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RAF ELECTRONIC HARDWARE RECEIVES ISO-9001:2008

CERTIFICATION FROM GLOBAL REGISTRATION SERVICES

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SEYMOUR, Conn. -- Global Registration Services (GRS) has awarded RAF Electronic Hardware a Quality System Certificate confirming that the company is registered and conforms to the standards of ISO-9001:2008 Quality Management System and is compliant with AS9100 Aerospace Requirements.

To receive ISO-9001:2008 certification, RAF had to meet specific requirements for its quality management system. Most importantly:

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer and publisher of International Standards. It is a network of the national standards institutes of 159 countries, one member per country, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, that coordinates the system.

RAF is the nation's leading supplier of electronic hardware components to a variety of industries, including computers, telecommunications, medical, entertainment and military/aerospace. As a full-service manufacturer, RAF offers a wide range of products for immediate delivery. Most catalog items are off-the-shelf and available for same-day shipment. RAF also supplies customized products with small minimum orders and competitive pricing.

For more information on RAF's products, services and ISO-901:2008 certification, visit our website at http://www.rafhdwe.com or contact us:

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RAF Electronic Hardware, located in Seymour, Connecticut, has a long-standing reputation as a high quality supplier of electronic hardware used in computers, telecommunications equipment, medical products, military/aerospace applications, and more. The company recognizes the importance of continuous improvement as a key factor in its ongoing success. As Dave Granger, Director of Sales, puts it "Our ability to provide World Class customer service has increased significantly since the company-wide continuous improvement initiative commenced".

Always on the cutting edge in terms of machine tools and related equipment, RAF Electronic Hardware is now undergoing a transformation in the way it uses its equipment to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction. The company is committed to improving everything starting from the way it receives and processes customer orders, to how these orders ultimately get shipped out.

One of the first steps in the company’s transformation was the recognition of the need for greater employee empowerment. Teams of employees were created with the sole purpose of evaluating and improving various aspects of the business. One of the first teams created was a "Finished Goods Inventory Team" (which soon adopted the nickname "The Figits"). This team started to look at what they had in inventory and whether these parts were really what their customers needed. In a relatively short period of time, this team did a remarkable job of developing workable criteria for selecting items that need to be on the shelf and available for quick shipment, as well as, those that can support a longer lead time.

Another team was created to improve the current production process for one of the company’s most important product lines. This team, with representation from all major business segments, developed a Value Stream Map to see exactly where value was being creating and waste was being incurred. This map was an accurate representation of current business practices and revealed some interesting opportunities for improvement. For example, the map showed how parts were building up at certain steps of the process. Reasons for these "bottlenecks" were cited and potential solutions developed by the team. A list of action items was generated and team members were assigned specific responsibilities. It was agreed that the team would meet on a regular basis to review progress on the action items, assuring that the objective of improving the production process for this product line would be achieved.

One of the findings from the team’s effort to improve the production process for this one product line was that a great deal of time was spent by automatic screw machine operators locating needed tooling and supplies. This was not only delaying production in general, but having a major effect on screw machine changeover times. It was decided that a department-wide organization improvement effort was needed and another team of cross-functional employees worked together to identify what was needed in the area, and what could be eliminated. Unlike your typical workplace organization effort, where a few unnecessary tools and supplies are identified and removed from the workplace, RAF Electronic Hardware’s organization effort started by identifying machines that were not used regularly and were just taking up valuable floor space. The team removed these machines and relocated the ones they needed to provide more room and a better work environment for all operators. The focus then shifted to organizing tools, equipment and supplies so they could quickly be found. The team wanted to make these items as visible as possible. Cams were hung on boards and clearly labeled for easy reference. Clamps, tools and gages were placed in the most convenient locations and labeled so everyone knew where to put them when they were finished being used. Thanks to this organization effort, changeover times have been reduced and operators have a much easier time keeping the automatic screw machines running and producing parts of exceptional quality.

RAF Electronic Hardware continues to review what it currently does and has made the need for continuous improvement part of the company’s culture. Empowered employees are trying different approaches to eliminate waste in their processes. Many are seeing immediate improvements as they come up with new and clever solutions to old problems. There is also a broader appreciation by employees of the importance of keeping customers satisfied to keep them coming back. From Dave Granger’s perspective