XN000022-1992-11-18 — Page 33

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1992

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IMPROVED QUALITY VITAL TO BUSINESS SUCCESS

* * *

THE GOVERNMENT FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT THE QUEST FOR IMPROVED QUALITY WILL PROVE TO BE A DECISIVE FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF HONG KONG'S BUSINESSES, THE DIRECTOR-GENeral of INDUSTRY, MR T H BARMA, SAID THIS (WEDNESDAY) EVENING.

OF

SPEAKING AT THE ISO 9001 CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION CEREMONY S MEGGA TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTD, MR BARMA SAID IN THE BUSINESS WORLD OF THE 1990S, QUALITY WAS A COMPETITIVE WEAPON, RATHAN THAN A PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED.

HE SAID THE INTRODUCTION OF A WELL-STRUCTURED QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A COMPANY'S BUSINESS PLAN COULD HELP REDUCE COSTS, IMPROVE OUTPUT AND SECURE MARKETS.

AS ONE IN A SERIES OF PRO-ACTIVE STEPS IN PROMOTING QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN HONG KONG, THE GOVERNMENT SET UP THE HONG KONG QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCY IN 1989, MR BARMA SAID.

"SINCE THEN,

OVER 700 COMPANIES AND ORGANISATIONS

HAVE MADE

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE ISO 9000 CERTIFICATION SCHEME.

"THE AGENCY HAS ALREADY ISSUED 35 CERTIFICATES AND IS CURRENTLY PROCESSING 169 APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATION," HE SAID.

MR BARMA SAID CERTIFICATION WAS NOT EASY TO ACHIEVE, ADDING THAT IT WOULD BE ATTAINABLE PROVIDED THE COMPANY WAS COMMITTED ΤΟ QUALITY MANAGEMENT.

"TOP MANAGEMENT HAS A CRUCIAL ROLE TO PLAY IN THIS PROCESS, AND IT MUST BE BACKED BY THE COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT OF THE STAFF,' HE SAID.

MR BARMA SAID THE S MEGGA TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTD HAD ALWAYS BEEN FORWARD-LOOKING IN THIS RESPECT.

HE SAID THE COMPANY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST USERS OF THE INDUSTRY THE DEPARTMENT'S STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY, AT A TIME WHEN TERM "CALIBRATION" WAS STILL A NEW WORD FOR MANY COMPANIES IN HONG KONG.

HAVING CONTINUED TO MAKE FULL USE OF THE QUALITY SERVICES AVAILABLE, THE COMPANY HAD AT PRESENT MOVED FORWARD AGAIN TO BECOME A COMMITTED CLIENT OF THE HONG KONG QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCY, HE ADDED.

MR BARMA SAID ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY HAD ALWAYS HAD A HIGH REPUTATION FOR THE QUALITY OF ITS PRODUCTS, IT CONSIDERED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BE FORMALLY RECOGNISED AS A QUALITY COMPANY BY SEEKING ISO 9000 CERTIFICATION.

..

"THIS DEDICATION TO QUALITY IS INDEED COMMENDABLE,' HE SAID.

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