|
y. ` a iii ai ,,` ,,,
<br /> Still,putting ISO systems in place z� I
<br /> can require big changes. At Stora ' ' , ,$„
<br /> Enso's Duluth operation,the corn- ;. 1` '
<br /> • pany converted all of its documents .°. -\'
<br /> to electronic versions to make sure
<br /> that everyone had accessto the latest
<br /> information. Thomsen says the , " * `i at
<br /> process took about 16 months and
<br /> required a 12-person steering com-
<br /> mittee to drive it.It wasn't cheap or
<br /> easy,and it involved a lot of people's
<br /> time,he notes,but it was worth the
<br /> effort. k
<br /> Chris Carlson, president and .
<br /> CEO of Elk River-based Sportech
<br /> Inc.,an accessory manufacturer for 1
<br /> sport vehicles such as snowmobiles F '
<br /> and motorcycles,was pleasantly sur
<br /> prised at how smoothly his compa
<br /> ny implemented ISO 9000 last Octo-
<br /> ber."I expected people with calipers,
<br /> +
<br /> forcing these systems on us,"he says. i
<br /> "But they basically said, `This is i
<br /> where you need to end up,now how ,
<br /> are you going to get there?"'"
<br /> Sportech has 35 employees and a Joan Leedy,president,
<br /> projected$8 million in sales for 2004. Dyne Technologies
<br /> The bulk of its products are private
<br /> • label items for customers such as
<br /> Yamaha,Arctic Cat,and Polaris.ISO "[Thanks to ISO]our employees will know exactly
<br /> 9000 implementation took about nine what to do because it's all written down,it will make us safer
<br /> months, Carlson says,and had an
<br /> immediate impact on quality.For in dealing with chemicals—and it will make sure
<br /> example,he notes,prior to ISO 9000, all our customers are treated identically."
<br /> Sportech might have sent out a wind-
<br /> shield hardware kit that was missing,
<br /> say,a bolt.It might seem obvious or mundane,he says, but Ochs sees three components as fundamental to success:the
<br /> under the ISO quality program,the company glued each piece management review process,the corrective/preventative action
<br /> of each kit with its corresponding part numbers to illustration process,and the internal audits process. "A failure in any of
<br /> boards and hung them up in the assembly area.Now Sportech these is called a catastrophic failure,"she adds,and an outside
<br /> employees are catching those kinds of errors before shipping. company called a registrar will likely halt an audit.Companies
<br /> "This system is hard-wired as a proactive approach,"Carlson don't necessarily have to choose a registrar to certify their
<br /> says."It forces to you take a look at what are you doing,how processes and officially register them as ISO compliant.If a
<br /> are you doing it,and why." company does choose to become registered,it should perform
<br /> three months'worth of internal auditing records before hav-
<br /> STEPS TO IMPLEMENTATION AND CERTIFICATION ingaregistrar come in.
<br /> To put an ISO 9000 or similar quality system in place,compa-
<br /> nies typically hire a consultant who can perform a gap analy- FIRST THINGS FIRST
<br /> sis for them—that is, assess what they're doing and what Companies that supply parts in highly technical industries such
<br /> processes they need to change to meet quality standards.The as the automotive field often have additional product-specif-
<br /> company then puts in place a steering committee made up of is quality requirements under ISO.For automotive suppliers,
<br /> managers and representatives from other departments.That the ISO standard known as QS 9000 is being phased out corn-
<br /> steering committee in turn might designate subcommittees to pletely by the end of 2006 in favor of a new standard,ISO/TS
<br /> help write out its processes,depending on the size of the firm. 16949.While advanced standards are worthwhile,many peo-
<br /> • As a company nears the end of the process,it trains some of ple who have been through the process will tell you that it pays
<br /> its own people to do internal audits to make sure the system to nail the basics first.Frank Tsuchiya,corporate quality assur-
<br /> actually works. ance manager at Minneapolis-based Donaldson Co.,a$1.2 bil-
<br /> .................
<br /> WINTER 2004 I MINNESOTA TECHNOLOGY 13
<br />
|