CMD's Quality Month Message

Quality Policy

We are committed to consistently deliver enhanced value to our customers, through continual improvement of our products and processes.

Quality Objectives

• Effective and efficient design and development process, considering the present and future needs of customers.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction by on-time delivery of defect free products and effective life cycle support.
• Continual upgradation and utilization of infrastructure and human resources.
• Mutually beneficial alliances with suppliers.
• Continual improvement of processes through innovation, technology and knowledge management.

Evolution of Quality Management System in Bharat Electronics

Right from its inception in 1954, Bharat Electronics has understood the varying levels of quality and reliability requirements of its customers and has been striving to enhance their satisfaction level. The company has developed and improved Quality Systems and Procedures over the years.

Starting with an inspection oriented Quality system during the initial years, the company shifted its focus towards MIL-Q-9858 Quality Management System during the early Seventies.

During the Eighties, a number of initiatives were taken to improve the Quality Management System. They included release of documented QA manual; promotion of participative culture in the organization; launching of QC Circles & Suggestion Scheme, etc.

Introduction of TQM

Bharat Electronics adopted the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy in the year 1990 under the acronym 'TORQUE' which stands for Total Organisational Quality Enhancement. TORQUE is based on the premise that the quality of products and services is not only the responsibility of the production/shop floor personnel, but other support services also who have a role to play in meeting and exceeding our customers? expectations through supply of quality products and services.

Some of the critical business performance indicators like transactional cycle time, manufacturing yield, inventory turnover ratio, customer complaints, QCC presentations, quality cost, etc are monitored on a monthly basis through SAP and corrective actions are initiated for continual improvement.

Starting from 1993, all Units / SBUs / Divisions of the company have been certified for ISO 9001 Quality Management System and ISO 14001 Environment Management System. Seven Units / SBUs (Ghaziabad, Panchkula, Kotdwara, Hyderabad, Military Communication, Electronics Warfare & Avionics and Export Manufacturing) are also certified for AS 9100 Aerospace Standards. The Central Software Development group of the company has CMMi Level 5 certification.

Thrust areas of TORQUE

• Continual improvement of products and processes through deployment of Six Sigma methodology.
• Key processes stabilization and capability improvement through Statistical Process Control (SPC) techniques.
• Reduction of cycle time in all transaction areas.
• Improvement in quality of design through DFSS projects.
• Employee motivation and empowerment through self certification, QCC and Suggestion Schemes.
• Introduction of lean manufacturing concepts to achieve on-time delivery.
• Customer satisfaction surveys to measure and improve satisfaction level of customers.

Business Excellence

The company has adopted CII-EXIM Bank Business Excellence Model to improve its overall strategic and operational excellence. Adoption of this Model since 2002 has helped the company in understanding the expectations of various stakeholders and in enhancing their satisfaction level.

The company has achieved the level of 'Commendation for Strong Commitment to Excel' and is striving to reach higher levels of excellence under the Model.

Bharat Electronics Quality Institute

A Quality Institute has been created in 1999 by the company to impart education / training to the company's officers, customers and suppliers on various facets of quality management. Regular training programs are conducted for all employees of the company. Courses on topics such as Six Sigma, design for Six Sigma, reliability & maintainability, lean manufacturing, SPC, Project Management, etc are conducted regularly at the Quality Institute.

Standardisation

Standardisation & Quality are two inseparable parts of the TQM process and they play a complementary role. A Corporate Standards Department established four decades back has evolved more than 4000 standards on drafting, materials, systems & procedures, manufacturing processes, quality & workmanship, etc. These standards have provided effective support in design, manufacturing, vendor development and process standardisation.

Quality Assurance Facilities

The company has established state-of-the-art test facilities like environment test chambers, high altitude test facilities, bump & vibration test facilities, calibration facilities for electronic test instruments, EMI / EMC test facilities, etc. The calibration facility is certified as per ISO 17025 standard by NABL. Facilities for Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT), Highly Accelerated Stress Screening (HASS) and Multiple Environment Over Stress Testing (MEOST), combined environmental testing (Thermal & Vibration) are established for enhancing product reliability.

Reliability & statistical software tools are used by the company to demonstrate, predict and measure quality and reliability characteristics and parameters of products during design, development, manufacturing and life cycle stage.