|
Solutions by 4S Group in each action area | Maturity Level Appraisal | Company Processes Development | Methods & Processes Audit | Personnel Training & Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Functional Safety | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| Electric/Electronic Architectures | ||||
| Product Reliability | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| Product Development Process | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| Production Processes | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| Suppliers | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ |
| Company Management Systems | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ | ⚫ |
Maturity Level Appraisal
The Maturity Level Appraisal performed by 4S gives a picture of the “as-is” situation versus the minimum requirements related to the "maturity elements", for a real capability to manage and improve all the company processes involved in specific action areas.
A good practice is to conduct the Maturity Level Appraisal before (Readiness Evaluation) or during the implementation (Progress Evaluation) of a specific process or program.
The evaluation is based on a survey:
- on all the involved company processes, activities and results related to the technical area, but not to individual products
- making reference to specific "criteria grids" considering all the factors (organizational, technical and the relevant results) for each "maturity element" with an approach aimed to check the "capability" of the Company and not the conformity to a set of "static" requirements.
The results are:
- a rating from "Beginner" to "Sustainable" organization
- a gap analysis to identify the critical areas to be improved
- the actions necessary to achieve the target level.
Company Processes Development
Support to implement methodologies and company processes in the various technical areas with reference to best practices, regulations and standards.
The methods and the processes to be implemented or improved are defined on the basis of the results of the Maturity Level Appraisal.
In order to assure an effective action plan, 4S supports the application of the methodologies or processes with on-the-job collaboration and assistance.
Methods & Processes Audit
Check to verify if all the requirements defined for the method or the process are really satisfied and all the relevant actions are in place including all the technical and organizational elements.
4S performs added value audits by experts in the specific field, to monitor in an effective way the improvements or the processes/methods suitability.
These audits are required, in some cases, by technical standards (e.g. future ISO 26262).
Personnel training and qualification
To complement the actions required to implement a process or introduce a methodology, 4S provides training programs. The aim of the programs is to increase the required competences and spread the culture in a specific technical area or to qualify the personnel for specific roles.
In particular, the courses train in the main methods relevant to the 4S action areas, such as:
- Functional Safety
- Concurrent Engineering (methods & tools: see Product Development Process action area)
- Reliability, RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability, Safety)
- Management Systems (Quality, Environment and Workplace Safety)
- Geometric Tolerance Management (Analysis and Allocation)
- Statistical Process Control
- Others tailored courses to fill the gaps identified with the Maturity Level Appraisal and Audits.