A Heritage of Winning
Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions (RYMS), a division of Roush Yates Engines, provides world-class CNC machining of complex parts for critical applications into the aerospace, defense, automotive and high-tech industries. The company, located in Mooresville, North Carolina, delivers expertise in multi-axis and waterjet processing of metal and plastic parts with complex geometries.
Formed in 2003, with roots in auto racing, RYMS has leveraged the experience and culture of winning to evolve into a world-class provider of machined parts. “We come from a heritage of winning. In racing, winning is paramount; our perspective is every day we’re running a race that we have to win,” explained Bob Ucman, Vice President of Business Development for RYMS.
The company is a Tier 3 supplier to the aerospace and defense industries. Their target customers are Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and in some cases, the OEM manufacturer of the product for the industry.
RYMS Turns to NCMEP Partner to Help Break New Market Barriers
Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions had experienced a moderate rate of growth since its inception but wanted to grow and expand into new markets. “During the 2012-2013 strategic planning process, we decided to target the aerospace and defense industries, but found there were a number of barriers of entry into those markets,” said Ucman. “One of the barriers of entry was getting certified to ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards. That’s when we turned to NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES), a North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partner (NCMEP), to assist us in breaking through those barriers.”
RYMS believed the implementation of a quality management system based on the ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards was the path forward to ensure a more structured and reliable approach for expanding into new markets. The robust management framework enabled the company to meet its original objectives and achieve continuous improvement through better
monitoring and measuring of activities and a more accurate understanding of performance and identification of areas for improvement.
Fast forward to 2018. Although RYMS had developed a solid aerospace clientele and was certified to AS9100C, the aerospace industry required specific compliance to AS9100D in order to continue doing business with them. This new requirement could potentially put current business at risk. That’s when RYMS turned to IES again
for transition assistance to the new standard.
“What drew us to the NCMEP program and IES was the unbiased nature of the program, the confidentiality and the team’s thorough preparedness when they came to assess
our needs,” said Ucman.
IES provided on-site training that included: explaining the requirements, structure and purpose of AS9100D; explaining the requirements for documented information; identifying the changes between AS9100C and AS9100D; determining the gaps between AS9100D and their current QMS; assessing the overall impact on their current QMS; and determining the implications of the new requirements on management and internal auditors.
RYMS Realizes Multiple Benefits
“We have seen a number of benefits since implementing AS9100D,” said Shannon Hole, the AS9100 Management Representative for Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions. “IES was very thorough; because of their coaching assistance, we passed the audit with no findings.”
Ucman added, “We have also experienced a reduction in the cost of trial and error we might have otherwise incurred without the coaching and support of IES. We have realized
cost savings through improved efficiency and productivity; areas of opportunities were highlighted — meaning we can continually improve. In turn, that means reduced waste and more customer satisfaction, a true win-win.”
RYMS has experienced improvements in both time saving and productivity through the continuous improvement of their quality management system. In addition, the continuous improvement of their quality management system came directly out of the recommendations and the advice IES provided.
“Because of the critical nature of our AS9100 certification and all the processes that go with it, if we had not had IES’s support to create that quality management system and
the processes, we would not have experienced revenue or growth in the aerospace and defense industries,” said Ucman. “Most, if not all, our customers require us to have the certifications IES helped us achieve.”
Listen to their video story here.
