Traceability - Quality done right

FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc.: Problems are only problems when they don’t have solutions. FUTEK is a company full of solutions. And that is why they have implemented a quality assurance system to provide any and every circumstance with a solution. It is called Absolute Traceability.

Absolute Traceability is FUTEK’s way of anticipating potential error. Whether it is user or manufacturer error, FUTEK has designed a unique system that defines all the possibilities leading up to sensor defect.

Let’s suppose the sensor is categorized as a manufacturer’s error. How does FUTEK diagnose the exact defect? That’s where Absolute Traceability lends itself extremely useful.

Quality Director Thomas Bowles can take any sensor manufactured at the FUTEK Machine Shop, in Irvine, California, U.S.A., and trace it back to its roots.

“I am aware of every aspect of a sensor; from the purchasing of the raw materials to the departure of the completed product,” said Bowles.

He can tell you the operators who worked on the calibration, wiring, and lamination. He can tell you the origin of the metal used to build to frame for that particular sensor. He can even tell you the type of foam used in packaging the sensor for shipment. Like a good father, he can tell you every cycle of life this sensor has gone through up until the point it entered the hands of another.

“Traceability isn’t some casual system in place at FUTEK. It is the core of our quality department. We outline everything about each sensor,” said Bowles.

As the core component of their quality assurance system, FUTEK invested in the Oracle Database to ensure that Absolute Traceability is a company wide policy. Each team member of FUTEK has access to each sensor’s specific details.

Below is a visual diagram showing FUTEK’s Traceability of each and every sensor:

Thorough is an understatement when it comes to diagnosing, repairing, and returning a defected sensor. Within seven days, FUTEK will trace all returned sensors through this outline checking every possibility for defects. Because of this extreme attention to detail, Bowles and his team have acquired a 98% moving average of yields.

“I am extremely proud of FUTEK’s Absolute Traceability. It’s one of the many aspects that makes FUTEK unique from the rest,” said Bowles.

So problems are only problems when a solution can’t be reached. This isn’t the case for FUTEK. Thomas Bowles will be the first to tell you that FUTEK is the standard for quality sensors, and Absolute Traceability is just another prime example of how hard FUTEK is willing to work to provide excellent customer satisfaction.

“Traceability is about doing things right. With Absolute Traceability, we aren’t just ensuring that we will have a solution, we are guaranteeing our customers the highest service they deserve,” said Bowles.