At the February 2011 Nadcap meeting in Barcelona, Spain, Supplier Support Committee (SSC) Chairperson Eric Jacklin of F. M. Callahan & Son Inc. interviewed Mike Noettl of Magnetic Inspection Laboratory Inc. in the USA and Vitaly Davidoff of KUMZ in Russia about their Nadcap experiences.
Are you aware that the SSC puts out a Supplier Survey every two years?
MN: Yes, we have participated in the Supplier Survey since its inception in 2003. The survey acts as a good indicator of the issue/concerns affecting the Supplier base and in return opens up the lines of communication between Suppliers and Subscribers on relevant issues.
Are you aware of the SSC’s role in the survey?
MN: Yes, we’re aware that Suppliers play a key role within the Survey (in both the creation and data analysis) and there is a collaboration of Suppliers & Subscribers working together in the process. From my understanding, key issue/questions addressed within the Survey are fresh with issues we’re currently experiencing.
Have you seen any process improvements to the Nadcap system based on the Survey results?
MN: Absolutely. Subscribers have become more receptive of the Suppliers and the issues we’re facing. When MIL started in the program 19 years ago, it was adversarial between Nadcap and Suppliers. The Survey is a great tool for bridging relationships and improving the audit process.
How long have you been with Nadcap?
MN: We’ve been with Nadcap for 19 years. It started with NDT then expanded to include Chemical Processing & Welding. We now have merit status in all three of these commodities. During this time we’ve seen improvements in the areas of redundant audits, auditor consistency & fl ow down because Suppliers have a unified voice. There are still improvements needed to be made, but we are going in the right direction.
VD: Originally, we served only the Russian and CIS markets, however in the last decade we have started to work with global primes, such as Bombardier. As with many suppliers, the Prime mandated us to have Nadcap accreditation and work towards this began in 2005. We received our first certification in 2008 in NDT, shortly followed by HT in 2009.
Why would you recommend Suppliers to participate & be active in the SSC?
MN: I would let them know that their voice is important and that they are not alone in the process. The SSC & Supplier Survey provide a channel for Suppliers to voice their concerns and to infl uence decisions that are made. The collaboration between suppliers from all four corners of the world, each working in different ways, is the great strength of the Supplier Support Committee.
How did you find your first Nadcap meeting?
VD: We have attended many meetings, including the first-time attendees SSC coffee morning, Task Group open sessions, the NMC meeting and SSC general meeting. KUMZ representatives have also participated in the free eQuaLearn classes available at this meeting. The free training was a positive part of the Nadcap meeting experience and added value for attendees. Before the meeting, we were reluctant to contact PRI/SSC directly addressing questions to the Staff Engineers. By going along to the Task Group meetings, however, we soon realised that PRI staff are there to help suppliers. We wouldn’t hesitate now before picking up the phone and ringing PRI with a query or question.The Nadcap meeting has provided excellent opportunities for networking. We were able to meet with existing clients, as well as potential new customers.
— Mike Noettl, Vitaly Davidoff, and Eric Jacklin
