Adaptive Technologies, Inc. Success Story

Adaptive Technologies, Inc. (ATI) is a research and development company that has been designing and developing communications and hearing protection products for extreme noise environments since 1997.

Its real-world innovations for military and commercial use are manufactured and marketed by an affiliate company, Aegisound. As one of the fastest growing companies in Virginia (independently evaluated by Goodman & Co. for Virginia Business Magazine), ATI recognized a need to formally control its documents and better manage its business system in order to maintain the high quality standard it had set. The company decided to pursue ISO 9001 certification and selected Qualtrax Compliance Software as the tool to facilitate the process.

A Streamlined, “Paperless” Organization

What began as an ISO 9001 document control solution has since spread throughout ATI.

“Qualtrax is an integral part of our business management system,” says Allen McKinney, Quality Manager at Adaptive. “Every aspect of our business runs through Qualtrax.”

ATI manages all documentation, such as procedures, contracts, product drawings, and quality records, within Qualtrax. It has also made extensive use of workflows. ATI tracks customer feedback, corrective and preventive actions, purchase orders, employee training, travel requests, and more via the Qualtrax workflow engine.

“Workflows are real-time,” Mr. McKinney explains. “We no longer have to worry about when someone will be in the office to sign a piece of paper. Qualtrax has enabled us to become a virtually paperless company.”

Benefits of Traceability

In addition to process improvement and paper reduction, Adaptive has also gained significant time savings surrounding audit preparation and completion. ATI undergoes many internal and external audits each year. Using Qualtrax, auditors can search documents and records quickly without having to sort through binders and file cabinets.

“The built-in traceability is very helpful for maintaining ISO compliance as well as handling customer questions,” says Mr. McKinney.

ATI also appreciates the automatic notifications Qualtrax sends that alert employees of document and process updates.

“Everyone sees the value Qualtrax provides because it keeps them informed of changes within the organization. Each person has access to the most current information required for his or her position.”

Service, Support, and Community

In order to optimize its use of the software, Adaptive utilizes services offered by the Qualtrax Team. From implementation to programming and support, ATI knows it can rely on Qualtrax employees.

“Their responses are always timely. Qualtrax cares about its customers,” Mr. McKinney affirms.

He witnesses this firsthand at the annual Qualtrax User Conference. The conference (open to all Maintenance and Support subscribers) is an opportunity to interact with the entire Qualtrax Team and other Qualtrax customers. Programmers and support staff work with clients to improve the product and Qualtrax users share best practices and real-life examples with one other.

Complementing a Quality Focus

As a quality-focused company, Adaptive Technologies uses Qualtrax to enhance its quality management system. ATI passed its first ISO 9001 audit flawlessly in 2006 and continues to strive for excellence in accordance with its quality policy:

“ATI’s mission is to develop advanced acoustic and control technology products while maintaining high customer satisfaction and continually improving our business processes through our quality management system.”

Category: Manufacturing