WOOD DALE, Ill. — Optimas Solutions announced Tuesday that it has completed IATF certification for its worldwide operations.
Adding its center of excellence in Pune, India, and new distribution sites in Mexicali, Mexico, and Lockbourne, Ohio, places Optimas at a level of quality assurance uncommon in the fastener industry.
IATF certification comes from the International Automotive Task Force and represents the highest level of quality assurance in the automotive industry and beyond. Coupled with Optimas’ annual achievement of ISO 9001 certification, this accreditation is a high-water mark for Optimas as the first time all its global operations have achieved these levels of certification.
“As a team, our entire global organization has worked extremely hard to achieve the IATF certification, representing best-in-class quality management systems for manufacturing, distribution, engineering and supply chain management. This is meaningful to our customers as they expect the highest quality from Optimas,” said Gabriela Gallegos, Optimas' vice president of quality. “Less than 15% of suppliers in industrial markets have achieved IATF and ISO certification, and we are very proud to be part of that elite group.”
Optimas President of the Americas Daniel Harms said the achievement opens more doors for securing new business and working at new levels with existing customers.
“We are one of the few fastener suppliers and manufacturers with IATF registration, which is well recognized outside of the automotive industry as a premier level of quality assurance in the business world,” Harms said. “Our 'Forward Faster' strategy is once again paying off for our customers and suppliers alike.”
The IATF 16949 standard provides guidance and tools for companies and organizations who want to ensure that their products consistently meet customer requirements and that quality and customer satisfaction are consistently improved. The IATF 16949 standard is a supplemental standard used in conjunction with the ISO standards and a common set of techniques and methods for typical product and process development in the automotive manufacturing industry worldwide. The standards are often used outside the automotive industry and are a testament to their high level of applicability across other manufacturing sectors.
