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Clientcase M&A

Customer objectives
One of our clients is an OEM manufacturer and components supplier in the automotive industry which was created out of two merged predecessors. The merged company has facilities across all continents and time zones.

The customer’s objective was to build one integrated way of working for quality processes across the two merged companies with one integrated IT platform. A quality management system (QMS) is a system that documents a company’s policies, business processes, and procedures necessary to create and deliver its products and services in a consistent and efficient way to increase customer satisfaction.

Customer challenges
The implementation was executed in a phased approach by harmonizing key quality processes step-by-step. First processes covered were audit management, document control, CAPA (corrective and preventive action) process and supplier quality management.

Key challenges included:

  1. Alignment of quality processes in different departments (previously different companies) requires attention for cultural aspects in addition to content alignment;
  2. Involvement of key quality staff in manufacturing and distribution centers is required to create full buy-in;
  3. Selection of the right set of IT tools requires expertise and knowledge in the specific area of QMS IT solutions.

Deliverables

Purple Square was engaged to manage the QMS implementation and its implementation partner on behalf of our customer.

The document control system was first implemented for the sales and logistics organization and rolled out next to all manufacturing sites.
Audit functionality was extended to factory conformance audits and SCAR’s (supplier corrective action request process).
After harmonization of the first set of quality processes as mentioned above, further rollouts were done for additional processes in the area of complaints handling and supplier rating.

Our contribution to success

The Purple Square project manager focused on four specific areas to accelerate the successful implementation of one integrated way of working for quality processes across the two merged companies:

  1. Build a combined team of both merged companies and put quality experts in the lead to define the harmonized way of working;
  2. Use IT tools out of the box as much as possible, modifications and enhancements were accepted to a very limited extend. 
  3. Implement in a phased approach and don’t try to replace all local IT tools at once;
  4. Continuous training of staff in standard operating procedures and industry standards like VDA audits, ISO certification of processes, operations.