Cummins India gets QS-9000 award

Usha Somayaji
30 October 2000

When automobile majors, Ford Motors, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler put together the QS-9000 quality standard for the automobile sector, little did they realise that it would find takers from engine manufacturers as well.

Top on the list is Cummins India Ltd, India''s leading engine manufacturer, now repositioning itself as a power solutions provider. The company added to its pre-diwali celebrations, by working hard towards, and obtaining, the QS-9000 certification from BVQI on October 24.

In fact, it is this act of repositioning itself and acquiring a new identity as a power solutions company, rather than mere engine maker, that has spurred the company to go in for the QS-9000 certification.

Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler designed QS-9000 as a common automobile-specific standard, for themselves and for their suppliers. Thus, while the base is that of the ISO 9000, QS adds customer specific requirements.

It is this customer specific orientation that attracted Cummins India. "Although Cummins India is not in the automobile business we went for the QS-9000 certification so as to value-add to our processes. With such processes in place, we will be able to meet our customer requirements better," said Cummins India managing director, Mr. J L Deshmukh, at a pre-awards meeting with the media.

These processes include the use of tools such as advanced product quality planning (APQP). This process begins at the product planning stage and helps the manufacturer to understand the customer's needs. It also involves making a detailed audit on the need for new equipment, gauging facilities, change of layout, new machines, etc.. This, it is believed, will equip the manufacturer to deliver to the customer what he asks for, without delay.