Powering Performance

The South Carolina Automotive Council (SCAC) and AIAG Supply Chain and Quality Conference was a success! This 1-½ day event at the end of August took place in historic Charleston, South Carolina, after months of planning and collaborating between the organizing parties. 

As the reality of human trafficking and modern slavery continues to make headlines around the world, automotive manufacturers and their supply chains are operating with heightened awareness. At AIAG’s 2017 Corporate Responsibility Summit, Michael R. Littenberg, partner in the securities and public companies practice group at Ropes & Gray, provided attendees with an overview of the challenges as well as updates on how governments and corporations are doing their part to combat the problem.

Dana Incorporated, headquartered in Maumee, Ohio, is a world leader in engineered solutions to improve the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, and off-highway markets, as well as industrial and stationary equipment applications. Dana employs approximately 29,000 people in 34 countries on six continents. Dana reported 2016 sales of more than $5.8 billion.

If not, now is the time to check out AIAG’s newest eLearning, Essentials for Transition to IATF 16949:2016, which allows you to explore changes in the new standard without ever leaving your desk.

In acknowledgment of the need to consistently maintain standardized processes across global supply chains, the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) has updated an essential quality resource to be more internationally inclusive.

The automotive industry is expanding the use of 3D CAD systems and related technology from engineering and product design to tooling, process development, manufacturing operations, and many other downstream business areas.

With the release of the new IATF 16949 global quality standard, the scope now includes products with embedded software. Training is needed to support the new requirements for assessing the organization’s and suppliers’ software development processes.

AIAG recently announced the creation of a Core Tools Forms Software project. The second Voice of the Customer Survey was sent out, and the results show a strong international interest in a cloud-based application to complete several very technical forms related to product and process development (FMEA, Control Plan), measurement system capability evaluation (MSA), and product release (PPAP) that are part of the Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) process.

As an extension of our long-running popular series of “Why We Do What We Do” articles, this month we tracked down TAMA Executive Director Ashley Frye to get a perspective from outside Michigan — and even the Midwest. We’re still in the automotive industry, however, as Frye has more than 34 years of history in automobile manufacturing.