Michael is also a very common name in Germany as you can see. Just the German pronunciation is quite different from the English.
My office is in the Kathrein headquarter in Rosenheim. I have general quality responsibility in the filter product introduction projects and the quality level of serial production in all Kathrein filter lines worldwide.
Unfortunately, most of the quality deviations, that one realize in filter products are related with poor manufacturing level of filter housings. And I have to hear about issues from Johnson Suzhou again and again….
The Quality management of Kathrein judges Johnson Suzhou not as a “ Precision Engineering” supplier, but a as C-level vendor. There are too many deviations. Especially in the years 2014 and 2015, the number of quality complaints has risen to an unacceptable level. Each time, when we visited one of Johnson’s production sites or sub-vendors, were deeply concerned by the low level of manufacturing, poor condition of fixture, broken milling tools etc… Therefore, Kathrein had had serious considerations to phase out completely with Johnson Suzhou. However in November 2015 we decided in Kathrein to give Johnson Suzhou another chance to develop the quality relevant processes. Kathrein’s Quality teams spend much effort to give Johnson engineering advices in order to proceed to a B-level vendor.
I think, there are some achievements to a better level during the past 12 months. Though, in my perspective, Johnson’s quality level is still way below Kathrein’s requirements. Johnson Suzhou did not proceed to a B-vendor rating until now.
Other issue is the time-to-market pressure that we have to handle in the telecommunication industries. Time is actually very precious in the FAI process of a new product implementation. Loss of too much time in FAI process can end up in loss of relevant customers in the market. Johnson is generally quite slow in providing die-cast samples. What happens in the FAI process of dipole 0271241 is just unacceptable. Rejection of first sample 0271241 because of severe surface deviation has been on 24. Oct. See copy of report cover sheet attached. Now after 5 weeks, there is still no proper solution from Johnson in sight. Such kind of delay is an immense risk for the success of the project.
Regarding the Dong Tai Plating Qualification Plan:
- Housing 029N1004/029N1019. I know about a Dong Tai plating qualification scheme with this two housing types of Kathrein Austria. Scheme started already in early September. For my perspective, this slow progress in this plan is concerning.
- Housing 0271188 is a very sensitive project in terms of mechanical tolerances and there are already two different plating vendors. I don’t think it makes sense to start in this project phase with another plating vendor. Currently we receive many complaints from Kathrein Romania because of mechanical deviations in outer domes of housing 0271188 and we do not want to have any further complications in this project. Do not go on with Dong Tai for filter housing 0271188.
All the deviations, that we have again and again in parts from Johnson cause just too much handling effort for the quality teams in the Kathrein headquarter and in the Kathrein group companies, too. Kathrein has high amounts of unexpected rework costs in the incoming quality control and in the production lines because of the unstable quality level of delivered parts.
Hope you can understand, why the leading management of Kathrein wants to see not just any of those little improvements in vendor site, but a reasonable supply chain structure with really reliable suppliers only. Yet I’m not sure if Johnson ever will meet the basic requirements.
There will be a visit of Kathrein Quality team in Johnson in March/April 2017. And I guess, the audit result of this coming visit will have a large influence to the die-cast supplier selection in next filter projects.