Tri-C Company

(50 employees)

Eureka, Illinois- component parts for the automotive, agriculture and construction equipment sectors

www.triccompany.com

“IMEC really put the pieces together for us.  We were very comfortable with their approach and how they engaged our team to make it happen."

Rick McCollum, President

Click here for the printable version.

Situation

When Tri-C Company received word from buyers at its major customer that it needed to significantly improve quality and on time delivery or risk losing business, company leaders took swift action.

Over the years, the 50-employee producer of component parts for the automotive, agriculture and construction equipment sectors has adapted to strict OEM requirements for defect reduction and operational performance. Recent quality failures were impacting sales, and the company knew it needed a higher level of discipline.

“Even though we had a quality system in place (ISO 9000:1994), scrap was too high and our process control was not where it needed to be,” said Rick McCollum, President of Tri-C Company. “Whenever your customer comes directly to you and asks you to make a change, it’s a good sign because they want you to remain a key part of their supply chain. We had to act quickly.”

Situation

IMEC quality specialist Eric Danielson guided the company on a fast-track implementation to prepare for registration to the ISO 9001:2008 quality standard. Goals for the project were to complete registration to the new standard within six months, cut the scrap rate, reduce cost of quality, and prevent defects from occurring. Achieving these goals would also help improve on time delivery.

IMEC coached a team of Tri-C staff members on how to analyze the root causes of quality problems and implement corrective actions. Training was provided for employees on all facets of effective deployment of the quality management system in alignment with the ISO 9001:2008 standard.McCollum and the leadership group were visible throughout the process, demonstrating their support to the Tri-C team.

One immediate improvement was to put in place a new software system for gauge management, and establish a calibration room to enable technicians to accurately calibrate, track, set and validate the gauges used to measure product features and characteristics McCollum is proud to say that scrap is now less than 2%, exceeding the company’s goals.