Process Control

Supplier Quality Assurance process control assures that Inspectors have the proper certifications to perform characteristic data collections, and that the latest characteristic and sampling requirements are applied.

Purchase Order Information

When an Inspector logs onto Solumina, all relevant open Purchase Orders appear in an inspector-associated Dispatch list. On command, each Purchase Order generates a corresponding Inspection Order whose instructions are based on current characteristic, inspection, and sampling requirements. All requirements are in full view including specification limits, criteria, and inspection methods.

Online Characteristic Data Collection

The Inspection Order includes all characteristic data collections that must be performed. The data entry screen optimizes data entry by prompting the inspector for each check list item, observation, and measurement required. When inspectors log on to the system, they quickly return to where they left off in the Inspection Order.

Solumina lets the inspector know what data collections remain before the inspection can be completed. The system also alerts when entered values are out of range.

Inspection Oversight

Certain suppliers will require more inspection oversight than others. Solumina randomly determines which Inspection Orders will be selected for over-inspection based on each supplier’s historical and recent quality performance. The system ensures that the over-inspection is performed by an Inspector different from the one performing the primary inspection.

First Article Inspection

When Purchase Orders indicate that there is an open First Article Inspection (FAI) or FAI Delta requirement, Solumina ensures that the next Inspection Order is flagged accordingly and contains all the requirements for the FAI in full compliance with AS9102 requirements. The FAI requirements must be completed before any units can be shipped to the buyer.

Supplier Quality Analysis Tools

Supplier performance management is critical to managing production costs, reducing variance, and protecting the quality standards associated with brand names. In Solumina, each supplier’s performance is tracked consistently with full visibility of all supplier-induced issues and defects found during inspection at the source, or as an escape downstream in the manufacturing process. Solumina displays quality performance metrics in easy-to-read charts and reports that can drill down all the way to the specific Purchaser Order and inspection. Suppliers with a high defect or failure rate are highlighted.