Our business model has not been derived from any business seminar or book. It is simply our common sense approach of giving the customer what they want when they want it. Since we are hot rodders we feel we have a reasonably good idea what “it” is. We do the vast majority of our manufacturing in-house. We do the research and development, CAD drawings, prototyping, CNC machining, CNC tube bending, jig welding, shock assembly and dynoing, airspring crimping and burst testing, and final assembly all within our facility in Jasper, IN. This way we have complete control over every aspect of design, quality and delivery. This is one reason why our backorder rate is virtually ZERO. ALL of our tech/sales people have air suspension vehicles and have been involved in the design, manufacture, installation, and use of our suspension systems. We have a fleet of around 20 muscle cars, customs, and sport trucks that we use to demonstrate the performance of our suspension products and to continually refine them.
Situation:
ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System was a certification that would Ridetech with the following:
- Increase customer base
- Improve internal efficiencies
- Improve Customer Satisfaction
- Allow for internal auditing
Solution:
Purdue TAP provided Ridetech with ISO 9001:2008 Training.
Results:
Ridetech benefited from ISO 9001:2008 implementation and training. We now have well defined and documented processes and procedures to improve the consistency of production. Ridetech is scheduled to attain ISO9001:2008 certification in the 2nd quarter of 2015.
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Reduction of non-value added activities
• Well defined and documented procedures improve the consistency of output
• Quality is constantly measured
• Procedures ensure corrective action is taken whenever defects occur
• Defects are caught earlier and are corrected at a lower cost
• Documented procedures are easier for new employees to follow and has reduced onboarding costs
• Increase market share, increasing sales or revenues
"Our experience using Purdue resources was excellent; they enlisted the help of an ISO expert that helped us get to the point that we were comfortable in self auditing. They went above and beyond to make sure we had all the tools necessary to meet our goals. The level of professionalism was exceptional; we weren’t expecting that kind of service from a grant. Our business will achieve ISO 9001 certification in the 2015 calendar year, that alone will allow us to keep and gain further OEM type customers, thus increasing our total revenue in the future, already securing an additional $500,000 annually."
Johnny Merder, Operations Manager, Ridetech