Roberts Precision Machine Case Study – ISO

About Roberts Precision Machine

Roberts Precision Machine in Monroe, Washington has been a happy user of the E2 machine shop software platform for more than ten years. According to Rob Brown, the shop’s general manager, E2 has helped the company streamline its processes, eliminate redundant tasks, and become more efficient and profitable. This year, though, the leadership team realized that they needed to take the next step to stay ahead of the competition. Roberts Precision decided to pursue ISO certification.

The company felt that ISO certification would give them the credibility to be even more successful in the competitive medical device manufacturing market.  Of course, there was the challenge of meeting the stringent ISO requirements, especially when it came to documentation. Said Rob, “We felt that our processes were actually in pretty good shape, but to be certified, you have to have those processes documented, and you have to have a written quality assurance process in place. We had some work to do on that end.”

Roberts Precision Decision to Implement E2’s Rapid Documentation System

Roberts Precision decided to implement the Rapid Documentation System, an E2 module that helps create quality documentation to meet certification requirements. The Rapid Documentation System takes the data that already exists in the E2 manufacturing software and uses it to generate the documentation, one of the biggest obstacles to getting certified. Additionally, Roberts enlisted the help of Glenn Sherman, one of Shoptech Software’s in-house ISO experts. Glenn visited the machine shop twice.  The first visit was a consultation and analysis of their current situation. The second visit was to conduct a practice audit, which Rob said helped their business anticipate potential issues that could arise.

When the official ISO audit arrived, the shop was fully prepared with documentation and processes that met ISO’s standards. Rob said there were a few minor issues that arose during the audit, but Roberts Precision worked with Glenn and Shoptech to resolve these problems quickly. The entire certification process took approximately six months, far less time than is usually required. Rob attributed the accelerated schedule to the efficiencies that had already been achieved through the implementation and use of E2.
Rob said, “We had such a head start and advantage on the process because we were already using E2 in nearly all of our shop functions. That gave us the processes and systems. Those things were already in place. We just had to generate the documentation.”
Rob added that he talks to other shop owners who are interested in pursuing ISO certification. However, he thinks it’s nearly impossible to do unless you have a system like E2 already up-and-running.

“I talk to other shops who want to get ISO certified, but they’re still running their shops with spreadsheets and handwritten documentation,” he said. “To me, it’s just impossible to make that leap. If you’re serious about getting ISO certified, you have to start with the right tools in place, and one of those tools is a robust manufacturing software system like the E2 Shop System.”