TABLE OF CONTENTS The successful execution of any continuous improvement project is a challenge, and what constitutes success needs to be defined before you begin. In the world of AS9100/ISO 9001:2000, all activities within the corporation need to be subservient to the company's quality policy. The quality policy establishes the vision from which corporate objectives are established. These objectives act as guideposts for the direction your continual improvement efforts should be taking. Do your continual improvement efforts work toward achieving the realization of your corporate quality policy? If not, then you are wasting your time and should redirect your efforts.
Chances are your focus is on the right activity if the fruit of your labors is a savings of money for the company. Let's take a look at some of the activities that Look Forward teams at Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation (ABSC) have undertaken over the years. Recall that these activities are a part of the team members' everyday responsibilities and not the result of being assigned to a particular project.
ABSC has been the world leader in carbon disks for many years, and much of that success can be attributed to the strength and depth of the company's R&D expertise and manufacturing execution. Traditionally, ABSC designed and developed the carbon it used and had it manufactured by a supplier. That all changed in 1998 when ABSC initiated making its own carbon with a new carbon manufacturing facility located...
