Plexus International

If you are an automotive supplier that manufactures "production or service parts [or provides a value-add process, i.e. heat treating] specified by a customer [a customer is a signatory of the agreement which established the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) who in turn wrote and published ISO Technical Specification (TS) 16949:2002 - DaimlerChrysler, Ford and GM are all IATF signatories]," then you are subject to the TS requirement 7.4.1.2 Supplier quality management system development.

Why issue this warning?
Reports from Certification Bodies, information received from Tier 1 organizations, information received from suppliers of Tier 1 organizations and discussions with members of the governing bodies indicate that there is some confusion about the requirement for the lower Tiers of automotive suppliers to conform to an ISO Standard or Technical Specification. There is no confusion on the part of the IATF and its Oversight Offices. A summary statement of the requirement is that lower Tier manufacturers who manufacture parts, or provide value-added processes to parts, that end up in or on vehicles assembled
by an IATF OEM customer, are subject to 7.4.1.2 and therefore, unless otherwise specified by the customer, shall be third-party registered to ISO 9001:2000 or ISO/TS 16949:2002 by an accredited third-party certification body.

To assist you understand the full range of the supplier requirement, Plexus Corporation has developed a Quick Reference Guide with the following information:

2. Explanation provided by the IATF Guidance to TS 16949:2002 regarding the TS 16949 subclause 7.4.1.2

4. A Frequently Asked Question regarding supplier development from the International Automotive Oversight Bureau (IAOB) website http://www.iaob.org/iso_ts16949_faq.html

Plexus can help.
Plexus Corporation designs, develops and delivers online, classroom and customized learning programs to individuals, groups and organizations not only seeking certification to an ISO 9001:2000-based quality management system but those organizations seeking process improvements.
Plexus also develops software tools, i.e., Terrapene Process Management Suite, to support organizations retain the knowledge they generate and the learning they achieve, in order to manage the goals they set for themselves.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact Jerry Thimsen at Plexus Corporation 1-888-753-9871 or jthimsen@plexusintl.com

Plexus Unveils Unique Tool For ISO/TS 16949 Implementation

St. Paul, MN, March 5, 2004 – With thousands of automotive suppliers facing deadlines to implement ISO/TS 16949, Plexus Corporation announced today the launch of its Terrapene Process Management Suite™, a new software tool that automates many of the time-consuming tasks associated with achieving compliance to the international technical specification.

Plexus, a leading training provider of the process approach to management and its role in implementing today's most commonly imposed management system standards, applied its full-range of expertise in creating Terrapene.

Developed specifically for managers, “process owners,” auditors and CEOs, Terrapene enables users to visualize their organization’s processes and to understand how their processes are interlinked. As a result, the software tool helps individuals and organizations add value to their management systems by eliminating waste and improving their products and services.

" Terrapene in one word is visibility,” explains Alan Peterson, author of the widely acclaimed Jump Start Your Process Approach and co-developer of Terrapene. “The processes, their connections, their sequences, the documents, the requirements, the measures, the personnel and the management – all the things that comprise an organization are made visible.”

Based on the “Turtle Diagram,” Terrapene assists a user in developing a visual model of each individual process – a visual model, which clearly illustrates the process’ resources, responsibilities, measurements, product realization, input and output. Overall, Terrapene assists organizations to identify and define the layers of interlinked “core” and “support” processes and enables auditors and management to quickly focus on gaps and improvements.

”This new software tool is simply the most comprehensive application for process management on the market,” declares Alex Chong, president of Plexus Corporation, who says it is also applicable to other ISO 9001:2000-based requirements such as AS9100 and ISO 13485.

“Terrapene is more flexible than other software solutions and provides interconnecting processes that are difficult to illustrate with traditional process flowchart software applications,” says Chong, whose company is the sanctioned training provider for the International Automotive Oversight Bureau (IAOB), the U.S. oversight office of the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) which created ISO/TS 16949. “Terrapene is a total process management tool that is designed to help companies realize the operational advantages needed in today‘s competitive market.”

Terrapene Process Management Suite is available in a variety of purchasing options with a 90-day trial period. Please contact Plexus at 1-877-TURTLE4 (1-877-887-8534) or www.terrapeneINTL.com for more information.

Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Plexus Corporation was founded in 1993. The company provides worldwide and comprehensive assistance to professionals who manage, audit and improve quality management systems through its network of offices in the United States and 12 other countries.

This course provides a unique opportunity to attain two certificates with one course!

Especially if your customer expects you to implement ISO 9001:2000, ISO/TS 16949:2002 or AS9100. Indeed, many of today's most commonly imposed management system standards by purchasers are now based on a process approach. But even professional third-party auditors are struggling with it. So how can you be expected to implement a value-added system in your company?

With Jump Start your Process Approach, you can avoid system-wide inefficiencies and the resulting poor return on investment. You will learn how to break the "checklist" mentality, how to audit the "human" side of quality, how to identify key processes and how to measure the cost of quality in a step-by-step approach that shows you how to focus your critical processes on the customer.

Working with clients like The Boeing Company, DaimlerChrysler Corporation and General Motors Corporation, Alan J. Peterson is able to cut through the misinformation and present this indispensable tool for organizations that want to improve using the process approach.

Online at www.qsuonline.com - simply select "Online Store" and then "QSU Publishing Titles."

Boeing:
The Boeing Company and Plexus Corporation have signed a joint development and license agreement to create a web-based system that will streamline employee training in quality standards and procedures. Click here for the related article.