Since 1950 Kugler Bimetal manufactures industrial parts for the most demanding applications where extreme operating conditions are encountered: severe mechanical stresses, high speeds, high accuracy and high temperatures. These parts are used in the following areas of application: aeronautics, defense, transport, all kinds of machinery, hydraulics, etc.
In 2008, Kugler Bimetal has selected BPA Quality together with Microsoft SharePoint to support their quality management system.
Prior installing BPA Quality, the company was using spreadsheets to track non-conformances and action plans with poor communication between divisions.
Kugler Bimetal was looking for a digital system to simplify their quality improvement processes and better engage with collaborators in the different business units. The selected software needed to be compliant with the following regulations, EN 9100 (standard for the aerospace industry), ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 (standard for the environment).
Kugler Bimetal deployed Microsoft SharePoint together with BPA Quality to track their non-conformances, client derogations with their related investigation and action plan activities.
Existing spreadsheets and paper forms were replaced by a centralized application on the top of SharePoint with an easy-to-use interface. Since the solution is in place, anyone can declare a non-conformance from an electronic form.
Simple workflow rules have been configured to automatically alert specific persons in the different units when their help is needed to solve any non-conformance or client derogation.
Having a digital system has solved a major problem we had in the past: we had no centralized system to report or find information. Our collaborators were not aware about how problems were solved.
Excel spreadsheets are not used anymore to register data. Now, anyone is constantly informed through the system. Collaborators have developed a proactive attitude and meetings are much more productive.
Recently we have activated new modules to track risks and replace our existing Excel-based risk register. Interested parties and stakeholders are now declared in the system to better meet their expectations. Additional modules will follow for health, security and environment.
“EN 9100 auditors are very demanding about how problems are investigated and how root causes are established to avoid similar issues in the future. With BPA Quality we have guidance on the whole non-conformance process and all information is centralized in one single place.”
“BPA Quality has become the central place where collaborators get informed. The software is easy to use with an elegant and modern interface. Thanks to the platform, persons are proactive and meetings are much more productive.”
“As a main measurable result, we are now much more efficient in communicating. Before implementing the system, information and data was spread out on different systems and nobody could access it.”
Manufacturing
