Quality System
Quality is our business
At Cross, we have over 80 years of experience in precision measurement. Over that time we have developed a world-class quality system. We believe this system gives you a competitive advantage by helping to improve the quality of your product and reducing your risk.
One Quality System
Though our branches are spread across many states, all locations follow one quality system that includes our quality manual, standard operating procedures, internal calibration procedures, process instructions, documentation, out of tolerance impact analysis, and corrective/preventative action process. All of which are audited annually by our Quality Team.
All procedures and protocols meet ISO 17025 requirements and are reviewed by our accreditation body, A2LA. We have twenty plus internal audits a year to ensure compliance, plus another eight to ten ISO 17025 audits through A2LA. In addition, we are routinely audited by our customers. Because of this commitment to compliance, you can be guaranteed that regardless of the branch you are working with, the quality of our work and our world-class customer service will be the same.
Quality Team
As a Cross customer, you have direct access to our quality team. Our four-person team is here to support you with:
- Trend analysis reviews
- Uncertainty analysis
- Training
- Audit support
- Compliance reviews
- Customer Audits
- Calibration Program Consultation (existing or new)
You can reach our quality team easily by submitting a request in GageSuite. These inquiries are assigned a ticket number and tracked to ensure quick response times.
World Class Processes
As part of our quality system, we take the integrity of our processes very seriously.
Automation out of tolerance notifications for standards:
If one of our standards is found to be out of tolerance it automatically triggers a reverse trace on that standard. The quality team will then do an impact analysis and corrective action process to make ensure the integrity of any past calibrations that may be affected.
Certification review process:
You rely on calibration certs to be correct. We track and report on calibration certificate errors as part of our key performance indicators.
- We check 100% of certs for new equipment
- New technicians have 100% of their calibration certs checked for the first 90 days
- All technicians have their certs checked on a tier-based system depending on their experience level
- Technicians are incentivized to have zero cert errors
- GageSuite, our proprietary calibration software, has a number of automated programming in place to help reduce certificate errors
Out to vendor calibrations:
In the event that your equipment needs to be sent to a third party for calibration, you can rest assured that we take all the necessary steps to verify they are a trusted provider.
- New third party vendors must be reviewed and approved by our quality team
- Each vendor is evaluated and given a vendor review card
- Vendor calibration certificates are reviewed by our quality team for compliance
Interim process checks for high use standards:
Standards that experience regular usage are more likely to go out of tolerance. To ensure that our standards are functioning properly we perform and document interim checks at a minimum of every six months. In addition, if there is a concern about a particular piece of equipment or a customer requests a concern we will perform interim checks.
Equipment Adjustments:
When our technician calibrates your equipment, it is our process to not just make sure it is within tolerance, but adjust it to within 70% of tolerance when feasible. This is just another safeguard to make sure your equipment is performing at its best.
Training
Cross has two dedicated, full-time trainers responsible for overseeing both initial and on-going training for all of our precision measurement associates. These individuals have decades of combined calibration/measurement experience and are focused on identifying training needs among our technicians and then performing the necessary training.
We hold multiple training classes at our corporate headquarters throughout the year for both new associates as well as technicians wishing to increase the breadth and depth of their skills. We also offer an ever-increasing number of on-demand web-based training classes. Our associates utilize GageSuite to log all their training. The system has safeguards in place to prevent any technician that is not signed off as proficient on an ICP (internal calibration procedure) from performing the calibration.
In addition to training classes, we make sure our technicians are in top form by doing periodic proficiency training. This includes both evaluations by NELAC, a third party, as well as comparisons between branches.
Because of our extensive experience, our customers often look to us for help training their internal quality staff. If you are interested in training for your staff we are here for you. Whether you are looking for specific training on calibration procedures or general metrology theory training, we have trainers available.
Innovation and Optimization
Having been in the quality business for 80+ years, we know technology changes. Calibration looks different than it did fifty or even ten years ago. For this reason, we work to stay on top of the latest technology in measurement and calibration.
GageSuite is one of the key ways that we optimize and innovate our quality process. Some of the improvements driven by GageSuite include the elimination of handwritten certs as well as a move to printed calibration stickers. These stickers also feature a QR code making it easy to pull up the cert when you are on the floor. Finally, with GageSuite you have 24/7 access to calibration certs and history — including timestamped data and amendment details with electronic signatures.
Our team continues to make significant investments in new software and technology to ensure that we can serve our customers with both high quality and efficient service in an ever-changing and competitive environment. Contact our team to learn more or request a quote for products and services from Cross.
