With the help of New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY MEP)
About
Sotek, Inc. is a 35-year-old family-owned manufacturer of precision metal stampings, stator, and rotor assemblies for electric motors and generators based in Buffalo, New York. The company utilizes metal stamping, laser cutting, core stacking, and robotic welding to produce assemblies for the transportation, power generation, and industrial markets.
The Challenge
The company has been ISO 9001:2015 certified but had struggled to consistently complete the required internal audits, consequently putting at risk their certification and potential revenue from customers that require quality management system certification. For the past three years, Sotek has engaged Insyte Consulting, part of the New York MEP and the MEP National Network™, to complete their annual internal audits.
“During a key customer audit, the auditor recognized and noted the quality and detail of the internal audits that had been performed. This further solidified Insyte’s fundamental role in the success of our quality management system.”
— John Maurer, President
MEP’s Role
Insyte assisted in setting up a regular schedule for completing these internal audits, reporting on the audit findings, assisting in determining effectiveness of implemented corrective actions and assisting in surveillance and certification audits to support Sotek’s continued ISO 9001:2015 certification. Having Insyte’s certified lead auditors complete the internal audits maintained their ISO certification, provided a valuable outside perspective and removed the task from internal resources so they could be freed up to support manufacturing. Over the years of having Insyte complete the audits, Insyte’s consultants not only assisted in the auditing, but made valuable recommendations for operational improvements and built a good working relationship with Sotek’s leadership and shop floor team.