MEMBER: We are a full line medium sized corrugated box plant.  Our combining equipment is not new nor has it been rebuilt from the inside out.  However, we do have process testing procedures and that makes all the difference.

We do random testing every week. We test combine board off the corrugator as well as after it's been converted.

The quality assurance that we promise our customer is that they will receive a box that will meet and perform to their expectations.  We serve a very particular pharmaceutical industry.

What the toughest thing a customer is asking today is not just one thing. Price, quality, service are the three most important things.  If you give them quality and service you can most likely get your price. Ralph I hope to soon continue working on the questions for our raw material vendor audit. Will keep you posted.  What are other independent plants doing.

RALPH YOUNG: Thank you for sharing what you see as your responsibilities and that you have taken full ownership in the process. I know that you are constantly teaching management, sales, production, purchasing, and clients the aspects of measuring the processes.

The AICC is working to develop voluntary guidelines for converting operations who have to buy sheets on the outside.  From the recent survey we have concluded that many do not monitor or even ask for quality certifications from their vendors.  It would be my desire to suggest the concept of a quality user group among the independents were information can be freely exchanged.