Customer story

How Knowby supports safety from the factory floor to the supply chain

Opal replaced text-heavy SOPs with visual, step-by-step instructions across its factories and wider supply chain.

Opal operator guiding a paper reel in an Opal factory

The customer

Instructions inside the factory and across the supply chain

Opal is a paper and packaging company operating across Australia and New Zealand. Gavin Kenny is transforming its health and safety management system, with Knowby helping make procedures simpler to create and easier to follow.

Operator in hi-vis at a paper machine in an Opal factory

In the factories

Visual instructions show Opal’s people the steps involved in everyday work:

✓ Using equipment and machinery

✓ Critical steps when changing jobs on the line

✓ Relocating plant and equipment

Across the supply chain

Customers, suppliers and transport providers use knowby instructions too:

✓ Visual steps and translation support international suppliers.

✓ Fixed QR codes can go into manuals and onto websites, always pointing to the current instruction.

The results

How has Knowby benefited Opal?

Gavin has seen frontline workers get started with Knowby in minutes. For those writing procedures, they find creating an SOP in Knowby a lot easier and faster than in Word. Photos and videos explain each action, so fewer steps can get the same point across.

Show each step

Visual knowbys replace long documents with photos, videos and clear steps people can follow.

Share across languages

Visuals and translation help an Australian operator and an overseas supplier follow the same instruction.

Keep printed links current

A fixed QR code points to the latest version, even when you update the instruction behind it.

Reach beyond the factory gate

Customers, suppliers and transport providers can follow the same standard as Opal’s own people.

The rollout

Lessons you can take from Opal’s rollout

Gavin is candid: the tool is the easy part. Changing habits takes deliberate effort.

Find your champions.

People like Knowby, but adoption often needs a nudge. Organisational champions help colleagues get started.

Build it into business as usual.

Make time to create knowbys as part of everyday work rather than a side project.

Allow time to change document habits.

Long-tenured workforces can be attached to familiar documents. Shifting that culture is the hardest part.

FAQ

Your questions about visual work instructions

Can I include photos and videos in an SOP?

Yes. You can combine photos, videos and text in a step-by-step knowby. Opal uses that visual format to explain equipment use and critical production steps. Gavin finds that showing an action helps creators get the same point across with fewer steps than a text-heavy procedure.

Will I need to reprint QR codes when instructions change?

No. Each knowby’s QR code stays the same when its instruction is updated. You can print the code in manuals or add it to your website, and readers will reach the current version. Opal uses this approach to keep shared instructions accessible across its supply chain.

Can suppliers in other countries use the instructions?

Yes. Knowby supports translation alongside visual, step-by-step instructions. Opal uses this combination to guide international suppliers as well as local operators. Photos and videos show the actions involved, while translated text supports understanding across languages for people working beyond your own factory sites.