|
MART employs a controlled Quality system that is appropriate for MART, its products and its customers, and in every way is as good as the ISO 9000 system at providing Quality results. The MART Quality system has several parts: The philosophy and ethics we express in the MART Mission Statement and the MART Quality Statement; the Ten MART Principles of Quality we apply to each activity and process; and the MALCOLM BALDRIDGE criteria against which we measure ourselves so we can deliver the benefits and meet the expectations of MART customers.
The MART Quality Process is Measured by the
MALCOLM Baldridge Criteria for Quality
ISO9000. It has become popular for companies, when buying products or services, to favor ISO9000-Certified suppliers. Most company buyers, however, are not fully aware of what ISO9000 is, or how it works, or what benefits accrue to them, or the limitations of ISO, or even that ISO is not always the best quality system for each and every business or product.
ISO can be value-added for companies that offer products and services that are highly repeatable. It provides a universal standard that assures buyers that the supplier has a controlled quality system without having to check and verify the details and processes of the system. However, if a company already has an effective quality system in place, the cost of adding ISO Certification and documentation will only increase the cost to produce its products and services, with the increases passed on to customers. For this and other reasons that will be explained, while MART applies many of the ISO9000 principles, the company has not been certified for ISO 9000.
MART employs a controlled Quality system that is appropriate for MART, its products and its customers, and in every way is as good as the ISO 9000 system at providing Quality results. The MART Quality system has several parts: The philosophy and ethics we express in the MART Mission Statement and the MART Quality Statement; the Ten MART Principles of Quality we apply to each activity and process; and the MALCOLM Baldridge criteria against which we measure ourselves so we can deliver the benefits and meet the expectations of MART customers.
REQUIREMENTS VS. EXPECTATIONS. Requirements are not the same as expectations. Requirements are formally stated and can be expressed in specifications, drawings and contracts, while expectations focus on customer satisfaction and are created in a customer's mind. Expectations are based on what the customer desires, and the marketing claims of the manufacturer and its representatives. Meeting expectations means anticipating the customer's desires and needs, having in-depth knowledge of the customer's business, and recognizing that each customer's expectations are unique and different from the expectations of all other customers.
It is possible that a manufacturer, applying ISO9000, will meet all the specifications and requirements of the most rigid contract, and still not satisfy the expectations of the customer or achieve customer satisfaction.
MALCOLM Baldridge National Quality Award. The U.S. Government enacted THE MALCOLM Baldridge NATIONAL QUALITY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1987 - PUBLIC LAW 100-107 - on August 20, 1987, "to encourage excellence in American manufacturing and services in order to compete in the global economy."
The MALCOLM Baldridge Award was created after ISO9000 was written, and addresses the limitations of ISO9000 programs. ISO 9000, for example, does not foster the goals of customer satisfaction. By contrast, Three hundred points of the MALCOLM Baldridge "1,000 Points Rating" relate to customer satisfaction which is addressed specifically and in minute detail in the MALCOLM Baldridge criteria for Quality.
The criteria of the MALCOLM Baldridge award are far more stringent than those of ISO9000. To achieve the MALCOLM Baldridge goals requires worker and management involvement in quality, greater emphasis on information from customers and analysis of customer satisfaction for Quality improvement, and strategic quality planning. Understanding and meeting a customer's expectations is at the heart of the MALCOLM Baldridge philosophy.
The philosophy requires that the equipment manufacturer understands (1) the use of the machine and reasons for its purchase, (2) the results and benefits expected by the customer, and (3) all other parameters that could affect the customer's good use and enjoyment of the equipment. Issues relating to product selection, warranty and the manufacturer's service support are part of this philosophy.
The benefits of the MALCOLM Baldridge program for MART and its customers ..
- It requires that each MART system be designed and configured for the work intended for it.
- It addresses customer satisfaction to ensure that a MART system is suited to a customer's needs and application.
- It recognizes that each MART system is customer specific and not product specific.
- It embodies specific requirements for product selection, warranty, after-sale service, and product merchantability.
- It is appropriate for our unique manufacturing environment where each machine is highly configured and rarely repeated.
- It lends itself to custom work and facilitates product improvement.
The MALCOLM Baldridge Program at MART
- MART has a total Quality process for its products.
- Each machine order is reviewed by the sales, service and engineering departments before being released for production. At release, each order is accompanied by a complete set of drawings and documents prepared by engineering and service that details the machine. These documents are used by manufacturing during fabrication along with documented process checklists to build Quality into each machine.
- After each machine is manufactured it goes through testing and inspections to ensure that Quality equipment was built. No tests are made for the sole purpose of proving that work was completed, as this would add to the cost to manufacture without adding value to the finished product.
- MART installs only UL-Approved or other recognized agency approved components.
- MART Quality Tests completed machines. Each function and the operating parameters of each MART machine are tested prior to shipping:
Amp draws, pump flow and pressure characteristics, three water tests, base and door frame inspection and tests, turntable drive tests, electrical panel tests, heat tests, specific tests for each option, and fit and finish tests. The quality inspector, plant supervisor and sales person must all sign off on a MART machine before it can ship to the customer.
- MART records the test results of key processes and functions. All test results are retained in each customer's machine-specific file. The quality process for each system is discussed and understood before proceeding.
* MART engineering has a defined process for configuration change control and product improvement, has exacting standards for basic machine models and modifications, and has processes for custom-engineered systems.
Quality at MART (recap). Each MART employee has quality responsibility and understands that he/she alone is accountable for his or her role in the quality process. Check (inspection) sheets, manufacturing process sheets, work orders, engineering standards specifications, drawings, and general shop practices help prevent errors. A complete final inspection and test of all operations is performed on each machine before shipment for further assurance that all systems are exceptional and will achieve customer satisfaction. Each operating parameter is recorded, and these will be verified again at the installation site.
As a final check, a visual inspection by the sales person that took the order and understands the customer's expectations inspects, approves and signs off on the system prior to shipment.
The result is that MART consistently scores high on customer satisfaction. Our Final Inspection Report, Warranty and Service Policy factor heavily into this success. The incidence of claims under warranty is below 0.6% and is continuously improving. Because of our high Quality Standards and confidence in our equipment, MART provides its customers with the most liberal and comprehensive equipment warranty in the industry.
MART makes no distinction between its domestic and international customers. Whether the machine is manufactured for a domestic or international use the MART Quality process ensures that the customer receives Quality equipment and service as expressed in the MART Quality Statement.
|
