SUZHOU, CHINA – Optimas Solutions’ Chinese facility has become one of the first organizations globally to be awarded the updated VDA 6.2:2017 quality standard. As a key partner to many prestigious automotive manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers, Optimas was pro-active in adopting the revisions as a show of its commitment to the industry and its customers.

VDA 6.2 was initiated by the German automotive industry as an extension to ISO 9001 – imposing additional conditions focussed on overall product and service quality. It has now been adopted by manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers on a global basis and is seen as an assurance that a supplier can deliver a consistent and high-quality service in all transactions. The latest edition of the standard was published in Germany in April 2017: a key change being the introduction of the ‘business management system’ (formerly ‘quality management system’) which focuses on a supplier’s external environment rather than purely on its internal quality process.

Elone Zhong, Optimas Quality Manager for the Suzhou facility, was instrumental in securing the latest certification: “We are very proud to be one of three Optimas facilities worldwide that hold the VDA 6.2 standard. As soon as the revisions were published we set to work translating the guidelines from German to Chinese and training all the management team in our Suzhou office.”

“Because the standard no longer focuses purely on internal processes, it’s vital that every aspect of an organization is run efficiently and reliably – this includes our relationship with suppliers. This gives a far better indication of potential future risks so our customers can proceed with greater confidence, knowing every aspect of our business has been audited.”

To retain the award, an organization must be re-tested every 12 months by an independent auditor to prove that it is continuing to uphold the rigorous standards. However, Optimas chose to submit for a retest early, to ensure that it was up to date with the latest revision.

Optimas has been working in the automotive industry for over 30 years, supplying engineered threaded fastener and C-Class component solutions to many prestigious brands around the world. In addition to its facility in Suzhou, it also holds VDA 6.2 certificates at sites in Germany and the UK.