Bayer's Plastics Business Group certified according to ISO 16949
Since December 2000 the sites of Bayer's plastics Business Group in Leverkusen, Dormagen, Uerdingen, Filago, Milan, Tarragona and Barcelona and at the distribution company Bayer Industrieprodukte Köln have been certified according to ISO 16 949. This standard harmonizes the quality standards of all automotive manufacturers all over the world and contains the previous standards ISO 9001, QS 9000 and VDA 6.1.
ISO 16949 reviews all business processes, ranging from research and development, procurement and production to logistics and delivery to the customer and also scrutinizes controlling, management and testing. For all these processes improvements must be continuously defined and implemented.
"The new Technical Specification may become the single automotive industry quality management standard of the future," wrote automobile maker Ford to its suppliers in October 1999. Daimler-Chrysler echoed this in a similar letter to its suppliers.
Compliance with the standard proves that the certified company continuously reviews products and management processes and reacts flexibly to new demands and markets. Satisfaction of customers, employees and automotive suppliers is a further area that is covered by the quality management system described by the standard. In this way the system extends beyond Bayer's borders, involving the direct customer and the end user.
A company that allows itself to be certified according to this procedure not only assures its customers a constantly high quality of products, processes and services but also saves on costs and resources. The management system specified by ISO 16949 thus fully corresponds with Bayer's business philosophy "Expertise with Responsibility".
The progression towards comprehensive quality management systems was a long, drawn-out process throughout the industry. Even 15 years ago there was considerable skepticism about whether the standardization of management systems would have positive effects. Expensive analyses and testing laboratories were required at the end of a frequently long production chain to ensure that the customer obtained the required product quality. Reasons for varying quality could often only be established with considerable effort. Such reasons could include contaminated starting products, breakdowns in organization and communication, technical problems in production or unsuitable storage conditions. It only gradually became clear that the guaranteeing of quality is a continuous task for all staff and must concern the entire life cycle of a product.
Under the leadership of Dr. Karl Zabrocki, Bayer's Plastics Business Group began to establish a quality management system in the 1980s with the aim of identifying and eliminating sources of errors in all business processes. The first ISO certificate was obtained in Dormagen in 1989 and extended to further sites in the following years. From 1993 the more demanding automotive standards VDA 6.1 (German and European automotive companies) and QS 9000 (American automotive companies) were incorporated.
The ISO 16949 certification of Bayer's major European production units represent a highlight of the company's quality management, integrating and showcasting efforts of the last 15 years.
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