AIAG Debuts New Toolkit to Increase Supplier and Product Reliability

AIAG, a not-for-profit, member-supported organization that works with a wide range of manufacturing companies and service providers to help them operate at peak performance, will roll out its new Supplier and Product Reliability Assurance Recommendations and Toolkit at an event to be held on May 10, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at AIAG Headquarters in Southfield, Mich.

The reliability toolkit establishes common methods to measure supplier reliability and will help suppliers increase product quality in order to help cut costs. Suppliers can use the toolkit to improve internal processes and demonstrate the quality of service they provide.

“Supplier inconsistency can increase costs and slow down production,” said J. Scot Sharland, executive director, AIAG. “The reliability toolkit creates templates and processes that will optimize manufacturing operations, and lead to more reliable suppliers, greater confidence in the supply chain and satisfied customers.” 

AIAG commissioned an industry survey that identified engineering changes, scrap processes, and warranty and recall issues as pain points to resolve. Key contributors to the development of the toolkit are AM General LLC, Bendix, Cummins Inc., Daimler AG, Delphi Automotive LLP, Detroit Diesel Corp., Eaton Corp., Freightliner, Ingersoll Rand Co., John Deere – Phoenix, Lambda, Navistar, Inc., Prestolite and Volvo Truck Corp. The reliability tools have been incorporated in OEM and Supplier internal reliability requirements. It is anticipated that these reliability recommendations will become a requirement by multiple OEMs.

The Supplier and Product Reliability Assessment rollout will feature:

An introduction to supplier and product reliability issues.

A description of the SPRA toolkit and how it was developed.

A discussion of the importance of the toolkit by manufacturers, including AM General, Navistar and Volvo Truck Corp.

Suppliers will share the results of toolkit implementation and self-assessments at their companies, as well as how they plan to develop a road map to overcome organizational shortcomings discovered by the assessment.

Members of the AIAG project team that developed the reliability tools will answer audience questions during a panel discussion.

Attendees will learn about AIAG’s supplier reliability assessment tools, including:

Reliability maturity assessment.

Reliability tool selection guide.

Reliability specifications builder.

Risk assessment tool.

For more information, or to register for the AIAG rollout event, visit www.aiag.org or call 248-358-3003.

About AIAG
AIAG is a unique not-for-profit organization where, for more than 25 years, OEMs, suppliers, service providers, government entities and individuals in academia have worked collaboratively to drive down costs and complexity from the supply chain via global standards development and harmonized business practices. AIAG membership has grown to include preeminent OEMs, such as Caterpillar, Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, Honda, Navistar International, Nissan, Toyota and many of their parts suppliers and service providers. For more information, visit www.aiag.org.