QUALITY
Centralized Vision Aligned with Customer Requirements
At SigmaTron International, we recognize that as an extension of our customers’ manufacturing operations, we are also an extension of their reputations. We take that responsibility seriously. We ensure superior quality through a combination of well-trained people, robust systems, industry-standard compliance mechanisms and a focus on minimizing variation in our processes.
Our Quality organization is led by a Corporate Director of Quality and Compliance. Quality Managers are resident in each facility. This combines a centralized vision with a localized, customer-centric focus. Our systems and processes leverage organizational economies of scale, yet are tailored to each customer’s specific quality requirements.
Industry-specific regulatory bodies and industry leading companies are continually evolving their quality initiatives to better address the needs of their markets. Our centralized approach ensures continued alignment of all facilities as these standards and requirements evolve. Customers with industry-specific, mission critical quality requirements have a choice of regional centers of excellence certified to their industry’s requirements. Customers utilizing multiple SigmaTron facilities have a seamless experience in terms of quality communication protocols and systems.
Learn more about SigmaTron’s approach to ensuring superior quality:
CERTIFICATIONS
ROBUST SYSTEMS
Supplier Quality
Process Control/ Continuous Improvement
Compliance/ Sustainability
Systems Designed to Mitigate Risk
SigmaTron’s internally-developed systems support serialization, traceability, enforced routing, automated corrective and preventive action (CAPA) reporting and device history recordkeeping. Documentation is stored electronically and is accessible to all locations.
Quality data is collected real-time at several points throughout the production process. Quality reporting can be customized to specific customer requirements.
Supplier Performance Measurement
Suppliers are measured on ongoing quality performance, delivery performance, overall service performance and other performance indicators, if specified. Performance is tracked by the production facility utilizing the material. Suppliers access their feedback via their primary purchasing agents. Suppliers of custom or mission critical components selected by SigmaTron, or in some cases by our customers, are audited as part of the qualification process. If quality issues arise or the scope of business changes, additional audits are performed or in-house technical support is provided.
Corporate Quality and Compliance maintains a database related to supplier performance that is accessed by facilities as part of their supplier surveillance processes. Supplier performance data is updated monthly.
In addition to identifying best sources and monitoring trends in each commodity, SigmaTron’s International Purchasing Office (IPO) team manages supplier quality in Southeast Asia. Team members are Green Belt-certified and use Six Sigma tools to analyze supplier quality issues.
Process Control/Continuous Improvement
The best way to ensure superior quality is to eliminate the issues that cause defects. SigmaTron’s team strives to automate manufacturing processes wherever cost effective to minimize the variations that create defect opportunities. Design for manufacturability (DFM) and testability (DFT) help ensure new products are optimized for automated production and test. Production lines assembling mission critical products have inline inspection processes including 3D solder pastes inspection (SPI), automated optical inspection (AOI) and x-ray inspection, in addition to in-circuit and/or functional test.
Lean manufacturing philosophy is applied throughout our facilities, optimizing production flow and fulfillment. Our employees are committed to building superior quality products and actively participate in quality improvement initiatives, in addition to regular training related to specific job skills. SigmaTron has Six Sigma Black Belts deployed throughout the organization and Six Sigma tools are used to drive improvement in both manufacturing and administrative processes.
Compliance/Sustainability
SigmaTron’s Compliance and Sustainability Center is a centralized resource ensuring supply chain integrity and regulatory compliance. The Center interfaces closely with component engineers and procurement professionals to gather necessary materials documentation from suppliers related to regulatory, social and environmental initiatives such as evolving RoHS legislation, REACH, Conflict Minerals and California’s Proposition 65, as well as customer specific initiatives, and communicates with the rest of the Company’s supply chain management organization.
Specialized software supports the operation by providing updates as monitored jurisdictions create new rules or modify existing rules. The tool can also be programmed to support customers who have specific lists of substances and materials that they want to track.
A full list of our social responsibility, compliance and sustainability activities and related documentation are available here.
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