Quality
Our management system
Quality assurance in all areas
For us, quality relates to every area of the company. Our management system plays a central role here. Every step in the work process is described in great detail, starting with business development and development through to assembly to just-in-sequence delivery.
Of course, we supply all services at a constantly high level of quality.
Our quality advance planning
Quality assurance across the entire process chain
SAS offers the highest quality without exception. We guarantee this with our defined SAS quality assurance workflow.
The SAS PMS (programme management system) defines measures for quality assurance across all process steps – from resource planning, purchasing and logistical organisation to development and pre-assembly and the start of production.
Our principles and standards
Continuously improving quality
So that first-class quality and thus high-quality products can be created we place great importance on these being continuously improved and developed further. We base this on four main principles.
Principles in quality management
- Introduction of immediate measures, fast reaction
- Teamwork
- Data and facts
- Systematic and methodical approach
SAS is subject to external audits and verifications and is officially certified as follows:
ISO 9001:2015
IATF 16949:2016
ISO 14001:2015
ISO 50001:2018
Quality Concepts
Process quality/QSE
We at SAS use the most modern quality methods – that is precisely what QSE (quality systems efficiency) stands for.
Globally active OEMs demand ever shorter product development cycles, smooth production processes and uninterrupted series production from their suppliers. All this is in harmony with the respective customer-specific requirements (CSR), country-specific legislation and regulations (standards) such as ISO TS 16949, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 50001.
The foundation for ensuring and fulfilling this customer expectation is the lived philosophy of the 8 QB (8 quality basics) in all SAS plants worldwide. A complete Q-method construction kit supports quality teams in the works, whereby FMEA, QFD, FTA, Six Sigma, quality control cards and the deployment of computer-aided quality data recording systems are just the most widespread tools.
Constant improvement, ongoing self-inspections and a learning company culture support the Q methods and help to adapt the system agilely to new market requirements.
Supplier quality (corporate supplier quality management)
Supplier quality management (SQM) is a part of the supply chain management process landscape.
Our core competences lie in performance gap analysis and maturity level protection of purchased and directed parts in the project and start-up phase as well as quality-side control of the SAS and directed part suppliers in series.
Core business in the project and start-up phase is:
- Prototype production of individual parts to customer specifications.
- Customer-specific monitoring of the start-up management process at the supplier.
Core tasks in series are:
- Global supplier monitoring
- Introduction of improvement measures for critical suppliers as well as corresponding process audits at the supplier
Health, safety, the environment and ergonomics:
A major part of our integrated management system is the detection, elimination and reduction of risks for our employees and the environment.
All work processes are systematically examined by safety experts for negative influences. We regard not only the classic risks which affect employees from outside but also analyse the ergonomic aspects of the workplaces.
Our environmental and energy management system, which is certified to ISO 14001 and ISO 50001, guarantees compliance with the legal requirements of all relevant environmental aspects such as waste disposal, waste water treatment and the storage of chemicals.
Corporate Safety & Regulation
The guarantee of functional safety of assembled parts (airbag module, steering column, pedals, control devices, etc.) is the highest aim of SAS in order to fulfil customer and statutory requirements. For this reason, SAS has introduced product safety and product liability processes.
The safety & regulation area is working on the identification/planning, implementation and monitoring of avoidance strategies for safety-critical errors and also the seamless traceability of safety-critical production data.
A further part of the exercise is the monitoring of safety-critical breakdowns of the supplied product scope in the field.
The safety & regulation processes are monitored in line with the annual S&R audits.