Quality Management in A Small Engineering Firm: Barcol-Air Engineering and ISO 9002-1994 Certification

By Hesan A. Quazi & Quek Pek Noi

Abstract

Faced with a client not trained to draft the quality and procedure manuals of an ISO 9000 certification project, Alex Tan, the principal consultant, pondered over the alternatives of motivating his client to resume the project. In 1996, Daniel Ang, Managing Director of Barcol-Air Engineering Pte Ltd (BAE) in Singapore, decided to pursue a project to seek certification under the ISO 9002-1994 international standard to counteract competition from rival ISO 9000-certified small and medium enterprises in tendering for contracts in the public sector, and to implement a proper quality management system in tandem with rapid business growth. However, Alex Tan and Jason Goh, two consultants from Entrepreneurship Forum Singapore (EFS) hired to guide BAE in the project, suggested the firm prepare the quality and procedure manuals under the facilitation of the consultants. With less than 13 full-time employees, Daniel Ang was hard-pressed to spare two to three staff to fully devote their attention to ISO 9000 matters. The project was eventually delayed for one year.

Issues: Quality Management

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