26.02.2024
Product quality and delivery reliability are among BERG’s core aims for customer-focused, proactive quality management. As early as 20 years ago, we had our existing QM system certified in accordance with the EN ISO 9001 standard to comply with all relevant legal requirements and to be able to analyse and improve internal processes in a more systematic way.
Today we would like to introduce Markus Brockmann, our new Head of Quality Management. As our interview shows, Markus has both the complex quality requirements for our clamping systems and the major challenges of the future firmly set in his sights.
Markus: There are extensive quality assurance measures throughout the entire value creation for each product. First, during the make-ready process, the prototypes are inspected and approved by the production employee in close collaboration with an employee from the control department. After the successful first part approval, our production employees monitor the quality of their work independently during the production process. Finally, before our components enter our inventory, they have to pass our strict final inspections so that they can become part of a high-quality assembly.
Markus: Currently we make use of highly reliable manual measuring equipment that is subject to constant inspection equipment monitoring. This equipment lets us conduct measurements and inspections directly and efficiently on the production machines. For complex components with stringent requirements for ISO compliance and shape and position tolerance, we use measuring machines. Our measuring centre is equipped with a 3D coordinate measuring machine, an optical shaft measuring machine and a shape and position measuring machine. Not only are these machines extremely fast, they also offer excellent repeat accuracy. This allows us to intervene in the production process even faster and make any required adjustments.
Markus: If a customer ever receives a component or assembly that does not meet our quality standards, we handle complaints in an honest, constructive manner. The same applies to our internal customer-supplier relationships. We do our best to determine the cause as quickly as possible and immediately initiate inspections of our warehouse and circulating stock. Afterwards, measures to correct the defect and prevent future problems are initiated in the context of an 8D report. This ensures that the true causes of any product defect are determined and eliminated for good.
Markus: Our customers’ satisfaction is always our top priority and reflects a well-functioning quality management system. Our customers have high demands of our products and our aim is to meet those one-hundred percent of the time. Quality is the best advertisement, after all. Our proactive, continuous improvement process helps us to get a little better every day and to integrate new processes. Based on our turnover, the rate of complaints in 2023 was well below 1 %. That shows we’re on the right track.
Markus: First, I would like to thank my predecessor and the control team. A transition like this can only work if there is a stable, healthy foundation. BERG is an absolute role model in that regard. I have over 10 years of management experience in Quality, 2 ½ of them at BERG. So that means I was already familiar with many procedures and workflows. Now our task is to further optimise these with the aid of digitalisation and automation. Right now, that is a challenge for us, but I am confident that, together, we will make use of the technical opportunities of our age at BERG and use them to make our products even more reliable. Meeting these demands is what gives me motivation every single day and drives us to deliver top performance. The trick is not just to reach the next level, but to maintain that level in the long term with high quality. Even more extensive quality assurance during production will be key to this.