NSK standardises quality systems

NSK's new web-based integrated quality management system has been developed to enable standardised quality and business practice across all the company's operations.

NSK's new web-based integrated quality management system (IQMS) has been developed to enable standardised quality and business practice across manufacturing sites, business units and the European Technology Centre in Europe.

At NSK's European Technology Centre (ETC), the IQMS is replacing 18 paper-based business systems, providing a single, standardised intranet system, employing electronic documentation and e-mail to reduce the time in raising and actioning documentation changes and nonconformity issues from weeks to days (or even hours).

The new system is entirely transparent, providing enhanced visibility for external audits and nonconformance reporting and resolution.

It also reduces costs, eliminates bottlenecks, provides easier and wider access to all documentation and enables NSK to manage change as part of a formalised continuous improvement cycle.

One of the most common causes of nonconformance within many quality systems is that of poor document control; the IQMS eliminates this type of deficiency.

With paper based systems there is just too much paperwork and never enough time to update it.

To illustrate this: before the introduction of IQMS, NSK's European Technology Centre had 18 quality manuals, all of which required updating each time a document change was identified; a task that used to take weeks.

In contrast, the same process with IQMS can, in the best cases, take just hours.

The document control cycle built-in to IQMS makes this possible.

It enables NSK personnel, wherever they are in the organisation, to review and change documentation when required.

When a change to documentation is accomplished, the IQMS automatically transmits, via the email system, notification of change to appropriate personnel.

This fulfils the need to ensure that the responsible personnel are made aware of quality system changes as they occur.

IQMS was first installed in May 2000, in a pilot study at the ETC and at NSK's Peterlee Manufacturing Plant, as part of a pan- European plan for standardisation of processes for NSK's business units.

The success of the initial study is leading to the adoption of the IQMS progressively across all sites in the NSK Europe Group.

The adoption itself is a two-stage process.

First, everyone uses the same system.

Secondly, everyone does things in the same way, using standardised documents and shared procedures.

The benefits of this development for NSK are many.

Standard document formats mean that all information communicated is the same.

The use of HTML documents has greatly improved access speeds from remote sites.

Document revisions are accomplished quickly and precisely via a secure approval and distribution process.

The preparation time for both external and internal audits is greatly reduced.

Document change history is recorded enabling all process changes to be tracked.

In respect of audits, the greater transparency of the IQMS, with online viewing of documents and improved visibility of procedures, provides easier access by external auditing bodies, generally, speeding-up the certification verification process.

This has proven successful in the programme of pan-European certification audits for the NSK business units throughout 2001.

Jeff Parkes, Group Quality Manager of NSK Europe is spearheading the pan-European implementation of the IQMS.

He sees the system as a core element in NSK Europe's' mission of providing added value to its customers.

Stressing the wider benefits, he said: "The IQMS gives NSK Europe improved standardisation, clarity, access and saves time, which enables more effective operation of our business, leading to greater responsiveness to customer requests and the ability to handle change as part of a formalised continuous improvement process".

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