Quality consistency continues to be very important for AOC’s customers for maintaining robust manufacturing operations and ensuring predictability of end-use performance. For that reason, AOC is very happy to announce that all its European production sites have again been ISO 9001 certified. Having received zero non-compliances is indicative of AOC’s focus on product consistency and continuous quality improvement practices.
The ISO 9001 standard is an international norm which summarizes best practices regarding Quality management. This norm was created already in 1987, and since then has been revised on a regular basis. Some of the new elements included introduction of processes for better Management of Change, and the requirement for risk-based thinking to support and improve the understanding and application of manufacturing and working processes.
Continuous Improvement
For a company like AOC, the desire to maintain a Quality Management System is a strategic decision, resulting from the company’s objective is to continuously improve customer satisfaction and meet their product requirements.
“Having a good Quality Management System in place immediately translates into product consistency and, as a result, increased confidence from our customers in AOC”, explains Stéphanie Rouillère, Quality Alignment Responsible for AOC. “Working on continuous Quality improvement also allows us also to reduce manufacturing process times and increases efficiency, resulting in reduced waste and cost. This helps both AOC and our customers to remain competitive in their markets.”
In 2020 AOC conducted a survey amongst its EMEA customers. In this survey, the respondents indicated that being supplied by AOC with Quality products and services is paramount to their success, next to AOCs best-in-class Technical Service support and technology developments.
Recertification Complete
The ISO 9001 recertification audits took place earlier this month (June 7-11) in AOC EMEA headquarters in Schaffhausen (Switzerland), EMEA R&D Centers in Zwolle (Netherlands) and Filago (Italy), and the manufacturing plants in Filago (Italy) and Schoonebeek (Netherlands). AOC received very positive comments for the auditors on its Quality systems and processes, and received zero non-conformances: “mature quality system, well implemented in AOC organization”, “culture of continuous improvement”, “risks and opportunities well identified”. As a result, AOC EMEA was again awarded with the ISO 9001 certification.
The newly acquired AOC manufacturing operation in (Czech Republic) already received an ISO 9001 recertification in April 2021 (in a record three months after the transfer to AOC).
Quality is Money
Product consistency means that AOC customers need less incoming tests to perform, need to make less adjustments to their process, resulting in lower rework and waste. “Customers can better predict the performance of their composite parts and can rely on the volume output of their operations,” adds Stéphanie Rouillère. “So, at the end our customers will be more efficient if our resins are consistent in Quality”.
“Through offering high quality products and service, customers know they can rely on us”, comments Stefan Osterwind, Managing Director AOC EMEA. “Quality is important in everything we do for our customers. Besides product consistency, this also means customers should be able to rely on our accuracy of delivery, technical expertise, and continued regulatory support.”
All AOC EMEA manufacturing sites have also been certified for ISO 14001 environmental standard, indicative for the company’s commitment to promoting sustainable products and processes.
