Recreational Vehicles
Restoring 1,000 vehicles in 3 weeks through rapid engineering response.
Background
Competing for Recognition Across 200+ Suppliers
A leading North American appliance manufacturer launched a Supplier Quality Excellence award to recognize top-performing suppliers and identify best-in-class quality systems and manufacturing practices across more than 200 participating suppliers.
The customer sought suppliers capable of demonstrating a preventive, systematic, and sustainable approach to quality beyond traditional inspection methods. The need was to ensure strong process controls, manufacturing discipline, defect prevention, and continuous improvement aligned with the customer’s quality expectations.
Our Approach
Standardized Work, Error-Proofing, and Full Traceability
ECI applied for its Management Operating System (MOS), built on a quality at the source and zero-defect strategy:
- Established cross-functional ownership across operations, quality, engineering, maintenance, and supply chain.
- Engineered prevention into the process rather than relying on inspection.
- Deployed standardized work, poka-yoke error-proofing, automated verification, and end-to-end traceability.
- Reinforced controls with PFMEA, control plans, SPC, layered process audits, and structured problem solving.
Breakthrough Impact
Top 5 Supplier and the Only
Harness Manufacturer
ECI’s zero-defect strategy earned recognition against the customer’s own audit:
Top Supplier
Recognized as one of the Top 5 suppliers among more than 200 participating companies and the only harness supplier
Quality First
Demonstrated strong quality performance, process stability, risk reduction, and operational discipline
Trusted Partner
Strengthened ECI’s position as a trusted long-term supply partner
Why ECI Won
Quality at the Source, Owned Across the Operating System
ECI held wire harness assembly to the standards of fully automated industries:
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Quality performance recognized by the customer’s own audit against 200+ suppliers
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Prevention engineered into the process, so quality holds without added inspection cost or containment
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Wire harness assembly held to standards set by fully automated industries
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Quality owned across the operating system, so results hold through volume changes