Many manufacturers have implemented quality assurance methodologies as a way to be consistent and improve manufacturing processes. For Hamilton Sundstrand, finding software that would help integrate its quality control program was important to the company for parts built in-house and those outsourced.
Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (Windsor Locks, CT), is a global supplier of technologically advanced aerospace and industrial products. Its aerospace division implemented a process improvement method called Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE), which is an integrated approach to quality improvement that sets up consistent and measurable goals. The method uses the Japanese 5S system, which sets goals for organization, orderliness, cleanliness, standardized cleanup and discipline, as well as total predictive maintenance on factory and office machines, root cause analysis in both product and process, and mistake-proofing causes of variation and process certification.