Client Successes

Jamar Precision Grinding

Center Name:

Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Story Title:

Jamar Precision Grinding Company, Inc. implements ISO9001:2000 to Become a Global Competitor

Client Profile:

Jamar Precision Grinding Co., Inc. (JPG) specializes in high-volume precision grinding, CNC O.D. grinding, CNC I.D. grinding, Centerless grinding, CNC Centerless grinding, Infeed grinding and Honing. Based in Hinckley, Ohio, the family-owned company serves the automotive, agricultural and aerospace industries. Jamar Precision employs 15 people.

Situation:

A global manufacturer of turbocharger systems offered JPG an opportunity to manufacture an essential component -- turbocharger vanes. However, to meet certification standards, the client required JPG become ISO certified. Initially, the company's owner and managers saw this requirement as just another hoop to jump through. They hired a consultant to handle the paperwork, essentially cutting and pasting company information into a document template. However, upon making a trip to the new customer's facility where ISO 9001 had been expertly implemented, they experienced a sudden conversion. "We realized that there was a lot more to an ISO certification than a piece of paper!" recalls Plant Manager Jeff Miezin. "We discovered that ISO is an entire business management system, and we began to see the potential value of certification to our company."

"People always ask us 'What does it cost to be ISO certified?'" observes Operation Manager, Michael Smith. "The real question is, what does it cost you not to be certified? What is the actual dollar cost for lack of organization, lost revenue and dissatisfied customers?"

JPG contacted the Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network (MAGNET), a NIST MEP network affiliate, because of the organization's long-established reputation for quality consulting and results.

Solution:

MAGNET business consultants reviewed the company's quality management business processes and conducted a two-day on-site review of internal operations. MAGNET then created process flowcharts of the formal and informal practices and procedures associated with management, sales, receiving, warehousing, shipping, order processing, manufacturing, tooling, purchasing, complaints, returns, quality system and inspection, and the high-level quality system processes. The MAGNET project lead consultant, Dennis Rosa, used a flowchart system to establish existing business "current state" process flows. In collaboration with Smith and Miezin, Rosa helped JPG develop a master document list and recommendations for improvements to the "current state" process flows, as well as documentation for improved "future state" process flows. MAGNET developed Level 2 Quality Systems Procedures, a Level 1 Quality Manual and an Internal Document Master List. In addition, MAGNET helped JPG managers develop Level 3 Work Instructions and update or develop Level 4 forms for the Quality Management System. Rosa also assisted the managers in integrating their quality management system with their new enterprise business system software (JobBOSS).

During the consultation process, JPG's owners and managers recognized that their existing facility would be very difficult (if not impossible) to upgrade to ISO compliance. After investigating several options, the company elected to build a brand new, 24,000-sq.-ft. facility with state-of-the-art environmental controls, waste and heat recycling capability and three times the electrical capacity of the previous facility. Now the company could add both new equipment and personnel. The managers made many decisions about the design and construction of the new facility based on the "future state" possibilities they had developed with MAGNET through the ISO compliance development process. In essence, the ISO compliance process helped JPG's ambitious managers initiate a complete culture change, allowing the company to grow beyond its local and regional history, to become a player in the global precision manufacturing marketplace.

After moving to the new facility, the company obtained its ISO 9001:2000 certificate and has successfully implemented auditing processes that allow it to continue to identify and correct weaknesses in its processes.

Results:

* Increased sales by $2.6 million.
* Realized $60,000 in cost savings.
* Invested $110,500 in capital improvements.
* Created 20 jobs.
* Retained 7 jobs.

Testimonial:

""Our MAGNET consultant helped us realize that you don't let ISO run your company. You run ISO. We continue to use our scheduled ISO internal audits to find oversights, errors and mistakes. Now we can correct small weaknesses before they grow into huge problems. MAGNET helped us put the processes and systems in place that make it easy for us to train our employees to be internal auditors and feel like they have a stake in our certification." "

Michael Smith, Operations Manager

Activity Period:

2007-4