'Inverted Management' and Continuous Improvement Bring High Scores and Supplier Certification.WARREN, Pa.--(AutomotiveWire)--Oct. 14, 1997--Loranger Manufacturing Corp. distinguishes itself once again -- this time as the first plastics component manufacturer, and only the 16th out of 600+ Walbro suppliers worldwide, to achieve certification from this Tier 1 automotive supplier. Following on the heels of Loranger's simultaneous QS-9000 and ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9002 certifications in June, this is quite an accomplishment for the firm. It further validates the firm's policy of continuous quality improvement and its "inverted inverted reverse in position, direction or order. inverted L block a pattern of local filtration anesthesia commonly used in laparotomy in the ox. management" structure, with self-directed work teams on top of the organizational chart An organizational chart is a chart which represents the structure of an organization in terms of rank. The chart usually shows the managers and sub-workers who make up an organization. , supported by upper management below. "We consider certification part of an on-going process -- not an end," noted John Loranger, company president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . "Our goal is to continually refine and improve the effectiveness of our quality system -- to be better tomorrow than we were yesterday. And our decision to implement the self-directed work teams and invert in·vert v. 1. To turn inside out or upside down. 2. To reverse the position, order, or condition of. 3. To subject to inversion. n. Something inverted. the organizational structure  This article has no lead section.To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, one should be written. is paying big dividends, not only in improved quality but also in higher productivity." Headquartered in Cass City, Mich., Walbro Corp. is a major supplier of automotive fuel delivery systems and small engine carburetors and ignition systems. With over $600 million in sales worldwide, Walbro has a lot riding on its own quality. "Our certification program is very tough," said Walbro quality manager, Gary Nichols This article relies largely or entirely upon a .Please help [ improve this article] by introducing appropriate of additional sources. . "Basically, we took the toughest and most stringent requirements from each of the 'Big Three' and combined them into what we call our 'all star' survey. You need 220 out of a possible 300 points to pass. That sounds lenient, but it is very, very difficult to reach 220. We probably only have 5 to 7% who score in the 220 range and meet all of the other requirements to become certified. Loranger's score was 241 points." When Walbro performed its assessment in May, Loranger had not yet completed its QS-9000 and ISO certifications. Explained Rick Carlson, Loranger's Q/C.I. Manager, "We had already made modifications to our quality system that helped vault us above the minimum ISO standards This is a list of ISO standards that are discussed in Wikipedia articles. For a list of all the more than 16,000 ISO standards (as of 2007), see the ISO Catalogue. About 300 of the standards produced by ISO and IEC's Joint Technical Committee 1 (JTC1) have been made freely/publicly . By doing that, we were able to achieve a high score from Walbro based on the efforts we had made to that point." On Sept. 15, 1997, Walbro presented its "Certified Supplier" award to Loranger's manufacturing teams. "In our organization, we preach that our manufacturing teams are at the top of our organization chart," explained Carlson. "We didn't want any one person to receive the award, so we placed it in a neutral spot and had our entire manufacturing team workforce at the ceremony. We then used a receiving line to assure that each team member was personally recognized." Loranger's management structure impresses Nichols. He recounted, "At one point during an executive meeting with Loranger, their quality manager, Rick Carlson, was detailing Loranger's quality systems and structure. "In the course of the explanation, he said something about the quality support team that 'he reports to.' It wasn't that his department reports to him, but that he reports to his department. It seemed like a fairly insignificant use of words, but it had a big impact on me and told me an awful lot about the Loranger philosophy. Loranger's success in the certification process underscores how effective that philosophy is." With plants in Warren, and Szekesfehervar, Hungary, Loranger Manufacturing Corp. provides custom precision moldings and metal laminations to the automotive, electronic, computer and electrical, transportation and appliance industries. The family-owned company, in business since 1950, specializes in thermoplastic A polymer material that turns to liquid when heated and becomes solid when cooled. There are more than 40 types of thermoplastics, including acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate and polyethylene. , thermoset A polymer-based liquid or powder that becomes solid when heated, placed under pressure, treated with a chemical or via radiation. The curing process creates a chemical bond that, unlike a thermoplastic, prevents the material from being remelted. See thermoplastic. and insert moldings. CONTACT: Loranger Manufacturing, Warren Jim Straka, 814/723-8616 x 137 or OutSource Options, Doylestown, Pa. Laurie McCarthy, 215/489-0377 |
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