Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) News
Printer Friendly VersionSwRI® earns Ford's Q1 Award
Award recognizes excellence in providing customer satisfaction
February 3, 1998 -- San Antonio -- Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI) has been awarded Ford Motor Company's Q1 Award. The Q1 Award recognizes organizations that have sustained levels of excellence in their systems and performance metrics resulting in customer satisfaction.
SwRI's Automotive Products and Emissions Research Division, Engine and Vehicle Research Division, and the Institute-operated U.S. Army TARDEC Fuels and Lubricants Research Facility were cited for the award.
"In January 1996, SwRI was notified that it had been selected by Ford as a Tier One Preferred Supplier for engineering services," said Allen Whiting, director of SwRI's Quality Assurance Department. "A condition of Tier One was that the Institute obtain Ford Q1 status by the end of calendar year 1997." The Institute officially received the award on November 24, 1997.
To accomplish that, SwRI had to show evidence of meeting ISO 9000 series standards and implementing a Quality Operating System that considered customer feedback as the primary emphasis of a continuous improvement program.
"This is a great achievement for the Institute," said Institute President Dan Bates. "SwRI is one of the first Tier One engineering service suppliers to have achieved such recognition from Ford."
To maintain Q1 status, SwRI must continue to receive a satisfactory rating from Ford, which will be based on SwRI's achievement of Ford's quality metrics.
SwRI was established in 1947 as an independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization. Today its 3,200 employees in 12 technical divisions provide extensive services to industry and government clients worldwide. Automotive related research and development services have been a strength of the Institute since its founding.
Related press release: SwRI selected Ford Tier One Preferred Supplier
For more information about SwRI's Ford Q1 award, contact Deborah Deffenbaugh, Communications Department, Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510, Phone (210) 522-2046, Fax (210) 522-3547.
