Supplier Excellence Alliance (SEA) Board Chairman, Michael G. Beason announced that Applied Engineering, an aerospace company located in San Jose, CA, has achieved SEA Stage 1 Certification.
Applied Engineering is a diversified company that supports the Aerospace, Medical, Industrial Automation, Entertainment, Solar, and Semiconductor industries. Applied Engineering'ss range
of core competencies include an expertise in the disciplines of electromechanical assemblies, motion assemblies, linear actuators, precision coils, vacuum technologies, clean room
assemblies, and optical assemblies.
Applied Engineering now joins a group of elite aerospace and defense companies that have achieved SEA Stage 1 Certification. This is a significant step for Applied Engineering and its
future in serving the Aerospace industry, as well as Medical, Semiconductor and Automotive industries that we have a long history of serving. Our Certification in this program along with
AS9100 registration ensures Applied Engineering has the tools, talent and infrastructure to continue to grow and diversify our business, by providing World Class manufacturing solutions
to all of our customers for years to come. Said David Durham, Applied Engineering'ss President 's38; CEO.
SEA is the non-profit alliance of aerospace and defense prime and tier-one contractors and leading sub-tier suppliers organized to transform the global supply chain. Prime-empowered and
supplier-led, SEA seeks to accelerate the performance of small and mid-sized production suppliers.
Virtually all major prime and tier-one contractors endorse the SEA Certification as the preferred approach to continuous improvement and process management. While the SEA Certification is
voluntary, it will distinguish the highest performing supplier companies and provide primes and tier-ones with a reliable way to identify low-risk, high-performing suppliers, said,
Beason.
SEA Certification is based on the SEA Roadmap, the infrastructure that helps supplier organizations systematically build a lean enterprise - an organization focused on the elimination of
waste throughout the value stream. A lean enterprise achieves aggressive goals for cost reduction, on-time delivery, excellent quality and shorter lead times. A lean enterprise has a
culture where all employees work toward lean goals, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. The SEA Roadmap criteria also serve as the basis for the SEA Aerospace 's38; Defense
Supply Chain Awards process.
SEA Certification follows the three stages of the SEA Roadmap for development (Stage I - Stabilization, Stage II - Supply Chain Integration, and Stage III - Sustainability). Supplier
companies pursue the coveted SEA Certification for each Stage of the Roadmap. To become certified, a supplier company must satisfactorily meet criteria in four critical areas: Leadership
and Culture, Workforce Development, Operational Excellence, and Business Results.
Bi-Annual Certification for each stage occurs through a three-day, on-site audit. Annual Surveillance Audits are available to help suppliers monitor their sustainability. For an easy
step-by-step introduction to the SEA Certification process, supplier organizations wishing to pursue SEA Certification should visit the SEA website at www.seaonline.org and click on SEA Certification on the blue bar just below the Contact Us's tab.
SEA member companies represented on its board of directors include The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, EADS North America, Esterline
Corporation, United Technologies, Inc, Parker Aerospace, Rockwell Collins, Cessna Aircraft Company, Honeywell Aerospace, Hitco Carbon Composites, Dresser- Rand, Roberts Tool Company,
Cristek Interconnects, Photo Etch Company, and DRS Technologies.
SEA Gold Sponsor is Mori Seiki, USA, Inc., SEA partners and alliances include Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), International
Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), California Council for Excellence, California Space Authority, and ASG Renaissance.
To learn more, visit the SEA website at http://www.seaonline.org.