EKC Technology Receives QS9000 Quality Registration
HAYWARD, Calif.--March 18, 2002--Semiconductor technology provider receives QS9000 registration at
Hayward, California and East Kilbride, Scotland manufacturing facilities; QS9000 emphasizes product quality and business planning
above and beyond ISO9000
EKC Technology, a ChemFirst Inc. company, has been officially registered and certified in QS9000 at both its Hayward, California and East Kilbride, Scotland facilities. The QS9000 standard, developed by the automotive Big Three -- GM, Chrysler and Ford -- is rapidly being adopted by the semiconductor and electronics industry because of the greater emphasis on product design and quality suited to meet customer needs. In addition, business planning is integrated to assure compliance.
EKC Technology began its quest for formally recognized quality standards in March 1994 by becoming ISO 9001 certified. Because QS9000 places greater emphasis on designing quality into products from the beginning of the product development process, the company adopted the QS9000 business model to help maintain its leading edge position in customer satisfaction and product innovation. EKC views the more rigorous standards of the QS quality model, the ultimate quality for manufacturers today, as a natural progression in the company's continuous improvement efforts.
Some IDMs (Integrated Device Manufacturers) have begun to make reference to the QS9000 certification, and have acknowledged EKC for their dedication to quality. Alain Lalanne, the ST Microelectronics Corporate Supplier Quality Manager, congratulated the EKC team and commented, "QS9000 is clearly a step function in terms of a quality system. EKC's accomplishment will reinforce the confidence of ST internal customers and make communication easier since both companies will be speaking the same language through their quality systems."
There are many additional requirements in QS quality registration compared to ISO certification. Among them there are three distinct differences that warrant explanation: advanced product quality planning (APQP), production part approval process (PPAP) and business planning.
"Comparing ISO standards to QS standards, customer needs are much more clearly identified and met in the design and commercialization of the product in the QS9000 standard," commented Bob Sherrill, EKC's Quality Assurance Manager. The APQP process is addressed through Product Planning Teams at EKC, consisting of individuals from manufacturing, R&D, quality, sales and engineering who all bring the "voice of the customer" into the product planning process.
PPAP is a set of analysis tools, including Design FMEA (failure mode effects analysis) and Process FMEA, that help prove the product does what it was designed to do and that it can be manufactured consistently.
Also, QS9000 registration requires a formal business plan and brings business planning into the quality process. "These are the things we do anyway as we plan our business," commented Sherrill, "and now they are part of our documented quality procedures."
EKC expects the strict documentation of QS9000, which has more structure, detail and risk analysis, will reduce cycle times in developing and commercializing new products. Mike Fury, Vice President of R&D said, "QS9000 give us the edge we need to jointly develop technology with the semiconductor community. In addition, the standard should improve the cost of ownership (CoO) of EKC products, which customers are now insisting on."
About EKC Technology
EKC Technology, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ChemFirst Inc., is a worldwide supplier of high purity, patented proprietary chemicals for wafer cleaning, surface preparations, CMP and photoresist/post-etch residue removal for the semiconductor industry. ChemFirst produces chemicals for semiconductors and polyurethanes and intermediate chemicals for a variety of applications and is listed on the New York stock exchange under the trading symbol CEM. EKC Technology, Inc. serves the semiconductor industry from facilities in Hayward, CA, East Kilbride, Scotland (EKC Technology, Ltd.) and near Tokyo, Japan (EKC Technology, K.K.). Please visit www.ekctech.com for more information.