Quality. The response of companies to the market challenge.

In order to respond to the new challenges proposed by the markets, which are more and more dynamic and competitive,  a company needs to be aware of the direction in which it wants to head, and to have at its disposal definite and objective tools, that help the company to achieve  its targets.

Quality research is exactly the objective parameter by which the data collected should be analyzed and the company should take any decision based on facts and not feelings.

Only in this way companies can achieve the following targets:

  • Improving customer’s satisfaction and company’s reputation on the market;
  • Reducing prices;
  • Making company’s performances  clear to and objectively recognizable by any interested person, both internal and external, such as partners, customers, suppliers;
  • Comparing records over time;
  • Evaluating company’s suppliers base in an objective and rational manner.
  • Controlling company’s processes and quality of its products.

 

These targets can be achieved enforcing the methodology used for data collection through specific software tools, which need to be integrated to the company’s informative system in order to avoid data transfer among different software and cause mismatch and/or redundancy of data.

This integration will also avoid the interruption of management flows between quality and the rest of the company system, and hence improving the interaction of the resources belonged to different companies to obtain a real sharing of the business targets.

If the company does not possess all the competences required to address this project, it should obtain the contribution of a qualified company, that can provide the methodological support necessary to define the objectives, the model to put into effects and the fields of application for the quality system.

The possible fields of application are:

  • Control of check-ins

It is a fact that quality constancy of goods and of external semi-finished products  is one of the most influential element in the quality level  of the company’s final products.

However, it is necessary to put into effects a flexible and effective supply control system based on 100% inspecting methodologies or random checks.  This system can be created thanks to check  and test cycles to each supply managed by the operators, and to an easy access and storage of the data collected.

  • Statistical control of the process

Thanks to statistical techniques of control, the company can improve the level of the products provided, avoiding mistakes and mismatches which cause work repetition, useless checks, slowdown of work cycles, all leading to additional costs of the product.

To achieve this target, statistical analysis tools are required, such as: analysis of Cp and Cpk capacity, X-R control charts with evaluation of the limit control, data collected sheet,  storage of checks by attributes and for variables.

  • Control of outgoing quality and final product.

Guaranteeing the outgoing quality of the company’s final products allows to reduce the cost of the management of returns and of non-compliance detected on the products. Moreover, it helps improving the customer satisfaction and reinforcing  the company reputation on the market.

To manage returns and non-compliance, the company should have at its disposal software tools, that permit to shape the control process and to storage the results obtained in order to objectify the checks made to the customers through the presentation of the product Control plan and of the data relating to each control made.

  • Management of the company tools base.

A good management of the tools provided to the personnel permits the correct execution of product checks and to formally track down which tool has been used by whom to perform every single check. Moreover, besides managing the traceability chain of the tools, it is necessary to be able to manage even their life cycle through the management of the calibration, timetable, maintenance and calculation of the repeatability  and of the reproducibility of the measure.

  • Management of waste

In order to not only reduce the waste progressively, but also to improve the management  of the cost of the product, the system should be able to collect all the information useful to understand the reason of the waste, the various types of deficiency inspected and the amount of products involved.

  • Management of the entire non-compliance

Being able to track down the presence of an inner non-compliance in a systematic  and timely manner allows the quality entity to have an updated vision of the problems observed on the products or the processes. In this way, it is possible to solve what has caused the non-compliance in an objective way,  adopting the corrective actions necessary.

  • Management of the non-compliance towards the supplier

The correct and prompt notice to the supplier about potential non-compliance observed on the product supplied is the best way to shorten resolution timescales of the problems detected and to lower management costs and supply delays.

  • Level of punctuality of the delivery to the customer

The best way to face the market and, if necessary, to improve the company is knowing the company’s performance. It is no more sufficient to produce quality products at a competitive cost: delivery punctuality is now required by every customer.

  • Level of delivery punctuality and quality of the suppliers

It is essential to check that the suppliers respect  the quality standard requirements in order to improve their work and make them more and more involved in the company business. To check  objectively the suppliers and their results, the company should lay out reports about punctuality and quality of delivery.

  • Full traceability of supplies

Being able to trace the origin of the components of a finished product can be a need imposed by a rule or a customer.  The management of traceability needs to be totally integrated to the flows regarding the movements of the materials. Only in this way it will be possible to understand to which products and to which clients a specific lot of raw material goes to.

Sorma is always by the side of its clients enforcing, strengthening and making efficient their quality system through the experience of its consultants and the functional coverage of its products.

These targets has been historically achieved  by our customers by enforcing the methodology  for data detection through the support of software tools originally incorporated in the ERP system.

Every time Sorma is involved in a quality project, it supports its customer, not only to learn the characteristics of the product, but also to define in the preliminary phase the target of the project, to identify the best organizational model to adopt and to choose the most suitable tools to achieve the company targets.

Thanks to Si5, Sorma ERP solution integrated with quality management, our customers convert problems to a competitive benefit, which allows them to efficiently respond to the new market challenges.