Case Study

Aquarius Plastics Ltd

Aquarius Plastics have been a supplier of industrial plastics to commercial and aerospace clients for over twenty years. They had been operating an uncertified Quality Management System conforming to ISO9000:1994.

Following an annual audit of their quality system by their primary aerospace client, they were told they needed to achieve third party certification to the aerospace supply standard SAE AS/EN9120 within 18 months or they would no longer be able to supply this client, who represented 30% of their business. The Quality Team were appointed to achieve this aim.

A consultant from The Quality Team spent a day at the Aquarius Plastics site in Guildford, reviewing their documented management system and gaining an understanding of how the business operates. This enabled a gap analysis to be performed between the existing systems and the requirements of AS/EN9120 and ISO9001:2000. This indicated that the quality management system required re-writing to bring it in line with the current standards, and that some changes were needed in the way the business operated. In particular aerospace stock needed to be more clearly segregated from non-aerospace stock, and the normal actions of a quality system needed to be implemented (audit and management review in particular).

On the basis of this gap analysis, it was decided that certification to AS/EN9120 for aerospace clients and ISO9001:2000 for commercial clients should be sought simultaneously. Appropriate systems were developed and The Quality Team performed two complete cycles of internal audit and management review. Certification was achieved at the first attempt and within the required time frame.

Real benefit has been evident since as a consequence of the reorganisation of stock holdings, and Aquarius Plastics have seen business improve steadily since certification. They have since appointed us as their 'Virtual Quality Manager' to support their systems and ensure the certification is maintained.

'Many thanks for all your input in helping us to achieve certification to ISO 9001:2000 and SAE AS9120. Although it seemed like an insurmountable project at the start of the process, with your advice, hard work, patience and faith in us we achieved the result we needed. We really couldn't have done it without you.' Kate Williams, Director, Aquarius Plastics Ltd

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