PCB supplier scoops BAE Systems Bronze award

Invotec Group has won a prestigious award from BAE Systems for its manufacturing site in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

Invotec Group has won a prestigious award from BAE Systems for its manufacturing site in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

The site is one of the first suppliers to BAE Systems Avionics sector to have achieved the award.

As Europe's largest manufacturer of time-critical, high-technology printed circuit boards, Invotec is honoured to achieve such an accolade from BAE Systems, one of the most respected companies in the UK.

Following a year of strict analysis and quality improvement projects, Invotec was presented with BAE Systems' Bronze trophy for the Supplychain Excellence Programme in a special ceremony held at Invotec's Tamworth plant on Friday 24th October 2003.

The Supplychain Excellence Programme has been in operation since the early 1990s and is intended to create partnerships with strategic supply chains to facilitate ongoing joint improvements.

Planning and proactive engagement with the supplier is applied in order to deliver an excellence approach through business and manufacturing assessment.

David Jones, Chief Executive, Invotec said: "BAE Systems in Rochester contacted Invotec about 15 months ago and invited us to join the Supplychain Excellence Programme.

Only 'strategic' suppliers are invited to join the programme which is basically a scheme where they 'help us to help ourselves' and to follow a path of continuous improvement.

We were absolutely delighted when they informed us that we had achieved the Bronze level of excellence, particularly as we are one of the first suppliers to BAE Systems Avionics to do so".

Suppliers are selected on their strategic importance to BAE Systems and joint improvement activities are based on the output of the supplier assessment.

Assessments are carried out by a multidisciplinary team, and monitored regularly against a time-based plan.

Performance improvements in quality, delivery and relationship are measured and savings determined against a cost reduction plan.

Achievement by the supplier of performance targets leads to recognition via awards.

Jones continued: "BAE Systems launched the assessment in the summer of 2002, with an intensive three day audit of the management and business systems at Tamworth.

A report was then issued, highlighting the main areas for improvement in manufacturing and business processes.

Invotec devised an improvement plan known internally as 'Project Endeavour' which has now been successfully implemented".

"Project Endeavour involved all 150 employees and 'took people back to basics' with rudimentary retraining on quality tools and techniques.

Employees were encouraged to take responsibility for minimising material wastage, and organising their own working areas.

Endeavour has been an outstanding success for Invotec and will be continued in the future".

Other significant areas of improvement included business communications for both internal and external audiences.

Invotec implemented a programme of both customer and employee questionnaires - this will now take place biannually.

One year on, a second assessment confirmed to BAE Systems that Invotec had reached the Bronze standard of efficiency.

Sue Wood, MD, BAE Systems Avionics Systems commented: "It is a credit to the achievements made by Invotec (Tamworth) that it is to receive the BAE Systems Supplychain Excellence Bronze award.

Invotec is one of the selected 'strategic suppliers' to BAE Systems invited to join the Supplychain Excellence Programme.

We look forward to continued development of our relationship using the Supplychain Excellence Programme to realise further business benefits to mutual advantage".

Jones added: "The programme is certainly a challenge and we have found the process both hard work and rewarding, the benefits are multifaceted as it has helped us to examine the internal workings of the Tamworth site through external eyes.

We have implemented changes that will improve efficiency for all our customers and this level of attainment will also be recognised by other organisations".

"We are looking forward to working towards the Silver, the emphasis will be more on manufacturing and we will need to improve initiatives with our own suppliers - so look out.

We believe that we can realistically achieve it by Autumn 2004 - no company has achieved the Silver award yet and Invotec would like to be the first".

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