Streamlining quality assurance to pursue zero-defects initiative
Miba is one of the leading strategic partners of the international engine and automotive industry. Their product portfolio includes sintered components, engine bearings, friction materials, power electronics components and coatings. Miba products make motor vehicles, trains, ships, aircraft and power plants more efficient, more reliable and more environmentally friendly.
With the aim of developing technologies for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, Miba focuses its innovations on energy efficiency as well as increased precision and comfort for its customers’ products. To achieve these goals, Miba products need to comply with extreme physical requirements and supremely tight tolerances.
Since the Miba group includes several production sites across the word, with support from external business consultants, three groups investigated potential solution paths for product development, supply chain management and quality management.
In a nutshell, what were the biggest challenges that they wanted to overcome?
- Integrate existing ERP software with new QMS environment
- Meet customer requirements
- Improve transparency
- Adhere to international industry standards
So, following a six-month selection process, the decision was made to invest in Opcenter Quality software from Siemens Digital Industries Software.
Swift global Opcenter Quality implementation
Rollout started with the implementation of first modules in one pilot plant. After several weeks of trial operation, this was extended to eight locations. Miba implemented the software with mainly standard functionalities to enhance stability and minimize programming in case of release changes. Implementing Opcenter Quality, the Miba experts standardized processes throughout all plants and business fields.
The project leveraged on strategic keys to succeed:
- Use the Opcenter Quality solution for optimizing quality processes
- Improve products while avoiding waste and defects
- Implement a modular solution that can link to existing ERP system
Thanks to all these activities, Opcenter Quality supports close collaboration between quality managers in different business fields and/or plants. Miba used Opcenter Quality to lay the foundation for further digitalization steps. Formerly tedious actions such as the setup for single part traceability take a matter of minutes now.
Here a recap of the main outcomes:
- Streamlined complaint handling and improved customer satisfaction
- Increased product quality and transparency
- Reduced administrative effort and costs
- Laid foundations for smarter production
“Following the Siemens Opcenter Quality implementation, our managers can make better decisions faster without the need for manual data collection or spreadsheeting.”
Günter Reittinger,Enterprise IT Solutions Manager Miba
