R E Thompson - CNC Machinists - Precision Engineers

Quality Control
R E Thompson, an ISO 9001 approved company, operate a number of continuous programmes of quality control including 5S and Lean Manufacturing, together with BPI & KPI systems.

Quality Procedures
A general overview of our quality procedures is detailed in the list below.

Design
Internal Audit
Contract Review
Document Control
Purchasing
Vendor Control
Process Control
Goods-Inward Control
Inspection & Test
Control Of Non-Conforming Products
Corrective Action
Stores
Handling, Package & Despatch
Quality Records
Statistical Techniques
Training
Customer Returned Products
Quality Plans
Servicing

ISO 9001
We hold ISO 9001 accreditation awarded by the British Standards Institute which documents our quality management processes including design and is regularly reviewed.

Lean Manufacturing
In order to best serve our customers we operate our facility under the principles of Lean Manufacturing. For R E Thompson the principle elements of Lean Manufacturing include:

Elimination Of Waste
Total Quality
Just In Time
Increasing Delivery Frequency
Supplier Integration
Automation
Preventative Maintenance
Design For Manufacture
Continuous Selling
Design Project Management

Practically this means fine tuning our inhouse quality programmes as detailed below, working closer with our customers at the design stage and promoting project ownership, proactively addressing predictable problems such as machine downtime or tool wear and working closer with our customers and supplying on a Just In Time basis. One of our key strengths is our approach to Design For Manufacture, please ask us for morre information.

5S
5S, a component of lean manufacturing, which stands for Sort, Set In Order, Shine, Standardise and Sustain is utilised to help coordinate visual order across the factory and improves profitability, efficiency, service and safety. We have invested considerable time and money in training staff and allocating ownership for every part of the building. The 5S programme is invaluable in motivating staff and promoting their ownership for part of the business, which culminates in benefits for our customers through reduced costs, increased quality and a more streamlined service.

Business Process Inprovement
We are continuously analysing our business operations with regards to carrying out Business Process Improvements (BPI), mainly through the application of IT systems. We were pioneers in the use of solid models and paperless manufacture and continue to modify our business operations through rationalisation and restructuring to suit the immediate and long term business objectives of the time.

Key Performance Indicators
To both focus energy and motivate employees we set and review key performance indicators aimed at helping to achieve improvements in our operation which are then passed on to our customers as improvements in service and quality. Typical examples include reducing wastage, achieving on time delivery and demonstrating cost savings in the procurement of raw materials.

Statistical Process Control
R E Thompson carry out Statistical Process Control on all large orders and carry out preventative maintenance where required. This might involve the pro-active rebuilding of tool heads before obvious signs of wear are noticeable on the work piece, machine recalibration before its too late and pro-active replenishment of cutting fluids.