All workplaces have their pain points. In manufacturing, delivering high-quality output and keeping costs controlled are just some of the challenges the industry faces. When it comes to aerospace, an even greater focus is placed on ensuring quality and compliance never slip through the cracks.

It’s a do or die situation in these workplaces. With hefty fines, even jail time, on the line, there is no room for error. Supplying non-conforming parts can have a devastating effect that trickles through all departments.

The requirements in these manufacturing facilities are strict. The ever-increasing number of quality specifications issued from the prime aircraft manufacturers (e.g., Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Bombardier, etc.), the US DoD, NASA, as well as ISO (developer/publisher of the ISO9001:2015 and AS9100D standards) means there is no room to falter.

In order to meet these customer and regulatory requirements and ensure that only quality parts come from the facility, it is critical that manufacturers have processes and tracking in place to help keep everyone at the operations on task and accountable.

Oftentimes management runs into hurdles when it comes to changing processes for the better. This can involve costs for training and new procedures or push back from workers manning the machines. This leads to improvements simply never happening.

However, for aerospace manufacturing, a flawless fulfillment process is vital.

To ease the burden of keeping accurate reporting and proof of quality assurance, there are a number of tools and software available today.

 

As a recent article by Ed Sinkora for SME Media points out, the best way to maintain compliance and navigate all of these requirements is through the use of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools, and Quality Management Systems (QMS) software.

The great thing about these software solutions is that they can bring all of the important data into a single place and distill that data in order to provide focus to problems as well as successes.

Here at Horberg Industries we’ve worked hard to ensure we meet the critical requirements of the industry with all parts we create. For over 15 years we’ve been using M1 manufacturing ERP software to ensure the entire order fulfillment process goes exactly as planned.

Horberg President Robert Leety had the opportunity to offer commentary for the SME Media article about the M1 manufacturing ERP software system we use and how it’s helped our operations ensure that compliant parts and processes are always happening.  That includes utilizing the software to keep track of non-conformances and grouping them by root cause.

“If you see a pattern, like a lack of training, then you know you need to set aside resources to better train people. Or if it’s a particular vendor, you know you need to put them on notice or find another one. It really helps focus your efforts,” Leety explained.

Another area where this software is very beneficial is QMS audits. Aerospace industries are subject to regular auditing and this can be a pain point for some facilities. Having the right software tools in place can contribute to smoother, faster, successful audits.

To learn more about Horberg Industries, our products and processes, get in touch today!