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A Practical Implementation of ISO 9001:2000 for Hi-Rel Lids Ltd (Harleston Norfolk).
Summary
Hi- Rel lids Ltd are an established player in the world markets for precision, chemically milled electronic components, with applications in the aerospace, military, telecommunications and industrial / medical sectors. Following a change in ownership some 2 ˝ years ago the company is now a part of the Hi – Rel Products (HRP) group, head-quartered in Essex Connecticut, USA. The company is an autonomous profit centre responsible for the manufacture of products for distribution across the UK, Europe and N.America, selling direct in the UK, via distribution in Europe and via HRP in N.America.
The business experienced rapid growth, with turnover growing threefold in a 12month period, in support of the telecoms market during 2000, but then suffered a drastic decline in requirements from this sector, in line with the world wide down turn in the communications markets. The turnover and headcount have returned to similar levels to that in place prior to the telecoms surge.
Throughout these rapid, major changes the company has retained both its core workforce and skills base, along with its inherent profitability.
Starting in February 2000, Laurence Brooks of Performance Plus Partnership has been engaged by the Managing Director, Mr. Stuart Norris to review all of the company (quality) management processes and to both address the rapidly changing needs of the company and to drive the improvements necessary to remain competitive on a global basis. Over a two-year period the company has achieved the following.
- Translation from ISO 9002 to the integrated process focused ISO 9001:2000 international quality standard, with registration achieved in May 2002.
- Commit to the European Foundation For Quality Management (EFQM) Business Excellence Model (BEM), with an initial self-assessment score of 348, plus the attendant improvement action plan.
- Produce a Training and Development plan for key staff across all disciplines of the company.
The plan forward from the Spring of 2002 includes the second assessment to the BEM process, further training and Development for key staff and the implementation of a Continuous Improvement philosophy throughout all of the employees.
Key Actions, Activities and Outcomes.
Over the two years of the initial project the following key elements were focused upon:-
Assess the function and effectiveness of the current ISO 9002 Quality Management System (QMS), and then implement changes to enhance its effectiveness and relevance to the rapidly growing operations of the company. The principal changes including.
- The development of an integrated change control process with a simplified authorisation loop to replace the two previous partial systems. This eradicated duplication and confusion, making the change control both easier to implement and to trace the changes made.
- Re-vamp and reschedule the Internal Audit programme to provide a rational coverage across all of the activities of the company. The previous version was piecemeal in operation and dependent upon one auditor (The MD).
- Include the new ‘Getter’ assembly products within the scope of the system.
- Introduce flowcharting to help explain and illustrate the processes of the company.
- Carry out a general update of procedures to reflect the current activities and methods of the company.
As a result of these actions the company successfully retained the ISO 9002 registration with only a few minor non-conformances from three surveillance visits, gained preferred supplier status from Nortel Networks for telecoms products, maintained yields and customer service despite the intense pressure for increased output demands. A structure training and development of competencies was initiated throughout the workforce.
Facilitate the company through the initial EFQM BEM self-assessment. Following a series of discussions with the M.D. it was agreed that Hi-Rel would participate in the Norfolk Engineering Sector Group Business Excellence initiative, with a view to improving competitiveness via an agreed and prioritised action plan, derived from the self-assessment process. Key activities undertaken by Mr. Brooks included.
- Help to pull together and brief the nominated company excellence development team.
- Facilitate the self assessment process across the 32 elements of the BEM
- Draft the agreed action plan and then monitor the implementation and outcomes of the required actions
- Actively participate in the brainstorming and realisation of the company Vision, Mission and Goals, plus the declared Core Values of the business.
Guided the company through the translation from ISO9002 to ISO9001:2000. Taking the (Quality) Management System from the compliance based 1994 international standard to the process focused ISO9001:2000 requirements. In order to achieve this the following had to be achieved.
- Explain the fundamental change in approach to the whole workforce, through both group meetings and in small groups / one on one situations.
- Generate the new Policy manual derived from the BEM Vision, Mission and Goals.
- Lead the Process flowcharting of all of the key activities throughout all disciplines of the company.
- Review the evidence gathered from the processes for both relevance and information for trends analysis.
- Instigate both the staff and client perception processes.
- Lead the education of staff with regard to the changes of requirements and the attendant [potential benefits to the company.
As a result of these actions the company achieved transition during May 2002, with ISOQAR as the registration body.
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