MPS Systems, a provider of flexo and offset printing presses, has secured ISO 9001: 2015 certificate.
Image: MPS KAM manager Wilfred Jansen. Photo: courtesy of MPS Systems B.V.
MPS KAM manager Wilfred Jansen said: “‘We have always done it this way’ is not an option. It is about our customers and the quality we deliver.”
The update of the ISO 9001 standard from 2008 to 2015 certification was an opportunity for MPS to not only map the risks, but also identify the opportunities within their own work processes.
As the process owners were directly involved, they could implement improvements immediately, as they themselves had identified the risks and opportunities.
“We asked everyone involved to describe their processes,” explains Jansen. “After reviewing the process description, we analyzed and defined the risks within.
“A significant advantage was that we could take immediate action. For example, a risk may be that knowledge about a specific part of the process is only in the mind of one employee and not clearly documented. At the same time, we determined opportunities for improvement, such as training and certification programs.”
Within MPS, work processes are checked twice a year. “We also evaluate all our stakeholders who influence the processes, including our suppliers,” explains Jansen. “We analyze whether something has changed within their processes that affects ours, and how we can improve.”
MPS customers demand quality and by strictly monitoring our work processes we can always deliver that expected quality. The ISO standard is the basis for our own management system, which dictates the way MPS works and must therefore comply with the ISO standard. “But we want to be better than this standard,” adds Jansen.
To assist with monitoring MPS work processes, Jansen uses a Risk Graph as a tool. A Risk Graph shows an overview of all the risks, making it easier to constantly monitor processes and make improvements. Explains Jansen: “This is how we keep the quality of our machines high. In addition to the risks, you also immediately see where the opportunities lie, which is also very valuable.
“A good example is the first article inspection (FAI). When we started building our hybrid press, the EF SYMJET, we asked all our suppliers to do a 100% check and provide us with a completed FAI form. This way we can now check more easily and quickly whether all new parts meet our set of quality requirements.”
“This way of working gives energy,” says Jansen enthusiastically. “You actually have control over the changes and improvements in your own processes. Working together with the process owners allows us to take immediate steps if necessary. My colleagues also see the positive results and that gives them confidence in the entire process.”
” What concerns me is if a team member may forget a new process was established, and fall back into an old familiar way of doing things.
Overall, it is great to see my colleagues embrace new work processes. ‘We have always done it this way’ is not an option. It is about our customers and the quality we deliver.”
Source: Company Press Release