Headquartered in Schenley, Armstrong County, Spark Technologies, Inc. is an EDM specialist in the precision manufacturing of custom components for the semi-conductor, mold, electro-optics, compacting, ceramics and aerospace industries. The company, established in 1985, currently employs 17 people.
For organizational purposes and as a result of increasingly stringent customer requirements, Spark became interested in becoming ISO 9000 certified. As costs for an undertaking such as ISO 9000 training were prohibitively high for a company of its size, Spark was interested in finding a lower-cost alternative that did not in any way equate to lower quality training or diminished results. They entertained several proposals before finally deciding on Catalyst Connection.
Catalyst Connection assisted Spark in its quest for ISO 9000 registration through a consortium approach, coupled with on-site advisory services. The consortium consisted of Spark and eight similarly sized tool companies. On-site workshops were held for the purpose of acquainting and training all of the companies’ employees with the elements of the ISO 9002 standard. When it came time to implement the system, Catalyst Connection was there to assist Spark in the completion of its painstakingly thorough documentation and pre-audit preparations. Spark collected, via interaction with its employees, enough data to map its processes. Catalyst Connection then analyzed the maps and gave the company feedback as to whether or not they met the requirements of the standard.
As a result of Catalyst Connection’s assistance, Spark’s audit yielded zero nonconformances and a recommendation for unconditional ISO 9002 registration. The collaborative effort of company and consultant resulted in across-the-board buy-in from Spark’s employees. As a result of developing its ISO system, Spark has improved communication among employees and realized a more efficient workflow and smoother transition among departments in their shop.