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Küfner

Optimization of an Integrated Management System

Karl Küfner GmbH & Co. KG relies on a full-service solution "Made in Germany". The owner-managed family business specializes in customized filters and high-quality weaving reeds used in the automotive and medical technology sectors. The supplier is therefore active in two industries within which supply chains are becoming increasingly complex and there is an increased need for strict quality controls and effective standardization. In this competitive environment, flexibility, efficiency and quality of participants are immensely important. These standards are ensured through certification audits. Karl Küfner GmbH & Co. KG had the claim to continue to meet the high requirements of the quality standards ISO 9001 and IATF 16949. In addition, the special requirements for a quality management system for medical products according to ISO 13485 were on the agenda. The company therefore commissioned T-Systems MMS to maintain and further develop its integrated quality management system, with a focus on efficiency, sustainability and future viability

Benefits for our Customer

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Safeguarding competitiveness through compliance with ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 quality management standards

Checkmark for the benefit of our customers

Fulfillment of ISO 13485 requirements enables portfolio expansion in the medical technology sector

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Internal knowledge development through training courses on quality and process management as well as the teaching of documentation and analysis methods

„We had documents, templates and processes for all requirements. What was missing, however, was a clear structure in the management system that would make it easier to find and access documents. In T-Systems MMS, we found a partner who supported us strategically and set up the quality management system cleanly and comprehensibly so that other topics such as TISAX® or 27001 could also be implemented.“

Alexander Bayer, Head of Quality

 

Reference overview

Task

Task

Ensuring the re-certification according to ISO 9001 and IATF 16949, as well as the further development and maintenance of an integrated management system that meets the standard requirements. In addition, ensuring the re-certification of medical technology products according to ISO 13485.

Solution

Solution

Analysis of improvement opportunities through workshops as well as internal audits and subsequent development and implementation of a process-oriented and integrated quality management system.

Benefits

Result

Efficiency increase of the quality management as well as obtaining the certificates for the automotive and medical devices industry. Establishment of a long-term partnership for effective quality management and internal knowledge development.

  • Requirements

    Strict control procedures require a new management system

    For its international customers, Küfner produces more than 2,000 different products. Standards apply in all areas against which the quality of services is measured and thus made comparable. These include standards such as the automotive industry certification IATF 16949 or ISO 9001, which define quality management standards. Only companies that have processes controlled and certified by the corresponding audits can ensure their competitiveness. The respective control procedures of the audits are strict and require efficient process management at all levels. At Küfner, these very audits were recently due and the company wanted to restructure its entire quality management and outsource it to a specialized external service provider. The aim was both - to ensure recertification and to introduce a fully integrated management system for all planning and processes.

  • Solution

    Clear guidelines for greater process efficiency

    In training sessions and workshops, T-Systems MMS first transferred basic knowledge about process management. Different documentation and analysis methods for role definitions, meaning the distribution of tasks according to responsibility, were also on the agenda. In subsequent internal audits, Küfner has already revised the first processes and made the previous document flow visible. All business processes were examined to ensure that they were in line with Küfner's goals and strategy. Furthermore, guidelines for the life cycle of documents were defined: From creation, versioning, the release process and regular reviews, to archiving, each process was reorganized.

  • Benefit

    Competitive due to Certification

    In order to carry out processes effectively and in a cost-efficient way, uniform specifications and standards are required. Nevertheless, it is a complex task to design one's own processes in a way that all documents, templates or contracts are organized in a logical structure. Thanks to the methods of T-Systems MMS and the recently introduced quality management system, Karl Küfner GmbH achieved re-certification of its automotive division in accordance with ITAF 16949 and ISO 9001. In addition, the company also fulfills the requirements of ISO 13485 and can therefore also draw on an important distinction in the medical sector. In the coming months, the management system will be extended continuously and adapted to the individual needs of the company and its employees.

About Küfner

Karl Küfner GmbH & Co. KG is an owner-managed family company with over 350 employees and three business divisions in two locations. The company manufactures more than 2,000 different products exclusively in Germany for around 500 well-known customers worldwide. The products manufactured include customized screens and individual filter screen solutions as well as weaving reeds for the production of technical plastic and metal fabrics with a high degree of fineness and quality. Karl Küfner GmbH & Co. KG has established its position as the technology leader for hybrid filter screen solutions (metal mesh with plastic overmolding) and is an internationally operating company. They are certified according to IATF 16949 and DIN EN ISO 13485, the environmental management is certified according to ISO 14001.



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