The Company
American Hofmann Corporation (AHC) produces high precision balancing
equipment for use in the automotive, aircraft, and a wide variety
of other industries. The equipment has many applications for rotors
weighing 1 ounce or less and up to 100,000 pounds, with or without
manual or fully automatic correction. In business for over 35 years,
AHC began as a small operation in New Jersey, then moved its production
and sales facilities to Lynchburg, VA, in 1974. Lynchburg is now the
corporate and manufacturing headquarters with over 100,000 square
feet of working space. They employ over 100 people at that facility.
All aspects of the design and production of AHC balancing systems
are conveniently housed under one roof. Years of experience, industry
proven technology, and commitment to their customers continue to distinguish
AHC as the leader in the balancing industry. The
Situation
AHC applied for ISO certification in recent years without success.
In a previous attempt, more money and time was spent than necessary
with no positive results. Management was aware of the necessity
and the benefits of being ISO certified, but could not pull this
together alone. GENEDGE ALLIANCE was then approached for help. At this point
management was firmly committed and focused to make this attempt
successful with GENEDGE ALLIANCE’s assistance.
The Response
GENEDGE ALLIANCE brought in Russell Thurston, an ISO 9000 consultant, to
assess why a previous attempt at certification had failed. This
knowledge would aid in mapping the next steps towards successful
completion. Russell had the full commitment of top management and
the Quality Management Team (QMT). Several steps were put into place
in order to get started: management and company wide awareness training;
implementation plans for bridging gaps; producing a quality system
manual; document training; locating an auditor training course;
conducting an internal audit; corrective action plan; and conducting
a final pre-assessment audit.
The Results
AHC was able to achieve ISO certification through renewed commitment
by management, QMT, and staff in April 2001. Since the beginning
of this year, AHC like many other manufacturing firms, has experienced
a downward trend in incoming orders. Therefore, it is rather difficult
to estimate the positive, quantitative results the ISO certification
has resulted in so soon after certification. However, the certification
has had and will continue to have a very positive effect on product
quality and the overall quality and efficiency of operations. Since
certification in April, there have been some notable improvements
in:
- Tracking and documenting design changes
- Documenting non-conformities
- Tracking customer parts
- Improved communication between departments
Management's Comment
"GENEDGE ALLIANCE has helped AHC to understand the ISO Standards and
what ISO certification could do for AHC. GENEDGE ALLIANCE guided AHC from
understanding, documenting, training, implementing, and auditing
to being ISO certified," said Becky McCraw, AHC's ISO management
representative.
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