Technicut Tool (TCT) Utilizes Quality Management Systems to Remain Agile

Technicut Tool (TCT) is a precision manufacturer, providing computer numerical control (CNC) machining, fabrication, welding and assembly services to large organizations such as Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Pratt & Whitney, MDA and Colt Canada.

TCT has been AS9100 and ISO 9001 certified since 2001 and transferred its certifications to NSF International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR) in 2016.

The certification transfer process was swift. The auditing team set clear expectations during the stage 1 audit for the stage 2 audit, which allowed the TCT team to adequately prepare their system and provide objective evidence.

“From our first stage 1 audit with NSF-ISR, I was very satisfied,” says Jayne McMahon, Technicut Tool’s Quality Manager. I have used a lot of audit companies, and I was very impressed at how nice NSF-ISR has been with scheduling and conducting the audit. Everyone I've met at NSF-ISR has been warm and personable and at the same time has maintained the highest standard of professionalism. Almost makes me look forward to the audit - almost.”

This year’s AS9100 and ISO 9001 audits were completed remotely to protect the health and safety of TCT employees and NSF-ISR team members. TCT’s account manager supplied the team with the necessary information to set new expectations for their remote audit. In past years, NSF-ISR auditors fostered an audit atmosphere of comfort through clear expectations and a little creative, out-of-the box thinking. Once, an NSF-ISR auditor noticed the final inspection employee was very nervous. The auditor set the TCT employee at ease with a quick game of tic-tac-toe. After which the auditor dove into questions about the employee’s job responsibilities. This short game provided the TCT employee with time to settle their nerves and relax into answering the auditor’s questions.

“I am impressed by how the NSF auditors take time to make sure our employees and managers feel comfortable during the audit. Our most recent auditor always has a smile for the auditees and speaks to them with kindness. It’s the little things like this that show NSF-ISR really cares about its clients,” says McMahon.

TCT views its AS9100 certification as an advantage, which has helped the organization win new business.

“Certification has provided us with the ability to show new hires, new suppliers and new/potential customers a clear picture of who we are, what we expect and what we are able to give,” McMahon says.

Outside of winning new work, TCT uses its fully documented quality management system (QMS) to train new hires, explain needs to vendors and better explain the organization to clients. TCT’s QMS was a helpful tool for managing the pandemic, allowing the TCT team to function agilely as situations changed almost overnight. This QMS-driven agility allows TCT to ebb and flow with its customer requests as well as to onboard new suppliers with distinct purchase orders that outline TCT’s needs and expectations.