01 Nov How we strive for precision engineering perfection
Dawson Shanahan’s customers expect nothing less than perfection, but how can we guarantee that we can meet their exacting standards? Firstly, we invest heavily in our machinery, production processes and employees. Secondly, each year, we open-up our business and the quality-management systems we have put in place to external audit.
Independent scrutiny
By subjecting our operations to independent scrutiny, where there is no place for us to hide, we drive ourselves to excel. By certifying our systems to recognised standards, we maintain and build upon not only the professional culture of our business, but also the morale of our team.
At Dawson Shanahan, we certify our quality-management systems to two key standards: IATF 16949 and ISO 9001.
The most recent revision of IATF 16949 was released in 2016 by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) and addresses several aspects of quality-management systems in the automotive industry. IATF 16949 is implemented as a supplement to, and is to be used in conjunction with, ISO 9001. We use ISO 9001 to demonstrate our ability to provide products and services that consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements, and to show that we can make continuous improvements to our processes and products.
Delivering on our promises
We have used these standards to great effect. When new and existing customers see that we are certified by recognised bodies, they know that we have put systems in place with the singular aim of meeting, and even exceeding, their requirements. This means that they can trust that we will deliver what we promise.
Vitally, we take a great deal of pride in the effort. The certification requires teamwork and for everyone in our organisation to buy into the concept of continual improvement. Achieving the certification is not just good for our business but serves as a testament to the dedication and hard work of everybody in our team.
Planning leads to perfection
At Dawson Shanahan, planning for any external audit starts the day after our last external audit. We have carried out numerous internal audits – eight process audits, 40 despatch audits and five system audits – since our last external audit, and we update our key performance indicators (KPIs) on a weekly and monthly basis.
By having our quality-management systems certified to IATF 16949 and ISO 9001, we flag our dedication to achieving perfection to our customers. To learn more about our auditing process and get some tips for your own organisation, read our detailed white paper by clicking here.