Boeing Silver-Level Certification
Nowadays, Boeing suppliers compete to be "the best of the best." Just like an Olympic athlete, these suppliers spend numerous hours in preparation to win the highest prize, that of a gold level certification. As one of the world's leading aerospace companies, Boeing requires, yes demands, world-class suppliers. Consider the following: Worldwide, there are 15 GOLD certified suppliers, 144 SILVER certified suppliers, and 451 BRONZE certified suppliers. PMM has distinguished itself by earning the silver certification which puts PMM in the top 1/4 of all preferred suppliers to Boeing! And no wonder with stats like this: On-time delivery - 97.8% to 99%; Quality Acceptance - 98.7% to 100%. And, to top it all off, PMM has achieved a GOLD level score of 4.1 in the area of Customer Satisfaction!

Boeing preferred suppliers have to demonstrate in very tangible ways their "world-class" commitment to "lean" manufacturing , as well as a continuing commitment to improving their products and their processes. Boeing evaluates its suppliers in three basic areas: Statistical Process Control (SPC), Business Processes, and Demonstrated Performance and then, based upon on-site inspections and "hands on" evaluation, awards three levels of certification: gold, silver, and bronze. It is important to note that these certifications are no "walk in the park." The scoring encompasses many areas of business including quality control and manufacturing processes. Specifically, Boeing scores the following categories and sub-categories of performance:

Cost

• Collection, Analysis & Management of Data
• Proposal, Price Estimating & Control of Cost

Quality

• Quality Management
• Quality Assurance
• Quality Control

Product Delivery

• Planning, Scheduling, Control & Supplier Integration
• Product Organization & Operations
• Material & Inventory Control

Leadership

• Organization
• Company Integration
• Development

Technology

• Product Development
• Product Design Definition
• Design to production transition

Support

• Support Management & Planning
• In-Service Support

The underlying questions that are answered by these evaluations are simple, yet extremely timely when considering the bottom line:

• What does the product cost?
• Is the price competitive and based on continuous efforts to become more efficient?
• Is the product delivered on time?
• Is the product flawed in any way?
• Did the supplier demonstrate management proficiency when judged against defined criteria?

PMM has answered these questions with flying colors, garnering for itself the SILVER certification for excellence and setting itself apart from many of its peers.

See the Letter from the Boeing Company regarding the Continuous Cost Improvement Process (CCIP) Supplier Recognition Award.