GLENVIEW, IL — Optimas Solutions, a global industrial manufacturer/distributor and service provider, announced Wednesday that it has completed IATF Certification for its worldwide operations by adding its center of excellence in Pune, India, and new distribution sites in Mexicali, Mexico, and Lockbourne, OH — placing it at a level of quality assurance certification unmatched 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. This coupled with the company’s annual achievement of ISO 9001 certification 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 organization around the globe has worked very hard to achieve the IATF certification, which represents best in class quality management systems for both manufacturing and distribution, engineering, and supply chain management. This is meaningful to our customers as they expect the highest level of quality from Optimas,” said Gabriela Gallegos, Optimas Vice President of Quality. “Less than 15 percent of suppliers in industrial markets have achieved IATF certification and we are very proud to be part of that elite group.”
According to Optimas CEO Marc Strandquist, this achievement opens more doors for securing new business and working at new levels with existing customers. “We are one of very few fastener suppliers and manufacturers that have IATF registration, which is well recognized outside of the automotive industry as a premiere level of quality assurance in the business world,” he said. “Our Manufacturing Solutions strategy announced last August is once again paying off for our customers and suppliers alike.”
In 1999, IATF aimed to harmonize the different assessment and certification systems worldwide in the supply chain for the automotive sector with its first edition of ISO/TS 16949 standards. 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 and is used in conjunction with the ISO standards and is a common set of techniques and methods for common product and process development for automotive manufacturing worldwide. The standards are often used outside the automotive industry and is a testament to their high level of applicability across other manufacturing sectors.
