What system to use? Foundry in Malaysia seeking US Business

hi fellas, just a quick question. We are a foundry in Malaysia and are looking to deal with some american companies now our problem is that alot of the companies require some form of QC system in place, but from my little knowledge of this subject and the little research ive done ive found a fair amount of systems avalible and ive heard some bad reports over the qs9001 system in regards to not having anything to do with what the company does but more on paperwork, so my question is, what would be the best system to have if i wanted to deal with american companys ( most interest has been from auto industry or suppliers for the auto industry ) and knowing that we ourselves are a foundry. The other thing to remember is that being in Asia its a well know fact that you can buy qs9001 so i would like to stay away from that

Thanks for your time

[wendy p]

Hi Keith, this won't answer your question, but is just to let you know you are not alone. I am also in the dillema of finding the best system for our organisation (local government). After much searching on the internet I have found:

ISO9000:2000
Six sigma
Business Process Re-engineering
Baldridge - which is more of an assessment tool!?!
Investors in People
Systems Thinking

So far I have determined that ISO will be the way to go. However, if there is anyone else out there in a government organisation using something else, I would love to hear from you.



Wendy

[JRKH]

Keith,

First of all, welcome to The Cove. You have come to the right place. This is one of the most knowlegable (sp) and giving bunch of people on the web. Now on to your question.

If your looking at automotive, then QS-9000 is the current system. However I would suggest you look at ISO-9001: 2000 which is a good place to start. Also try to get a copy of TS16949 which is the new international automotive standard currently under development.

I am curious though. You stated:

"...our problem is that alot of the companies require some form of QC system in place."

Howare you currently controlling quality? Or are you refering to having a "Registered" system?


You also stated:

"...ive heard some bad reports over the qs9001 system in regards to not having anything to do with what the company does but more on paperwork."

While any formal quality system can increase the paperwork somewhat, there are good ways to hold it to a minimum and many benefits to be gained. QS-9000 requires a couple of processes (APQP and PPAP) that can be difficult to learn, but provide a structured and disciplined way to control your processes.
I would suspect that you will find that you have been doing a lot of the the things whitout even knowing it.

In the meantime bring your questions here. It's an excellent place to find answers. (sometimes lots of different ones.)

Good luck
James

[JRKH]

Wendy,

I think you are on the right track. I would suggest that you look at anything related to the service industry. After all, that is what goverment is (or, at least, should be)

James

[Kevin Mader]

James,

Nice hearty endorsement of the Cove and its contributors!! Thanks!!

Keith and Wendy,

I'm with James on this one. Look at your respective industries and determine which System Standard best fits your needs. If you are aiming at the Auto Industry, then you will need to select one of the automotive tailored standard. Do you homework and look forward into the future. For instance, how long will QS9000 remain an active guideline? Is there a better choice, perhaps? If service oriented, would following the Baldridge Criteria help focus your program creation (note: you may win an award, if you're lucky, but you wont have a certificate or be registered)? Also, be careful about Six Sigma: it is a tool and not a system guideline. If you are creating a system, build it around organizational, customer, and system needs, not a tool.

From my perspective, Systems Thinking is the most expansive of all system creations. It is mostly a philosophy, but there are several books written on how to create a Quality Program/System (also note that you will not receive any type of Registration Certificate). It will take several years to create correctly (Dr. Kano estimates at least 3 years), but the rewards are of a much grander scale. Consider your organizations long-term plans/goals and the short-term requirements (i.e. you might be in a situation where you have less than a year to create and deploy a registered QS system and as such, might have to do interim work or risk plant closure).

No quick answers, folks, but as James noted, tell us more about the problems you face and drop us a line.

Regards,

Kevin

[Atul Khandekar]

Keith,

I don't have much to add to the two excellent posts from James and Kevin here. Maybe first you can try to find out what your prospective customers require. If it's automotive, most probably they may ask you to certify to QS9000.

Paperwork is certainly involved but, no job is complete unless paperwork is done !

The other thing to remember is that being in Asia its a well know fact that you can buy qs9001 so i would like to stay away from that

Well..

All the Best!
-Atul.

[Richard Flexton]

Try contacting Partners-In-Quality Consultancy Sdn Bhd. 603-444-6812. They provide training and software to help with the process. They are approachable and while no consultant is cheap they are very good value and will undoubtedly save you in the long run - they will also help with "genuine" registration. I know several companies in Malaysia who have used them.