VAC AERO is a leading vacuum furnace manufacturer, vacuum heat treating and coatings service provider to Aerospace and high-tech industries worldwide. The company, which is located in Burlington, is a participant of DAIR’s SDI.
How many cycles of SDI have you gone through?
VAC AERO has gone through two cycles of the Supply Development Initiative (SDI), which have been pivotal in enhancing our operational and strategic capabilities.
How did Vac Aero’s journey through the DAIR SDI improve your company after the first cycle?
After completing the first cycle of the DAIR SDI, VAC AERO experienced significant improvements in several areas. The MACH Excellence Framework audit provided us with a clear understanding of our strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth. This allowed us to streamline processes, enhance our operational efficiencies, and elevate our quality management systems. The results operationally were dramatic as we were able to improve our on-time delivery to 100% on the B737 landing gear program and sustain this for over 11 months. Additionally, we focussed on our employees. Through implementing a robust best-in-class employee development and retention initiative, we have enabled increases in both productivity and team member satisfaction.
Why did Vac Aero decide to join the SDI for a second cycle?
VAC AERO decided to participate in the second cycle of the DAIR SDI to implement key initiatives that align with our strategic goals. Specifically, we aimed to establish a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program under Axis I, which reflects our commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices. Secondly, we still have opportunities to improve on our customer delight program and, as such, we focused on implementing a robust Daily Management System. This defined Control Plan program under Axis III is essential for enhancing operational efficiency, improving process consistency, and fostering a culture of accountability within the organization.
What was your impression of the MACH Excellence Framework (the audit)?
The program focuses on evaluating multiple dimensions of operational excellence, such as process efficiency, employee engagement, innovation, and sustainability. It utilizes a systematic framework to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement across the organization. The MACH audit gives a holistic perspective of our operational areas, and it ensures that critical aspects of our production aren’t overlooked.
We realized that many processes can be improved and optimized across departments. Addressing this will be crucial for scaling the operational excellence. While VAC AERO has strong technical capabilities, there is room for improvement in leveraging data analytics for predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and strategic planning.
The findings after the audit gave us clear guidelines and a roadmap, setting the stage for the company to achieve higher MACH levels in the future.
What were your employees’ reaction after going through the audit?
VAC AERO’s employees who participated in the audit process felt valued to be included in our company’s improvement journey. The purpose of the audit was communicated, and we knew that this is the next step to emphasize collaboration and growth, not criticism. It was a very intense experience—even overwhelming for some of us—and a long day. The audit was deep and incredibly detailed. We went through two audits and learned a lot from both events.
Will you reapply for the next SDI & MACH audit cycle?
WWe are very enthusiastic about reapplying for the next SDI cycle. This will help us measure the progress we have made as a company since the previous audit. We are on a long journey towards operational excellence. Moreover, it creates the culture of accountability, teamwork, growth and acceptance of change and continues improvement.
We would like to leverage the next cycle as a tool for driving sustainable improvement and reach even greater success in alignment with SDI program standards and guidance.
What would you say to SMEs who are hesitant to go through the SDI process? Or why do you think SMEs should go through the SDI?
There is no perfect business. Right now, we must improve our operations and approach to change if we want to stay in the market and be successful. Initially, especially for SMEs with limited resources, the first thought may be the “we have always done it that way” approach or fear of change, which may make the process appear difficult or unnecessary. The benefits of participating in the program outweighs the challenges. The support we got from SDI was extremely valuable to become more efficient and more successful. I think about it as an investment in our business’ future. We deserve it as a company; our employees deserve it. This is the only way to ensure that our business is well-prepared to meet market demands.
