NCE
their purpose built Quality Control Centre
QUALITY CONTROL BEYOND THE LAB
The build quality of many engine components are often safety critical.
That is why FPS takes certificate authenticity very seriously. FPS has
strong relationships with third party affiliates like Bureau Veritas, TUV
and SGS to ensure that standards are being met.
A significant part of the quality control process involves verifying
quality claims from a supplier. FPS’s quality control facility documents
all supplier information such as certifications of quality, health and
safety, as well as adherence to ethical and environmental standards.
To accommodate the scope of demands in the UK aftermarket, FPS
often has to extend their procurement reach to the far corners of
the world. To make sure that the products and suppliers adhere to
FPS standards, the technical team exercise due diligence through
a formalised process to make sure that all claims of quality and
certifications are authentic. This is either conducted by document
validation or being present to audit the supplier.
MAKING TRACKS IN KEEPING TRACK
A CASE STUDY
Testing ignition coils
THE FUTURE OF QUALITY
The Lab continues to improve on standardising various
processes and include more purpose-built test equipment in
the pipeline. From resolving warranty issues to getting to
the bottom of product recall episodes ahead of schedule,
The Lab and its technical team has provided FPS
customers a level of assurance and value that they
are rightfully accustomed to.
FPS has a formal recall process to improve the traceability of a product
in the event of a product recall. This aims to improve FPS’s answerability
to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) or Trading Standards,
should they need to be involved.
In April 2015, there was a wide-scale, ‘on-vehicle’ recall of a front
suspension arm. This meant that every part sold by FPS had to be located
and returned to the supplier. From FPS’s collation of sales data of the
product, the team was able to provide the affected motor factors with
proper documentation to get in touch with the garages and vehicle owners
in order to rectify the recall issue.
With clear-cut procedure guidelines and a concerted effort across the
business, FPS was able to detect the location of all sold parts and resolve
the issue within 8 months. This was 10 months ahead of the schedule set
by the DVSA.
The standard operating procedure for managing recalls at FPS has
further fine-tuned to ensure that the team is ready to take any
future recalls effectively and efficiently.
VITAL NEWS ISSUE 44
QUALITY CONTROL 5