Quality, Manufacturing and Corporate Governance

The QMC Group of Australian Arrow is a division that combines the operational side of the business with its Quality and Manufacturing departments as well as a number of departments that have been consolidated under the corporate governance umbrella to support all operational departments and ensure compliance with all legal and statutory requirements.

AAPL’s Quality Department provides activities and services that enhance the core and support processes of the business and incorporates important functions such as Advanced Quality Planning, Supplier Quality Development, Incoming Quality Inspection, Customer Quality Assurance and runs a certified mechanical, electrical and environmental test facility.

The Quality Department also administers the business management systems ISO/TS 16949:2009 and ISO 14001:2004 which are continually monitored for compliance and ongoing improvements.

AAPL’s Manufacturing Operations supplies its domestic and international customers with unique electronic products for the automotive and truck markets.

All manufacturing and assembly operations that affect product quality are planned, scheduled and executed under controlled conditions using comprehensive procedures and work instructions, process-monitoring techniques, correctly maintained equipment, workmanship standards, suitable working environments, suitable tools and facilities management.

Visual management concepts are used to display standards, targets, actual conditions, problem conditions and stock levels. A comprehensive preventive maintenance program is in place for all key equipment used in manufacturing and testing.

Expertise in manufacturing engineering (such as automated functional testing) has led to AAPL contracting these services out to third parties.

The Finance Department is responsible for the accuracy and timing of all internal and external reporting requirements, business planning, legal compliance, taxation obligations, accounts processing, invoicing, payments, government reporting, management accounting, KPI reporting and overseeing the finance operations of Yazaki EDS Samoa.

AAPL’s Human Resources Department coordinates all aspects in relation to our people including workplace relations, recruitment and induction, training and development, policy development and implementation, payroll and management of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS), performance management, management of inpatriate and expatriate associates.

Our IT Department is responsible for providing Yazaki Oceanic region associates with highly available computer systems and tailored software applications that support the business from product design right through to customer delivery and beyond.

IT Services include; Help Desk Support, Systems Administration, Network Administration and Security, Systems Design, Software Development, Application Support, Data Protection and Recovery and Video Conferencing.

The Corporate Sustainability Department is responsible for AAPL’s environmental performance, including measurement, reporting, communication and management as well as the development of strategies and improvement plans.

The team is also responsible to create and maintain a safe working environment free of any risk to associates health. This work includes the development of occupational health and safety procedures and the preparation if risk assessments as well as injury management the management of worker's compensation and the administration of ‘Return to Work’ processes.

AAPL is determined to keep its intellectual property as well as information assets containing customer information secure at all times.

Sales and Program Management

The Sales and Program Management Division is home to the

-        Purchasing function – including Materials Management,

-        Sales Department – including Program Management and the

-        Electronics Engineering Operations – incl. Project Management.

Purchasing, Total Cost Management and Materials Management are increasingly vital functions in an industry that is characterised by global competition and immense cost pressure. AAPL’s purchasing department is responsible for supplier evaluation and selection as well as price negotiations and is increasingly focussed on sourcing components close to the manufacturing plants to reduce transport and lead-times.

The Sales Department receives customer requirements electronically and ensures the orders are correct and accurately reflect the program status, in close conjunction with the Program Management team. Major contracts are being negotiated for each of the customer’s new models increasingly on a global basis. Yazaki’s sales organisation is globally aligned featuring quarterly World Wide Sales (WWS) conferences while the program team makes sure all the customer deliverables are met through new model development.

AAPL’s Sales Team has built long term business partnerships with the local vehicle manufacturers Holden and Toyota and overseas customers such as Saab and Volvo Truck winning numerous supplier excellence awards, rewarding AAPL for its outstanding performance.

Australian Arrow’s Electronics Engineering Department is committed to the development of new technologies and products for the automotive industry and with focus on body electronics. The department is home to project managers, hardware, software and mechanical design engineers as well as PCB technicians.

AAPL’s capabilities span the whole development process from initial prototype design via validation testing to massproduction readiness where everything from printed circuit board and plastic housings development to microcontroller software programming as well as project management in accordance with the Program Management Book Of Knowledge (PMBOK) standard is done in-house.

Wiring Harness Engineering and Distribution

With over 40 design, project, technical and CAE engineering personnel in the Wiring Harness Engineering Department, AAPL is committed to the ongoing development of innovative wiring harness designs and associated components. Networking with our parent company Yazaki in Japan, USA & Europe provides AAPL with access to state of the art manufacturing techniques and equipment. Continuous improvements to our assembly plant are achieved via the interface with some 240 Yazaki assembly plants.

Our team's vast experience, knowledge, involvement and management skills are widely acknowledged within the Australian and Global automotive industry and from within these engineering attributes comes our challenge to exceed the expectations of our customers. Our engineering team’s core competencies and expertise are in the areas of design, development and project management.

Included in our team is the capability of 3D wiring harness & component design, combined with our own 2D CAE system which allows us to support all of our customer requirements.

AAPL takes pride in the high standards set within the Australian automotive industry. This has been achieved by the use of such tools such as DFMEA, PFMEA and TS16949:2009 aspects of manufacturing.

AAPL’s Logistics Department is responsible for ordering and receiving the right products at the right time ready for on-time delivery to the customer’s vehicle assembly plant while minimizing airfreight and obsolete stock. AAPL logistics manages supply chains from Samoa, Indonesia and the USA into Australia, as well as Australia into Europe and coordinates the operation at AAPL’s distribution centres at Edinburgh Parks and Laverton North.