How Innovia Medical Rolled Out a Global eQMS with Grand Avenue Software

Overview

Client Intro: Post-Market Nerve Care Innovator

Innovia Medical is a global manufacturer of surgical solutions spanning five specialties, including ENT, ophthalmology, and sterile processing. With multiple locations and ongoing acquisitions, Innovia needed a modern, scalable quality management system to replace fragmented, paper-based processes. Their goal was to empower existing teams, streamline compliance workflows, and build a foundation that could grow with the business.

The Problem: Paper-Based Systems and Admin Overload

When Jeff joined Innovia Medical, quality systems were entirely paper-based. Change orders were tracked manually—often sitting on desks with no visibility into status. Training records were maintained via sign-in sheets, then scanned and manually filed. The inefficiencies were clear:

• No Process Visibility: Document change status was unclear and approval routing was slow and inconsistent.
• Paper-Based Training: Manual tracking of training with printed documents and spreadsheets led to audit risk.
• Admin Overload: Quality team members were focused more on chasing paperwork than on quality engineering.
• Scalability Concerns: Innovia was actively acquiring and consolidating other businesses—without a flexible eQMS, integrating quality systems would be difficult.

The Solution: Modular Implementation of Grand Avenue Software

Jeff led the internal rollout of Grand Avenue Software, beginning with document control and training. His goal: one module every five weeks. With clear planning, transparent communication, and strong stakeholder engagement, the rollout succeeded—and has since expanded to eight modules, including CAPA, complaints, equipment management, non-conformance, supplier management, and design control.

Reasons Grand Avenue Software was selected included:

• Feasible & Fast Implementation: Jeff had used Grand Avenue at a previous company and selected it again at Innovia Medical for its simple, modular rollout. The intuitive design allowed his team to implement new modules quickly.
• Built-In Validation Tools: “Without the validation materials, I wouldn’t have bought it,” Jeff said. The pre-built validation documentation helped answer regulatory questions upfront, streamlining compliance and satisfying auditor expectations.
• Responsive Support & Training Resources: Grand Avenue’s support team provided fast answers and hands-on help throughout the rollout. “They hear from me more weeks than not,” Jeff joked—adding that the canned training modules made onboarding easy for team members with varying levels of technical experience.
• Scalability: The ability to flexibly integrate acquisitions into the system made it the right fit for Innovia’s growth strategy.

Implementation Approach

Jeff led a structured, phased implementation strategy that allowed the team to adopt Grand Avenue Software efficiently and at their own pace.

• Modular Rollout: Modules were added incrementally: document control, training, CAPA, complaints, equipment management, non-conformance, supplier management, and design control.
• Process Mapping: Jeff began by mapping quality-critical processes and prioritizing areas that needed the most improvement.
• Team Training: Users were encouraged—not mandated—to explore the system. “I didn’t want to push it in; I wanted them to pull it in,” said Jeff.
• Customizable Workflows: Approval matrices, role-based permissions, and document types were configured to fit both Innovia and its acquired entities.

The Results: A Scalable, Compliant, and Empowered Quality Team

Implementing Grand Avenue Software fundamentally transformed how Innovia Medical—and by extension, other Innovia sites—manage quality.

• Operational Efficiency: Paper trails were eliminated, processes were digitized, and the quality team was freed from admin work.
• Empowered Teams: “We have hired people off the production floor and taught them to run modules,” said Jeff. “All they needed was aptitude and attitude.”
• Audit Readiness: Document changes, training records, and compliance history are all trackable and exportable, improving confidence in audits.
• Integration Support: Grand Avenue enabled smooth absorption of new businesses by allowing Summit to manage multiple quality systems within one platform using document type tagging and access controls.
• Resource Leverage: “They weren’t going to give the Quality Department 3 more people, but we did not need more people at that point.  Our team was freed up to do the value-added work.  We added people when our business grew, and our approach helped enable the growth,” said Jeff.

Conclusion: Let the Software Do the Admin Work

Innovia Medical’s implementation of Grand Avenue Software showcases what’s possible when change is managed well. With a clear vision, a structured rollout, and responsive support, Innovia was able to modernize their quality systems, scale across multiple locations, and empower team members at every level.

As Jeff put it, “This software lets you do the real work. That’s the value.”