Good Connections Magazine

12 GOOD CONNECTIONS | Summer 2019 Alpine is conŸnually developing and refining its comprehensive in-house total quality management program. Alpine's TQM efforts are consistent with the principles of the Ford Q1 process, Six Sigma methodology and ISO 9001 requirements. Alpine's strong emphasis on quality extends across the company from products to processes to people. Our customers benefit from the resulŸng innovaŸve products and knowledgeable support. Quality in manufacturing is a measure of excellence or a state of being free from defects, deficiencies and significant variaŸons. It is about a strict and consistent commitment to maintaining standards that achieve uniformity of product builds to saŸsfy the needs of our customer. Alpine's quality management system is a closed loop correcŸve acŸon process that drives conŸnuous improvement. Alpine created and insŸtuted specific standards for incoming part inspecŸons to prevent defecŸve parts from reaching the producŸon floor. IdenŸfying common defects prior to producŸon helps prevent shipping delays. Finding the root cause of the defect allows Alpine employees to make correcŸons that prevent future occurrences. Alpine will correct internal issues (i.e. drawing issues, bill of material issues) and work with suppliers to correct external issues; sharing our quality programs and helping to idenŸfy any deficiencies in their processes. Alpine is persistent, making sure that both internal and external correcŸve acŸons are completed; and the modified processes are followed, producing the desired results. Alpine worked diligently to create in process build inspecŸons to idenŸfy, report and correct any part issues that are not captured during the incoming inspecŸon phase of the quality program. Our operators use checklists to complete quality inspecŸons throughout the assembly process. Once the build process is complete, Alpine machines are taken through a comprehensive final inspecŸon by the quality department. All measurements and tests are documented for future reference. Quality Control inspecŸons provide Alpine's customers with a quality product; built to specific, documented standards, that they can have confidence in. Alpine implemented a different set of standards and procedures for managing field failures. If a field failure occurs, Alpine tracks, documents and invesŸgates the failure to idenŸfy the root cause of the issue. Quality will idenŸfy where the deficiency occurred and how to prevent it from happening in the future. The Alpine team will come together to provide a soluŸon that addresses the issue, corrects the process and prevents it from reoccurring. Driving a Quality Customer Experience Sean King, Quality Technician, Equipment Based in Grand Prairie, Texas he developed the equipment quality program. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AT ALPINE

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