Last year, calibration specialist Trescal opened a 25,000ft2 facility located at Pride Park, Derby. Said to be the UK’s only UKAS accredited rotary table measurement testing facility, it features a huge coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with rotary table measurement. Offering measurement volumes of 2.1m x 4.4m x1.6m, the CMM enables component parts of up to 10 metric tonnes to be measured. The site features six laboratories, all operating under strict climatic conditions in order to meet rigorous UKAS standards.
Trescal provides a broad range of services for the test and measuring equipment market. Supplementing the standard technical services of verification, calibration and repair of test and measurement instruments, the company offers its expertise for the implementation and acquisition of measurement systems, customised equipment pool management software solutions, metrology and technical support, and training.
The company advanced to SC21 Silver status at the beginning of this year. The award recognises the progress the company has made in terms of business performance and delivery, as well as the quality of relationships cumulated with customers and the wider supply chain.
Trescal claims the award reflects its focus on customer service, sustained delivery of fast turnaround times, as well as innovation and productivity, all of which have contributed to the Silver status recognition. It is the seventh year that Trescal has attained an SC21 award.
In terms of overcoming the barriers to achieving SC21 status, Trescal instigated a culture change in order to embrace the Lean Six Sigma principles required to improve its workshop productivity.
In order to measure its customer on time delivery and its customers recorded on time delivery, Trescal used agreed KPI measures that are reported to its clients as the basis of the company’s submission to SC21. These figures are the ones used to measure on time delivery and on quality delivery.
Perhaps one of the biggest attractions SC21 has to offer is the operational benefits its accreditation can deliver to a company. For Trescal, the list is impressive as it has helped improve the way in which it identifies and adopts a best practice approach for existing and new key accounts, harmonises its automated test procedures and reporting formats, sharpens its focus for the evolution of the Trescal UK service offering, as well as its focus for capital investment strategy for Trescal UK and staff development and empowerment.
With regard to bringing in new business for the company, Trescal believes SC21 has contributed to new business wins, as well as providing benefits to its existing client base. From a business development perspective, Trescal has improved its competitiveness in the test equipment calibration marketplace, with Trescal UK now in a position to offer potential new customers industry leading service levels.
All in all, SC21 has improved Trescal’s on time and on quality delivery performance, and also by identifying process and business improvements that allow it to identify cost savings that can be passed onto its clients.
Trescal worked with a sponsor, a major key account in the aerospace and defence sector, who provided a principal consultant to help with the company’s SC21 journey. Trescal now plans to continue developing SC21 within its UK business and continue to focus on adopting further the key principles of SC21.
