Introducing Exciting New QMS Features in 1factory!
The 1factory team is pleased to announce the latest round of new features and enhancements to our QMS module for September, 2025! Many of these updates come directly from your valuable feedback, and we are grateful for your continued partnership in improving our platform.
Below, we have highlighted the key changes. To help you get the most out of these improvements, we are also hosting a 30-minute Webinar to walk you through the updates and answer any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!
Webinar Recording:
Note:In addition to the highlights below, our complete QMS help documentation is now available. You can access it anytime here: QMS: Document Control and Training.
1.0 New Quality Manual & Matrix
1factory now offers a Quality Manualfeature that allows you to designate a specific document from your Procedures list as the official Quality Manual for your organization. To set this up, simply navigate to your Organization’s QMS Settings and select the document you want to serve as your Quality Manual.
Building on this, the new Quality Matrix allows you to create clear links between Customer or Regulatory requirements or clauses such as ISO 9001, AS9100, or ISO 13485 and your internal QMS. Each clause can be tied directly to the relevant sections of your Quality Manual and the procedures your organization uses to meet those requirements.
These mapped relationships automatically feed into your Quality Dashboard, giving you a complete, audit-ready view of compliance across your entire system and making audits easier than ever.
2.0 Improved Document Migration Functionality
We've improved our Document Migration function to make it easier than ever to import your documents into 1factory's format by either converting a PDF, or copying and pasting from a Word document.
2.1 PDF Covert – For users working with PDF files, we’ve added a new Convert feature that automatically extracts the content from your PDF and embeds it into 1factory’s native document format.
To use this feature:
Upload your PDF to the applicable document in 1factory
Click the "Convert" button on your Left Sidebar
Complete the Convert PDF File slide-out to configure how the content should display
Once complete, your PDF will appear directly in 1factory’s format, ready for editing and management. In addition, any previously referenced documents within the PDF will automatically be converted into hyperlinks, creating direct connections to other documents in your QMS.
2.2 Adding and Replacing sections - For users who prefer copy-and-paste over full PDF conversion, 1factory provides a flexible Import option. This method allows you to migrate documents by building them section by section, or by replacing specific sections within an existing embedded document.
To use Copy-and-Paste Import:
Select the section of your embedded document where you want to add or replace text
In editing mode, click the Import button in the left sidebar
Paste the content you want to add or replace, then click Go
Your changes will immediately appear in the embedded document, giving you precise control over how your content is migrated.
3.0 Minor Releases
Users with the Mandatory Approver role in 1factory may now submit a document for a "Minor Update". This feature is designed to allow you to make small corrections or updates to a document that is in the "draft" stage. It's perfect for things like fixing a typo or adding a user to a training plan, where the changes don't require re-approval by management or re-training by employees.
When you make a minor update, the document's main revision number won't change. Instead, a decimal point and number will be added (for example A.1 or 1.1) so you can still have traceability of the updates.
Note: it is recommended that your organization defines within its procedures when a minor update may be used.
4.0 Image Annotations
Previously, users had to rely on third-party apps to mark up images and then re-upload them into 1factory, adding extra steps and risk of errors. With the new Image Annotations feature, you can now add arrows, boxes, strike-throughs, and more directly within your embedded QMS documents.
Simply click the Markup Image button at the top of the screen and use the toolbar to annotate, keeping everything in one place and eliminating the need for external tools.
5.0 Periodic Review Interval for Forms
For those customers that need their forms to be periodically reviewed along with their Procedures and Work Instructions, you may now select the "review interval" when forms are released or revised.
6.0 New Watermarks
We have enhanced document control within 1factory by implementing watermarks that appear when viewing documents in read mode within the application. These visual indicators help prevent the unintended use of inappropriate documentation by clearly displaying document status. The watermarks include:
Obsolete: This watermark appears on documents that have been superseded by a newer revision and are no longer current.
Inactive: This watermark appears on documents that are no longer active in the company's QMS regardless of revision. These documents have been retired from use entirely, not just replaced with a newer version.
Draft: This watermark appears on documents that are still under development and have not yet been released.
7.0 Collapsible Section Settings
Navigating the settings page used to require a lot of scrolling, making it harder to quickly find what you needed. With our new Collapsible Section Settings, you can now expand only the areas you want to update, making navigation faster and more intuitive.
As 1factory continues to build the best manufacturing software, the settings page will grow with new capabilities. This update ensures you can stay efficient and in control as the platform evolves.
In addition to the above improvements, our QMS User Manual is now live on 1factory's QMS: Document Control and Training support page. This guide will walk you through all the functions of the QMS module. However, if you ever have any questions or feedback about these features or any other aspect of our service, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us via email or phone using the information below. We always value your input!
