Fanny is no newcomer to Fårbo. She started as a trainee back in 2012 when she was studying to become a CNC operator in a program that is now part of Teknikcollege Bergslagen at Brinellskolan in Fagersta.
The step into the world of machining was not a given, as the focus at high school was the natural sciences.
After graduation, she had to find a job in Fagersta. With her friend who was doing the CNC training, Fanny made a move and applied. Fanny does not regret her decision to enter the manufacturing industry.
– I really enjoy it and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had. It takes drive and commitment to develop, but I feel that I have always been heard. Much of what I know today I have learned here at Fårbo. This is where I want to be,” says Fanny.
In 2022 Fanny became Group Leader
– It was exciting to take a new step. I got a better insight into how things are connected and I had to deal with planning. Somehow I felt more inside, more involved.
– With the introduction of the team leader role, which Mikael Vetterskog introduced, we got faster and smoother process flows, better control of machines, as well as products and how they are manufactured, says Fanny.
Continuous development with order
– I really enjoyed my time at Fårbo but wanted to move on. Constant development and orderliness have always been close to my heart, so more or less on profit and loss I applied for one of Kunskapscompaniet’s vocational college programs in Eskilstuna.
Fanny recently graduated as a Specialist, Industrial Metrology and landed in Fårbo Manufacturing again. The program has a practical component and aims to fill roles in metrology or quality engineering.
Mikael Vetterskog was quick to offer Fanny the role of Quality Manager.
– Here we have an ambitious person who knows our business, our culture and who has been a team leader. Fanny and I talked about the role and her interest in personal commitment and belief that the responsibility for doing the right thing lies with each individual. It felt inspiring and in line with our values. A ‘no brainer’ to offer Fanny the role, I would say, laughs Micke.
ISO 9001 provides structure but it is also about customer requirements
In her new role as quality manager, Fanny thinks it is obvious to follow the standards that exist. Fårbo has long been affiliated with ISO 9001, which provides a clear structure in how the quality management system should be built.
– ISO 9001, also ISO 14 001 and ISO 45 001, are kind of the rules of the game, but, it is your own initiatives that make a real difference. It’s also about following quality standards that come with specific customer requirements. One example is understanding SS-020130 to clarify to the team how process flows will be affected by the requirements, which in turn will affect whether Fårbo takes the job. “You have to read and understand the standards and adapt your operations to comply with them,” says Fanny.
– It is also important to keep up to date with any changes to a standard. Until you understand the requirements, you cannot really ensure quality. Accurate requirements mean higher costs, which means that a misjudgment of the customer requirement basis can be costly. The processing/measurement takes longer and in the worst case it can result in a complaint from the customer. My role therefore includes holding up a stop card if I believe we cannot comply with a requirement from a customer or flagging any actions that need to be taken before we can promise safe quality.
Smart efficiency in action
Constant improvement may seem like a cliché, but at Fårbo we are always working on how to improve. The aim, just like in any team sport, is to win. Winning by getting satisfied customers, who stay, winning new customers, and winning employees’ trust and willingness to commit and loyalty. And of course, it’s about developing financially so that constant investment in staff training and machinery can take place.
– To win, we need to really engage everyone at Fårbo. Real improvement work only works fully if we engage the employee closest to the source of the problem,” says Fanny.
– Today, I feel that procedures are followed but that the division of responsibilities is not entirely clear. Those who are closest to the problem do not always see themselves what important information they have and how they should convey it. With my background, I hope that I can capture what is missing so that we can grasp these missing pieces of the puzzle.
Fanny wants to see engaged, problem-solving colleagues, who don’t just fill in a deviation, but also actively investigate what caused the problem to occur and actively look for improvement options. Training and constant dialog between operators, technicians, planners, management and the quality manager is important, but above all, the ‘right to you from me’ mindset is a mantra to repeat over and over again.
– I envision small video clips, and ‘quizzes’, i.e. small knowledge tests, that we can run here and there, when needed and when it feels right. It’s not about sitting in a classroom, but about bringing the opportunity for continuous learning in a simple way,” concludes Fanny.