Case study: Oxford RF Sensors, Taking R&D right through to production
Achieving ISO 9001 accredited certification allowed one high-tech manufacturer to improve customer confidence in its products.
“We need to assure global companies that we are serious about being in control of events and we are much more than an ‘ideas’ house”, says Anthony Williams, quality manager at Oxford RF Sensors, describing the firm’s reasons for obtaining ISO 9001 accredited certification.
The high-tech start-up firm – which develops non-contact sensors that detect and measure a variety of metal, plastics and liquids – decided to work towards the quality management system standard in order to increase its perceived value to a growing list of international clients in the aircraft, oil and gas and automotive sectors.
The sensors produced are used for measuring turbocharger speed on rally cars, in-fl ight blade tip clearance on aircraft jet engines and measuring water in aviation jet fuel, among other things. “We are working with global companies,” says Anthony. “We need to assure them that we take research and development projects right through to production readiness with a complete manufacturing pack.”
The firm also wants its employees to be better focused towards quality goals. “As a start-up we need to take people on fast and we need documented procedures of how we do things round here,” says Anthony. “Being certifi ed helps us make sure that ‘current good practice’ moves forward and we keep the documentation up-to-date.”
“This way we are all singing from the same hymn sheet and new people are able to get up to speed with less distraction to others,” he adds. Oxford RF Sensors employed SGS to certify its management system. The process began by comparing the company’s existing documentation with ISO 9001’s requirements after Anthony documented the operating procedures according to need over a period of time. “The documentation work
identified processes that could be simplified, reducing both our operational overhead and the distraction of the team from its work,” he says.
“SGS has always been prepared to listen to why we believe we comply with the standard, and then decide whether it agrees,” Anthony says. “It is not prescriptive, unlike some other certifi cation bodies.”
Since certification to ISO 9001, the company has a more consistent performance and less scrap rework because of better control of processes as well as increased productivity. Employees also have more information for troubleshooting problems on their own and consequently managers become more efficient.
Certification also allows Oxford RF Sensors to ensure that its overheads are between zero and very small. “We have a team of dedicated people working their socks off to develop opportunities into practical realities that will generate income and fl oat this ship,” Anthony says. “ISO 9001 is undoubtedly working for us – improving our day-to-day operations, our marketing and, above all, customer confi dence in our products.”
Gaining accredited certifi cation to ISO 9001 has given Oxford RF sensors an appetite for further management system standards. The firm plans to go for AS EN 9100, the management system standard specifically for the aerospace industry. “This is driven by our intention to license the technology to aerospace partners in Europe and the US,” Anthony says. The company may also work towards DO-178B certification to validate its hardware and software.