|
The
year 2001 has been a year of exceptional achievement
for KR Precision. It was the year we solidified
our strategy to extend KR's leadership in the suspension
industry. Continuous improvement is essential and
we are constantly looking at new ways of improving
and achieving quality at all stages of our operations.
Expanding
our product range
Year
2001 marked the completion of our re-engineering efforts
with the completion of the 11 just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing
cells. The completion of the cells in such a short
period of time is a compliment to all the dedicated
engineers, technicians , machinists, designers, toolmakers
and IT staff. We placed confidence in them and they
responded. The JIT cells have created a very positive
response from our existing customers and are paving
the way for increased opportunities with other OEMs.
As a result, we were able to add a new OEM to our
customer base by delivering volume wireless products
on two programs to three different HGA customers in
support of a very aggressive customer schedule.
Concurrent with the introduction of the 11 semi-automated
manufacturing cells, the company introduced a number
of new manufacturing technologies during the year. Some
of these, for example quad-beam laser,
were incremental technology steps based on upgrades
to in-house equipment.
During
the year KR has entered into two license agreements
with Innovex and Hutchinson Technology. This will
enable KR to offer the latest design in suspensions
technologies and further improve the supply
chain for our disk drive customers. To better serve
our customers, we consolidated our operation by
selling both of the former manufacturing buildings.
In November 2001 we completed construction of the
state of the art tool and die facilities, arguably
the best facilities in Thailand today.
Putting
an “e” (for e-business) and an “i” (for intranet
and internet) in everything we do
 Throughout
2001, KR developed and implemented a number of internal
business tools to improve management operations.
These systems include an on-line document control
system, a hands free real time management cockpit,
a hands free real time engineering information system
(EIS), a hands free real-time shop floor control system
and a hands free real time supply chain EDI. These
tools support the existing data collection requirements,
automate them, and shift the focus from data collection
to optimizing plant operations. The results have been
exciting. The changes we are making throughout our
organization has further strengthen our competitiveness.
For example, by pushing our EDI supply chain
systems out to our business partners, we will use
the efficiencies of electronic commerce to
strengthen
our business relationships. We take pride in adding
value to our business. Our customers and vendors are
finding it increasingly easy to do business with us.
 Continuous
Improvement through Six Sigma Initiatives
We
increasingly operated as a lean, responsive enterprise
capable of adjusting to short-term challenges. In
the year 2001 we implemented Six Sigma initiatives
which is designed to foster an enduring culture
of continuous improvement throughout our organization.
As a result we now have 3 green and over 40
black belts certified in Six Sigma and ongoing training
involves every area of the business. In August 2001
we successfully pursued and earned the ISO 9001
quality standard qualification. This highly coveted
designation gives us an important third-party endorsement
of the progress we have made in creating a culture
of quality at KR. This will help us open many
more doors with businesses that demand ISO certification
as a condition of earning their trust. Our quality
programs are generating savings, contributing to
higher quality products, creating smarter employees
and producing happier customers.
|
