1-153 Quality systems evolved as it became increasingly apparent that output inspection was not achieving the desired result. For a start, it depends too much on identi-fying and rejecting faulty products or components. This is inherently wasteful and the aim of the quality systems approach, frequently referred to as quality assur-ance, was to prevent the production of faulty products, services or components.
The development of this philosophy, to increase the degree of involvement of all staff in achieving improved quality, moves the business in the direction of total quality management.
1-154 The other essential dimension of quality management is the recognition of the customer and the customer’s expectations. This is perhaps best encapsulated by the expression:
“The customer does not depend upon us, it is we who depend upon the customer.”
1-155 Thus, a quality management system (QMS) is required to demonstrate that a company has implemented procedures which enable it to:
● improve customer satisfaction – an important consideration for shipping companies as the perceived quality and safety of the shipping industry deteriorates;
● eliminate waste and errors;
● reduce operating costs – by the elimination of errors and through improved efficiency, sometimes a difficult concept for short-term, bottom-line oriented management contemplating the cost of implementation;
● increased motivation and commitment from employers – a benefit which requires skilled management (both sympathetic and determined) and an understanding of how to manage change; and
● increased profitability and competitiveness.
1-156 Quality management systems need to be designed with all stakeholders in mind, remembering that different stakeholders will have different and sometimes pos-sibly conflicting interests. The list of stakeholders can be extensive (although they can be grouped) and may include:
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1-157 A well designed quality management system can also be useful in developing inter-departmental understanding and co-operation, particularly across the ship-shore interface. Conversely, a badly designed and/or imposed QMS can have precisely the opposite effect.
1-158 The ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 families are among the most widely known and successful quality standards ever. ISO 9000 has become an international refer-ence for quality requirements in business to business dealings, and ISO 14000 looks set to achieve at least as much, if not more, in helping organisations to meet their environmental challenges.
1-159 The standards that have earned the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 families a world-wide reputation are known as “generic management system standards”.
“Generic” means that the same standards can be applied to any organisation, large or small, whatever its product – including whether its “product” is actually a service – in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public administration or a government department. “Management system” refers to what the organisation does to manage its processes, or activities. “Generic”
also signifies that no matter what the organisation is or does, if it wants to estab-lish a quality management system or an environmental management system, then such a system has a number of essential features that are spelled out in the relevant standards of the ISO 9000 or ISO 14000 families.
1-160 ISO 9000 is concerned with “quality management”. This means what the organ-isation does to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer and appli-cable regulatory requirements and continually improving its performance in this regard. ISO 14000 is primarily concerned with “environmental management”.
This means what the organisation does to minimise harmful effects on the envi-ronment caused by its activities, and continually to improve its envienvi-ronmental performance.
Equity shareholders
Shore-based employees
Flag state
Mortgagees Sea-based
employees Class
Insurers Charterers Public
(environmental)
Cargo
owners Ports
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1-161 At the core of all quality and safety management systems is the need for documentation. The challenge is to design documentation which facilitates the system rather than producing an additional and de-motivating paper chase for those staff involved at the delivery (to customers) end of the business. It is generally agreed that there should be four tiers of documentation:
1-162 All of the above are controlled documents which must be formally issued, under signature, by the correct issuing authority within the company and withdrawn and destroyed when no longer relevant or when updated. Good quality systems are designed to keep this task as manageable as possible which is another way of saying that the amount of documentation should be kept as low as possible.
1-163 ISO 9001:1994 quality management system was the backbone on which the ISM Code developed. It has now been replaced by ISO 9001–2000 (while ISO 9004–2000 provides a wider range of objectives of a quality management sys-tem with an emphasis on the pursuit of continual improvement of performance).
The requirements of ISO 9001–2000 are set out in the table on the following page together with the related requirements of the ISM Code as well as the code produced by the International Ship Managers’ Association (ISMA) discussed in Section 5.4.
Tier 1
The Quality Manual which includes the company’s quality policy describes the organisation, procedures and practices of the company.
Tier 2
Procedures which describe what is done and by whom and how, when, where and why an activity is to be carried out. In other words how the business process is controlled. It is at this level that the standards of quality (or safety) which the company aims to achieve are established.
Tier 3 Job instructions which direct a person in a single activity and are subordinate documents to Procedures.
Tier 4
Forms and records which, amongst other documents, should include the record of internal audits and the status of any non-conformities (q v).
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Management Responsibility and Authority 4.1 5.5 * *
Quality Management System 4.2 4.1/2 * *
Contract Review 4.3 7.2 *
Design Control 4.4 7.3
Document and Data Control 4.5 4.2.3 * *
Purchasing 4.6 7.4.1/3 *
Customer (Owner/Charterer) Supplied
Product 4.7 7.5.4 *
Identification and Traceability 4.8 7.5.3 * *
Process Control (Core Activities) 4.9 6.3/4 & 7.5 * *
Safety Management System 4.9 ” * *
Contingency Plans and Environment
Protection (EVP) 4.9 ” * *
Vessel Certification and Trading
Readiness 4.9 ” * *
Maintenance and Repair/Drydocking 4.9 ” * *
Manning/Personnel 4.9 ” * *
Communications 4.9 ” * *
Insurance 4.9 ” *
Accounting 4.9 *
Inspection and Testing of Vessels and
Equipment 4.10 7.1/4/5 & 8.2 * *
Inspection, Measurement and Testing 4.11 7.6 *
Inspection and Test Status 4.12 7.5 * *
Control of Non-conformances 4.13 8.3 * *
Corrective and Preventative Action 4.14 8.5 * *
Handling, Storage, Packaging Preservation
and Delivery (Cargo) 4.15 7.5.5 * *
Control of Quality Records 4.16 4.2.4 * *
Internal Quality Audits and System Review 4.17 8.2.2/3 * *
Training 4.18 6.2.2 * *
Servicing 4.19 7.5.1
Statistical Techniques 4.20 8.1/2/4
Health, Safety and Environmental Policy * *
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Policy * *
Marketing Policy *
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