use well beyond our original scope. We have scripts setup to capture PLC data for our various machines and record the defects and good parts being produced as well as an hourly sampling of the machines dimensional measurements. Recently we expanded the use of GS into our chemical lab where our engineers and lab techs are recording their various findings for materials. This allows the engineers for the production lines to have immediate access as well as graph changes over time. Another expansion beyond standard SPC has been our test lab recording first articles and lot acceptance testing. This has given us the ability to do easy and direct comparisons between production lots and compare material being used to determine variances. Our defect monitoring setup has allowed us to quickly see where problems are as well as cost analysis to put that "price of quality" on those defects. Some of our equipment is currently in the process of several upgrades that are partly due to the engineering groups using this data to justify the capital expense. The Python scripting has been great for collecting as well as organizing data. One noticeable area is aerospace requirement AS9102 first article paperwork.

Pros

Customizable to a wide range of applications

Cons

Does not work with USB devices well. To the point of using them becomes more of a chore than useful. Example, we have a 4inch digital indicator that uses a USB output cable in order to transmit data rather than a serial RS232 port which is what we use for our resistance meters etc.. Because the software is COM based rather than looking for the plugins and drivers based on the name of the device, every time the computer is rebooted it is a toss of the dice as to whether or not Windows will assign it the same COM port number. There is software out there that can assist with this but in todays environment more and more devices talk using USB 2.0 & 3.0 rather than RS232. That being said most of our devices have both options or use a cable along the lines of a Mitutoyo 10 pin.

Overall happy with Gainseek as it allows our plant to run efficiently

Overall we are happy with GainSeeker. It allows us to keep a database of all of our standard checks, set the limits of those checks, either positive or negative, and react quickly using our dashboards to problems in realtime. The ability to tap into the backend DB and display stats to the works is a huge help as well. Looking forward to the new features in new releases.

Pros

The software itself is pretty easy to use once setup. It guides you through checks against standards on our manufacturing lines. Users are easily able to do their standard checks with limited interaction from managers. We run an RDP session on a thin client which cuts down the price for machines on the floor, and overall hardware. We use the backend database to show stats to the plant workers to help them be more efficient and more informed of what they are doing line to line and product to product.

Cons

Setup can be a little confusing and not all options are available right out of the box. Once we dialed in it was good. Tracking down an issue with a standard check can be a little cumbersome if you don't know what your looking for. Normally rely on tech support for these issues.

SPC and DMS at it best

This is a great SPC and DMS system and can be adopted to just about anything. We are using this system at 14 plant and working on 1 overseas now. I took some time to learn the template language since it can be use on may different platform and languages. Also great for import other application as well to do SPC reporting and analytic . I highly recommend this software to anyone.

Pros

It can be use on just about any different request that I have receive from may different user. So far we have not come across any problem where we could not meet the user request. Also we been able to import data from Excel and MS Access to do statistic on and this also been great as well.

Cons

Like all software it take some time to understand from a developer point of view but it is very user friendly as long as the developer keep the user in mind when doing the template. The biggest issue I had to learn was when to use signal and double quote in the template.

Gainseeker

I have nothing but good things to say about Gainseeker. It makes data collection extremely easy to get to in a short amount of time.

Pros

The Gainseeker software that we use every day is completely custom to our business model. The team at Hertzler built our program from the ground up and gave us everything we needed to get started. I have a team of 40+ operators that have no problem using this system on a daily basis. The technical services group at Hertzler are second to none on fixing any issue that may come up. The operators there take their time to show the primary user all the ends and outs of creating new part numbers or programming in new settings. I have been impressed with everything they have done for me and my company.

Cons

There is a learning curve to the software that can be a struggle to learn from a primary user point of view but the team at Hertzler will help any way they can to ensure their product is up to the customer standard. As stated before the team likes to teach the customer how to get the most out of the program.

Best SPC Software in World

Yes, I know the title sounds a bit hyped. But the GainSeeker Suite from Hertzler System is really the best SPC software package that I have seen. I have worked with many packages over the years and GainSeeker Suite is hands down the easiest to use for our operators. I have never found a situation where I could not get GainSeeker to do what I wanted in terms of automated data collection, different chart styles, and even different reports. Their data entry interface is 2nd to none and provides for the most customization of any package I have seen. We have been able to customize our data entry to how our facilities operate and it works seamlessly with all of our automated tools. The canned reports and customizable reports provide all the information we need. There is also a handy feature to dump data directly into Minitab for those deep dive analyses that we do from time to time. I just converted 6 of our newly purchased facilities from 2 other SPC software packages to GainSeeker Suite and it really highlighted how poorly the other software packages operated and what they provided. The facilities quickly saw how much more powerful GainSeeker Suite is and that it is truly head and shoulders above the rest. Their customer service is as good as the software. The Technical Support team is always very helpful with little tricks and tips for me when I am unsure of how to do something. I have been using their software for over 20 and started with it back when it was DOS based. It just continues to get better year after year. I have also utilized their on-site support and their training services and they are extremely beneficial. I highly recommend them if you are just getting started into computer based SPC or converting from another SPC program. They can get you up and running quickly and efficiently. I definitely recommend Hertzler Systems and their GainSeeker Suite SPC software. If you are still unsure, put them to the test versus other packages and you'll quickly see how much better GainSeeker Suite really is. I attend several Quality Expo's and Conferences each year and take the time to look at the various SPC software packages being offered and I have never found anything that comes close to the power of GainSeeker.

Taking SPC to the next level

Originally, we brought in Gainseeker to deal with some complex machine and measurement system feedback loops. Since then, we have expanded our usage of the software well past that so that it touches nearly every part of our business and the database serves as our main source of shop floor quality data.

Pros

I appreciate the ability to customize this software to whatever we need it to do. The integrated Python functionality has come in very handy throughout the years to customize the software to what we need it to do.

Cons

At the moment, the offerings around advanced visualizations are not present, but I've been told that it may be coming in the near future.

Gainseeker Suite 8.5

Started using Hertzler Quality software in 1990 (beginning with QA/S) and have since expanded Gainseeker to multiple manufacturing Plants and new processes over the past 25+ years.

Pros

Multiple functionality - SPC, DMS/Scrap, OEE and new opportunities to eliminate paper documents with the PC Collect application. Can adapt system for any measuring routine and device interface. Quality Groups can implement and manage with minimal support from Corporate IT. Excellent support from Hertzler staff.

Cons

Dynamic Reports application is a powerful tool for creating and customizing reports but requires additional skill set to take full advantage (similar to using Crystal Reports)

Gainseeker User

I use Gainseeker every day. The programming language is clumsy, but it improved when Python was introduced to the system. The inability to change the visuals on the charting options, causes it to appear dated and clumsy. In an era of mobile phones, web graphics, etc., a clunky graphing output loses many superficial audience members (managers). You need in-house specialists to get traction with the system, which means additional resources. Once that happens, rapid deployment is possible and is only limited by your imagination and resources.

Pros

It has given us a platform to establish a common approach to developing & implementing QA systems that is flexible and accessible, unlike our ERP system which was our prior method.

Cons

Limitations on how to output chart info. (Can't get summaries of DPU charts, only raw data, Limited tools to understand causes of trends in DPU Yield charts, can't select an option to show data on pareto defect charts as a default setting)

Gain Seeker Review

Very positive. Great customer service and on line assistance.

Pros

We have been able to use the data generated by the softare as trigger points to identify special causes of variation within our process. This helps us to correct problems at a much faster pace. The company has experienced significant cost savings by deploying the software.

Cons

There is a significant amount of work involved in setting up the standards in Gain Seeker.

Incredible Software, Staff and Support

The software has unique features that are able to capture the specific data we need for our customers. The incredible staff is extremely helpful and available when we need them.

Pros

The ongoing support from the staff. We receive undivided attention, we are able to get clear communication on how to solve an issue and willingness to assist.

Cons

This is not applicable to us. We enjoyed everything about this company. The product and the service.

Top notch SPC software and world class technical support

We have been a user of Gainseeker software for over 15 years now. The folks at Hertzler systems have continually improved the software over the years, adding many new features and capabilities to the system. Their latest addition to the suite - Inspections - provides a very user-friendly interface and adds mobile capability that we have quickly taken advantage of. The addition of Python scripting has added a new level of customization capability that we have just begun to take advantage of. My only nit on the Ease of Use score is because software upgrades requires each client machine be individually upgraded, making this a somewhat time consuming task due to the number of client machines we have (over 40). Most impressive, though, is the customer service and technical support. I have made many calls to their technical support line over the years for issues ranging from error messages to licensing questions to application support. At least 80% of my inquiries are resolved within 24 hours, and often in the same calendar day. For those that have taken longer, the folks at Hertzler proactively keep me up to date on the status - I never have to contact them to figure out what is going on. I administer a couple of corporate IT systems and Hertzler is by far the best in this area.

TaylorMade Golf Ball Operations

GainSeeker software is key in every day decision making for our manufacturing operations. Because of it's capability to quickly slice and dice the data, it allows us to stay on track. Even better than the software design has been the EXCEPTIONAL support we have received over the last 10 years.

Pros

Design and support

Cons

Data points with notes aren't automatically indicated by a different marker in a control chart.

From an IT standpoint it is great

Great Records of Operational performance and Tractability.

Pros

Ability to customize Template and Inspection based processes. The ability to create Desktop Graphs and Views

Cons

Depending on how it is deployed, it can accumulate allot of data requiring custom indexing on var char fields and frequent de-fragmentation of those indexed fields.

Packaging Team Leader

It's been a great experience. Since installing the GainSeeker Suite we have save an average of $300,000 per year in first 8 years

Pros

user friendly

Cons

nothing

Outstanding Customer Service

Outstanding customer service and a great development team. Very personable.

Pros

The development team and sales were very helpful and were hands on throughout the process. The develolpment team took the time to show us the code and offered suggestions on ways to configure the system ourselves to save money.

Cons

The ability to seamlessly transfer the program to an Ipad was possible but only allowed for a portion of it to be on the system.

GainSeeker Review

My experience has been good... excellent customer service... GainSeeker has enabled us to consolidate and standardized data across plants

Pros

It can be customized for each locations specific wants and needs

Cons

Programming and debug can be time consuming

Software is intuitive and powerful

This software has been well adopted and is proving very valuable on our continuous improvement journey

Pros

Very intuitive, easy to use, very powerful and customizable.

Cons

Some features would be nice, such as the addition of a quick grouping feature for capability charts by trace field...Report writer can be a little tricky to use but is very powerful

Reliable information, to preserve the integrity of the data.

Pros

The precise time at which information is captured is retained. Can be obtained data reports as the necessity...

Cons

It not have the option of language., I like to have the option of Spanish The handling of the package is very unfriendly.

Gain Seeker SPC Data

Tracking dimensional data on a daily basis

Pros

User friendly, good on-line customer support

Cons

I have nothing negative to say about the software.

Works great for me

I have worked with GainSeeker for some time now and it works great for me. When I need help it is alway there and the support is great. It is easy to use and I am alway finding new thing to use.

Pros

It is easy to work with and if I need help it is always there.

Cons

I don't really have any.

Our experience has been very positive. The support from Hertzler has been outstanding.

Pros

While there is a lot to like about this software, the ease of use is at the top of our list. It is easy to set up to fit our processes and work flow. The operators find it easy to learn and use. The ease of customization of the interface has been an important part of getting the software implemented and getting the operators comfortable using it. Also, being able to quickly put together desktops & dashboards for the supervisors, managers and technical staff allows us to keep others involved easily.

Cons

Some of the desired customization requires some Python coding. This is not a major issue, however, since there is plenty of support from Hertzler and useful information on the web.

Easy to use software has saved us a 2.5 million dollar client in the first year by minimizing change

Fast notification of issues

Pros

Customer support is great and very user focused. If the software is lacking something that is seen as an improvement they are very quick to include user inhancments.

Cons

Lack of eastern languages such as Japanese and Chinese. This is restricting slightly on a global rollout.