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Unit 10:Quality Management and Certification
TOPIC AREA: BUSINESS GROWTH AND ETHICS
SUB-TOPIC AREA: STANDARDISATION
Key unit competence:
To be able to explain quality management and certification.
Knowledge to be acquired
Meaning of certification,quality control, quality assurance and quality management.
The evolution of quality management.
The requirements for certification.
The importance of quality management and certification.
Application to daily life
Justify the need for quality management and certification.
Evaluate quality management issues in businesses.
Describe the requirements for acquiring a certification mark.
Distinguish certification mark from test report.
Appreciate the role of quality management and certification.
Show concern for noncertified products.
Introductory Activity
Quality of a product can be measured in terms of performance,reliability and durability. Customers would return to your organisation only if they were satisfied with your products and services. Make sure the end-user is happy with your product. Remember,a customer would be happy and satisfied only when your product meets his expectations and fulfils his needs. In this competitive world, everyone tries his/her best in their work and want their products or services to be of great quality. Every business requires continuous review of procedures and strategies to be in market with a good name. One needs to maintain the standard and quality of the work done. Quality management systems certification helps organisations to meet this goal without any difficulty. Under this unit, we shall look at certification,quality control,quality assurance,quality management and its importance and requirements of quality certification.
Questions
1 What is the importance of quality control in a business?
2 Which body in Rwanda is in charge of standards and quality control?
10.1: Meaning of Certification, Quality Control, Quality Assurance and Quality Management
ACTIVITY 10.1
In Senior one and two, we looked at the basic concepts of standardisation, metrology and quality testing. Using your knowledge on those basic concepts, answer the following questions:
1. What do you understand by the terms: standards, metrology, quality testing, and accurate measurement?
2. Briefly explain the steps/procedures followed at home to ensure quality when preparing and serving food.
3. What do you understand by:
(a) quality?
(b) quality control?
(c) quality assurance?
(c) quality management?
(d) Certification?
From activity 10.1 and 10.2, you must have derived the meaning of- certification, quality control, quality assurance and quality management. Your definitions must be similar to the ones below:
1. Certification: This is the formal procedure by which an accredited or authorised person or agency assesses and verifies (and attests in writing by issuing a certificate) the attributes, characteristics, quality, qualification, or status of individuals or organisations, goods or services, procedures or processes, or events or situations, in accordance with established requirements or standards.
2. Quality control (QC): This is a procedure or set of procedures intended to ensure that a manufactured product or performed service adheres to a defined set of quality criteria or meets the requirements of the client or customer.
3. Quality assurance: This is the maintenance of a desired level of quality in a service or product, especially by means of attention to every stage of the process of delivery or production. Quality assurance (QA) is a way of preventing mistakes or defects in manufactured products and avoiding problems when delivering solutions or services to customers; which ISO 9000 defines as “part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled’:
4. Quality management: A quality management system (QMS) is a formalised system that documents processes, procedures, and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives. A QMS helps coordinate and direct an organisation’s activities to meet customer and regulatory requirements and improve its effectiveness and efficiency on a continuous basis. ISO 9001:2015, the international standard specifying requirements for quality management systems, is the most prominent approach to quality management systems.
3.2: The History of Quality Management
ACTIVITY 10.2
Case study (adapted from (http://qualitymanagementsystem.com/total-quality- management/ the-history-of-quality-management/) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follows The history of quality management can be traced all the way back to The Middle Ages. Work completed by journeymen and apprentices were evaluated and inspected by the skilled worker to ensure that quality standards were met in all aspects of the finished product, ensuring satisfaction of the buyer. And while the history of quality management has gone through a number of changes since that time, the end goal is still the same. It was during the 1920’s when quality management systems, as we know them today, started to surface. While the focus of quality management was still on the end product, it was the first time that statistical theory was applied to product quality control. Product quality control was determined through inspections. This involved measuring, examining and testing the products, processes and services against specific requirements to ensure that each element adhered to set standards and guidelines. This algorithm worked for quite some time. Over time, however, businesses began to grow and expand. More and more products were manufactured throughout the day. Companies started to experience difficulties in following through with quality control standards. It became evident that there was a great need for change and development. Change and development were brought forth during the 1940’s by industry leaders and experts like Deming, Dodge, Juran and Roming. This would be the beginning of Total Quality Management as we know it today. Inspections were now carried out by production personnel. They were responsible for inspections during specific production intervals. This would change the focus from simply inspecting the end product to actually preventing end product problems through early detection on the production line. It was also during the 1940’s that Japan caught wind of Total Quality Management. At that time, Japanese products were considered poor quality imitations. Hearing about the success of quality management in the west, Japan employed t he assistance of quality management experts like Deming and Juran. Little did the Western culture know at that time, Japan would soon push the envelope and set new standards in TQM. During the first international quality management conference in 1969, Feigenbaum would first use the phrase Total Quality Management. Feigenbaum, however, would not meet the depth of understanding of the term that Japanese attendee and speaker, Ishikawa wouId. Ishikawa would indicate during the conference that TQM should apply to all employees within the organisation- from the workers to the head management.
The Western culture would soon catch up, however. By the 1980’s, the Western culture would take notice of Japan’s success and start to set and adhere to higher Total Quality Management guidelines. At this time, however, it was unclear as to what exactly TQM involved. The U.S. Government would soon be responsible for making those guidelines and standards clear with their development of the Malcolm Baldrige Award; an award t hat could be won by businesses that exhibited quality management excellence. Other countries, like Europe, would follow in the United States’ footsteps and develop similar awards. Today, companies all over the globe compete for the hundreds of Excellence Awards now given. The purpose of quality management, however, still remains the same as it has, all through history-to ensure that customers receive an excellent, quality product.
Questions
1. When was the concept of quality management introduced?
2. Why was the worker of journeymen and apprentices evaluated and inspected?
3. How was product quality control determined in the 1920s?
4. Describe the changes to Total quality management that happened in 1940’s
5. Which countries were instrumental in developing TQM? 6. What has been and still the overall goal of quality management?
The History of Quality Management dates as far back as 1800. All countries even Rwanda follow international quality standards to develop their own.
Below is an international history of quality management:
Quality Control
Phase 1: Operator Quality Control Period (up to 1900)
- Work done by one person or a small group.
- Limited production volume.
- Worker felt a sense of accomplishment and quality of the product was controlled by one person; the operator.
Phase 2: Foreman Quality Control Period (1900 to 1920) Industrial revolution;
- Concept of mass production based on specialisation of labour. An individual was not responsible for the production of the entire product but rather for only a portion of it. Those performing similar operations were grouped together.
- A supervisor that directed that operation now had the task of ensuring that quality was achieved. Foreman or supervisor controlled the quality of the product.
Phase 3: Inspection Quality Control Period (1920 to 1940)
- Products and processes became more complicated.
- Production volume increased. It became impossible for the foreman or supervisor to keep a close watch on individual operations.
- Inspectors were designated to check the quality of a product after certain operations. Standards were set and inspectors compared the quality of the produced item with those standards.
- If there was a difference between a standard and the product, deficient items were separated from those that met the standard. Those items were reworked if feasible or discarded.
- The foundations of statistical aspects of quality control were being developed in this period.
- In 1924: Walter A. Shewhart (from Bell Telephone Laboratories) proposed using statistical charts to control the variables of a product (control charts or sometimes referred to as shewhart control charts).
- Late 1920’s: H.F. Dodge and H.G.Romig (from Bell Telephone Lab’s) did work in the areas of acceptance sampling plans. In 1930’s the was application of acceptance sampling plan in industry Shewhart continued his efforts to promote statistical quality control (SQC) to industry.
- A joint committee for the Department of Statistical Applications in Engineering and Manufacturing was created in 1929 with the sponsorship of the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), the American Statistical Association ASA), and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics IMS).
- J. Scanlon introduced the Scanlon plan which deals with improvement of the overall quality of work life. In 1938: U.S instituted the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act procedure and practices in the areas of processing, manufacturing and packaging.
Phase 4: Statistical Quality Control Phase (1940-1960)
- During world war II production requirements escalated.Principles of sampling plans gained acceptance since 100% inspection was often not feasible.
- In 1946: American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) was established. In 1950: Military developed a set of inspection plans for attributes called MILSTD-105A. These plans underwent several modifications, becoming MILSTD-105B, MIL-STD-105C, MILSTD-lOSD, MIL-STD-105E.
- In 1957: A set of sampling plans for variables called MILSTD-414 was by the military. Even though the fundamental principles of quality control had been developed in the United States, industry didn’t adopt them, but other countries did. This caused the industry downfall in USA.
Phase 5: Total Quality Control Phase (1960’s)
- Involvement of several departments and management personnel in the quality control phase
Phase 6: Total Quality Control Organisation-wide Phase (1970’s)
- This phase involved the participation of everyone in the company; operator to the first level supervisor, manager, vice president, and even the chief executive officer. Quality was associated with every individual in the company. This notion continued in the 1980’s as Total Quality System.
Phase 7: Total Quality Control System Phase (1980’s)
- A quality system was agreed on companywide and plant-wide operating work structure, documented in effective, integrated technical and managerial procedures. It was for guiding the coordinated actions of the people, the machines and the information of the company and plant in the best and most practical ways to assure customer quality satisfaction and economical cost of quality.
- Japan dominated the world market in the 1980’s because they systematically developed a business environment in which all personnel in a company were immersed in a total quality culture.
- The methods had originated in the United States but adopted by Japans in the 1950’s (starting from 1950’s) US industry did not accept these methods at that time. The importance of training and statistical quality control was recognized after the success of the Japanese industry (1980’s).
Quality assurance
The development of Quality Assurance dates back to the aftermath of the first world war and the high death rate through accidents during munitions manufacture.
Techniques developed in the UK and in the States sprang to prominence in the 1950’s with the birth of Japanese manufacturing skills.
The purpose of the concept was to manufacture the product or produce the service “Right First Time” and to maintain the cost of quality within budgets when substantial manufacturing cost savings can be achieved.
Dr W. Edwards Deming, an American statistical academic became the ‘father’ of the quality movement when he was invited to ‘invigorate the Japanese manufacturing sector in the early 1950:He was also renowned for his famous 14 principles which are stated below:
- Seek constancy of purpose for continual improvement of products and service.
- Adopt the new philosophy created in Japan.
- Eliminate the need for mass inspection.
- End the practice of awarding business solely on the basis of price.
- Improve constantly and forever every processes for planning, production, and service.
- Institute modern methods of training on the job for all.
- Adopt and institute leadership aimed at helping people do better on their jobs.
- Encourage effective two-way communication.
- Break down barriers between departments and staff.
- Eliminate the use of slogans without providing methods.
- Eliminate work standards that prescribe quotas - substitute aids and helpful leadership.
- Remove the barriers that rob workers and management of their right to pride of workmanship.
- Institute a vigorous program of education, and encourage self improvement for everyone.
- Clearly define top management’s permanent commitment to ever improving quality and productivity.
Qualitymanagement
Quality management is recent but very important for an organisation. Advanced civilizations that supported the arts and crafts allowed clients to choose goods meeting higher quality standards rather than normal goods. In societies where arts and crafts are the responsibility of master craftsmen or artists, these masters would lead their studios and train and supervise others.
The importance of craftsmen diminished as mass production and repetitive work practices were instituted. The aim was to produce large numbers of the same goods. The first proponent in the US for this approach was Eli Whitney who proposed (interchangeable) parts manufacture for muskets, hence producing the identical components and creating a musket assembly line. The next step forward was promoted by several people including Frederick Winslow Taylor, a mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. He is sometimes called “the father of scientific management:’ He was one of the intellectual leaders of the Efficiency Movement and part of his approach laid a further foundation for quality management, including aspects like standardisation and adopting improved practices.
Evolution of Quality Management in Rwanda
ACTIVITY 10.3
Background of quality management in Rwanda Research on the background of quality management in Rwanda and answer the following questions:
1. What is Certification?
2. What is quality control?
3. What is quality assurance?
4. What quality management?
5. How is quality management implemented in Rwanda?
Rwanda followed the international quality management and control standards to develop her own standards. Quality management and control in Rwanda has undergone a series of evolution to set up standards to be followed in the country. Up to now, Rwanda is still developing new standards to govern certain products before they are released in the Rwandan Market.
The body responsible for quality management and control in Rwanda is Rwanda Standards Board (RSB). The Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) is a public National Standards Body established by the Government of Rwanda, whose mandate is to develop and publish National Standards, carry out research in the areas of standardisation, and to disseminate information on standards, technical regulations related to standards and conformity assessment, metrology for the setting up of measurement standards, among others.
The Board was created from the old Rwanda Standards Board (RBS) after decoupling regulatory and non-regulatory functions and upgrading of Units into Divisions. The intention was to have an institution that can respond to the changing business landscape in Rwanda and beyond. RSB is now a service provider while the standards enforcement functions, inspections and legal metrology verifications, have moved to an independent Body.
The Organisational Structure of Rwanda Standards Board therefore comprises four Divisions:
1. National Standards Division.
2. National Quality Testing Laboratories.
3. National Metrology Services.
4. National Certification Division.
Rwanda Standards Board is committed to providing standardisation, conformity assessment and metrology services that improve competitiveness of Rwanda products and services within the region and internationally.
3.3: Certification
ACTIVITY 10.4
Research activity
Research in the schoollibrary or the internet on www.rsb.gov.rw/””rbs/main-nav/certification/ product-certification.html and find the meaning of the following:
1. Certification
2. Registration.
3. Certification body.
4. Certification schemes.
5. Product certification
6. System certification.
7. Personnel certification.
8. Certification mark.
9. Certification test report.
ACTIVITY 10.5
Research activity
Visit your school library or use the internet on www.rsb.gov.rwt rbs/main-nav/certification/ product-certification.html or using available finished products and make a research on the following:
1. Examples of certification bodies in Rwanda.
2. Examples of personnel certification marks.
3. Examples of product certification marks.
4. Examples of system certification marks.
5. International and Rwandan certification marks.
From activity10.5 and 10.6, we have learnt that certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. Certification is also known as third party conformity assessment. It is a formal procedure by which an accredited or authorised person or agency assesses and verifies (and attests in writing by issuing a certificate) the attributes,characteristics,quality, qualification, or status of individual’s or organisation’s goods or services, procedures or processes or events or situations in accordance with established requirements or standards.
Registration
To gain ISO 9000 registration, a company must meet certain standards for quality assurance in its operations, as certified by a third-party registration agency. The quality assurance system, not the product or service itself, achieves the registration. When a company obtains an ISO 9000 registration certificate,it means that the company has a system in place to ensure that any product or service it puts on the market will consistently meet international standards of quality.
Certification body
A certification body is any recognisable agency that grants permission to an individual or organisation and controls, monitors and assesses an individual’s or organisation’s information technology and business systems. In Rwanda, Rwanda Standard Board (RSB) is the only body in charge of certification.
Other bodies just regulate or accredit products and services in their respective areas such as;
- Rwanda Education Board (REB), confirms all certificates of learners who have completed primary level, lower secondary and upper secondary level in Rwanda,
- Higher Education Council (HEC); accredates institutions of higher learning and ensures that they adhere to the set principals.
- Rwanda Development Board (RDB);
- The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (iCPAR); International standards organisation (ISO); and many others.
Certification Schemes
Certification schemes are elaborate and systematic plans of action or mechanisms for establishing market preference for sustainable goods. They verify that an organisation has achieved a certain standard, whereas a standard itself can be set independently without the added validation of an independent third party
Example: In the palm oil sector, two certification schemes currently dominate: the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system. The RSPO is the main certification standard for the use of palm oil and its fractions in food and chemicals. It uses a multi-stakeholder, business-to business model to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices by members (particularly producers) and promotes the uptake of certified sustainable palm oil internationally
The ISCC is based on the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and German sustainability ordinances (BioNachV) and is the predominant certification scheme for palm oil used as a feedstock for biofuels. It includes a rigorous carbon accounting mechanism, which documents energy inputs and greenhouse gas outputs to ensure that biofuels are truly sustainable.
Product Certification
Product certification is an attestation following assessment that; attributes, characteristics, quality or status of goods, are in accordance with established standards. The scope covers foods and beverages, construction materials, cosmetics, paper based products and other industrial products. Most product certification bodies are accredited to International Standards Organisation (ISO).
Certified products in Rwanda are given a Standardisation Mark (S-Mark), to be displayed on the product. When you check, for example on bottles or products oflnyange industry, Nil industry and others in Rwanda, you find a logo or an S-Mark on many product labels.
Benefits of Product Certification
ACTIVITY 10.6
Benefits and process of Product Certification
1. Describe the benefits of product certification in business.
2. Research in the school library or using Internet on the process of product certification
Benefits of Product Certification include:
- The mark is a powerful marketing tool for all manufacturers especially exporters. This eliminates the need for products to be re-tested all the time;
- Displaying the mark gives a product real point-of-sale differentiation resulting in more sales and greater revenue.
- The mark provides credibility when negotiating any contract especially government contracts as reflected in Rwandan regulation, exports and tender submissions.
- There is an improvement in complaints’ handling. This cuts costs and increases customer satisfaction.
- The certification scheme results in consistent quality of products as it involves operating in a defined manner.
Product Certification Process
1. Filling-in an application form.
2. Certification fee payment.
3. Conduct audit of the production line and take samples.
4. Product sampling and testing
5. Submission of audit report to client.
6. Closure of corrective actions (if any).
7. Certification decision by independent committee.
8. Issuance of certificate of conformity.
9. Surveillance audit.
10. Market surveillance.
11. Re-certification (after 2 years). Note that the time frame mainly depends on client’s readiness.
System Certification System certification is an attestation following assessment that; attributes, characteristics, quality or status of organisations, services, procedures or processes are in accordance with established standards. A system will involve a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole. The system can be machines, customers’ system, production processes, decision making process and many others.
Certifying quality management systems and processes improves the ability of an organisations’ operations to meet customer requirements and expectations. System certifications requires an organisation to comply with the standards of ISO 9001:2008 that enable continuous improvement of organisation’s quality management systems (QMS) and processes.
Principles and Process of System Certification
ACTIVITY 10.7
Research on the following:
1. Quality management systems principles.
2. The process of systems certification.
ISO 9001:2008 mandated with continuous improvement of Quality Management Systems and certification is based on eight quality management principles:
- Customer focus # Leadership
- Involvement of people # Process approach
- System approach # Continual improvement
- Fact-based decision making, and
- Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
A valid ISO 9001:certificate indicates that an organisation follows internationally recognised quality management principles.
The scope covers:
- enhancement of environmental performance;
- fulfilment of compliance obligations;
- achievement of environmental objectives.
ISO 14001:2015 is applicable to any organization,regardless of size,type and nature,and applies to the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services that the organization determines it can either control or influence considering a life cycle perspective.
ISO 14001:2015 does not state specific environmental performance criteria. ISO 14001:2015 can be used in whole or in part to systematically improve environmental management. Claims of conformity to ISO 14001:2015,however, are not acceptable unless all its requirements are incorporated into an organization’s environmental management system and fulfilled without exclusion.
Organic farming certification
Organic Certification is the procedure for verifying that the products conform to certain standards. In case of Organic Products, it is primarily the acknowledgment that the products have been produced according to the applicable Organic Standards. Basically all the major organic markets of the world like India, European Union, USA, and Japan have developed their own Organic Standards.
- Lab test report for all the items we sale for% of organic content is to be made available.
- A food labelled 100% Organic means that 100% of the substances, ingredients,processing aids,food additives are certified organic. Most often these foods are fresh certified organic fruits and vegetables, or products with very few ingredients (all of which are certified organic.)
- Organic means that 95-100% of the ingredients are organic. All Horizon Organic products are labelled this way.
- Only food items with either of the above terms can use the ORGANIC seal. Food labelled Made with Organic Ingredients contain 70-94% organic ingredients, and cannot use the ORGANIC seal.
System Certification Process
- Filling-in application form.
- Certification fee payment.
- Stage 1 audit (desk audit & on site visit).
- Stage 2 audit (full audit).
- Submission of audit report to client.
- Closure of corrective actions (if any).
- Certification decision by independent committee.
- Issuance of certificate of conformity.
- Surveillance audit.
- Re-certification (after 3 years).
Note that the time frame mainly depends on client’s readiness.
Benefits of Standards
ACTIVITY 10.8
Research on the benefits of standards to:
{a) Consumers
{b) Business {SMEs)
{c) The government
Standards have become such integral components of our economic, social and legal systems that they are frequently taken for granted and their crucial role in a modern society is often not recognised.
The RSB Standards Division has unconquerable experience in its core function, namely, the development of national standards and maximizing the benefits of international standards through adoptions, which enhances the competitiveness of the Rwandan industry and advance international trade. In Rwanda, our standards enhance competitiveness and provide the basis for consumer protection, health and safety.
Benefits to consumers
- Standards ensure that consumers are protected from hazards to their health and safety.
- Standards promote and protect economic interests of consumers.
- Standards ensure that consumers have easier access to and greater choice in goods and services.
- Standards ensure improved quality and reliability
- Standards ensure better operation and compatibility between products and services.
- Standards ensure the availability of effective consumer redress.
- Standards lower installation and start-up costs.
- Standards inspire added trust in your business.
- Standards assist business to meet mandatory regulations.
- Standards ensure improved quality and reliability.
- Standards create a competitive advantage by improving the quality of your goods and services.
- Standards open new markets by assuring new customers that you meet their quality requirements.
- Standards attract new customers.
- Standards reduce cost in the way you do business.
- Standards benefit the Rwandan Government by complementing regulations and promoting international trade.
- Standards reduce technical barriers to international trade, thus positioning Rwanda industries to compete in the world economy.
- Standards are used to regulate and monitor industry so as to prevent adverse business practices.
- Standards help make laws consistent.
- Standards offer an alternative to regulation, with less red tape and business costs, while still ensuring that products and services are safe and healthy.
ACTIVITY 10.9
Using your school library,internet or resourceful personnel research on the:
1. Meaning of personnel certification.
2. Examples of personnel certification bodies in Rwanda.
A Personnel certification body is an organisation that awards credentials to individuals meeting specific competence requirements relating to a profession, an occupation, a job or a portion of a job. A personnel certification body develops criteria against which an individual needs to demonstrate competencies and ensures that these criteria are held by applicants before certifying them.
Most personnel certification bodies offer professional certification if an individual meets requirement such as a minimum number of years of related working experience, minimum education level and having passed a certification exam or equivalent. Many personnel certification bodies are accredited by accrediting bodies to the ISO/IEC 17024 standard, which was designed to harmonize the personnel certification process worldwide. Most are not. Accreditation means having gone through a validation process or assessment from a national accreditation body such as the Certified Public Accountants (CPA),The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (iCPAR) for accountants, certified engineers.
Certification Marks
ACTIVITY 10.10
Using your school library,internet or resourceful personnel research on the:
1. Meaning of certification mark.
2. Standardisation mark.
3. Examples of international and Rwandan certification marks
A certification mark is a symbol used to identify goods and/or services that meet certain standards or specifications. These standards or specifications include: quality, accuracy, place of origin,raw materials, mode of manufacture of goods or performance of services, other specified properties A certification mark is a sign certifying that the goods or services in respect of which it is used are of a particular origin, material, mode of manufacture, quality, accuracy, performance, or other characteristics.
This differs from a standard trade mark registration whose function is to distinguish the goods or services that originate from a single party. The owner of a certification mark exercises control over the use of the mark and ensures the standards have been met. Because the sole purpose of a certification mark is to indicate that certain standards have been met, use of the certification mark is by others.
A certification mark means a sign capable of;- being represented graphically; and
- distinguishing in the course of trade,
- goods certified by any person in respect of origin,material,mode of manufacture, quality, accuracy, or other characteristic from goods not so certified; or
- services certified by any person in respect of quality, accuracy, performance, or other characteristic from services not so certified.
A certification mark denotes independent certification by its owner that the goods and services in relation to which it is used possess certain defined characteristics. A certification mark may be registered in the name of the person who certifies the goods or services.
The owner of a registered certification mark has the same rights as those attached to a standard trade mark registration, including the exclusive right to use, and allow other persons to use, the certification trade mark. However, as the certification of goods or services must be undertaken by an independent organisation, the owner of the certification mark cannot trade in the goods or services concerned.
National Quality Testing Laboratories
ACTIVITY 10.11
Research activity Using your school library, internet or resourceful personnel research on the:
1. National Quality Testing laboratories.
2. Test Services offered to clients.
3. Purpose of testing.
4. Test report 5. Importance of certification and quality management.
The National Quality Testing Laboratories (NQTL) is one of the five divisions that constitute Rwanda Standards Board. National Quality Testing Laboratories are equipped with High tech equipment and are managed in accordance to International standard ISO/IEC 17025 (General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories).
The laboratories are committed to use trained competent personnel to ensure reliable and timely delivery of Test results.
The primary function of the testing services is to provide tests in areas of Material Engineering, polymers and leather, electronic and Textiles, Chemistry, Food and Microbiology. The test services are offered to a wide range of clientele that include, but are not limited to:- Products manufacturers,
- Exporters,
- Non-governmental Organisations,
- Government institutions,
- Research institutions,
- Authorized Quality Inspectors who implement Standards.
- The valuing of goods for purposes of trade,
- Checking for conformity to standards,
- Part of investigation on product complaints,
- Checking for composition and or strength of materials,
- Confirming absence/presence of banned ingredients or unwanted substance,
- Safety tests.
National Quality Testing Laboratories under ISO 17025 provides the customer/ representative reasonable access to the relevant areas of the laboratory for the witnessing of test (s) performed for the customer, the customers are also free to give the feedback pertaining services offered. Complaints from customers are handled with care and records maintained.
For different services please find attached the forms to be used. After testing a product, a test report is produced.
Test report
A test report is the end result of certification. It shows the current status of a product after being tested. It is a document that records data obtained from an experiment of evaluation in an organized manner, describes the environmental or operating conditions, and shows the comparison of test results with test objectives.
A test report shows the short summary of the original test mandate, what is being tested within the project, and how it is to be performed, the timeline and so on. For example, Inyange water can be tested to find out whether it has adhered to all the product stated standards. A test report shows;- The areas you have passed.
- Areas you have failed that need improvement.
3.4: Importance of Quality Management and Certification
From activity 10.11, we derive the following importances of quality management and certification:- Helps organisations to make continuous review of procedures and strategies to be in the market with a good name. Following the rules, will make sure that they have a good turnaround in their business and make the most profit out of it.
- Builds more clientele as it builds confidence in both the customers and new project leaders to emerge with you.
- Helps organisation in carrying out internal audits. Auditors and employees follow rules of quality management systems which play an important role in a company’s term as long as it’s active.
- Maintaining quality and standards in products and services. Regular review and implementation of better methods, practices and policies helps to ensure quality.
- It increases customer’s loyalty and trust.
- It also increases the efficiency of workers in the organisation.
- Quality management is essential for customer satisfaction which eventually leads to customer loyalty.
- Quality management ensures superior high quality products and services by eliminating defects and incorporating continuous changes and improvements in the system.
- Quality management ensures that you deliver products as per promises made to the customers through various modes of promotions.
- Quality management tools help an organisation to design and create a product which the customer actually wants and desires.
Unit Summary
- Certification: Formal procedure by which an accredited or authorized person or agency assesses and verifies (and attests in writing by issuing a certificate) the attributes, characteristics, quality, qualification, or status of individuals or organisations, goods or services, procedures or processes, or events or situations, in accordance with established requirements or standards.
- Quality control (QC): Quality control (QC) is a procedure or set of procedures intended to ensure that a manufactured product or performed service adheres to a defined set of quality criteria or meets the requirements of the client or customer
- Quality assurance: Quality assurance (QA) is a way of preventing mistakes or defects in manufactured products and avoiding problems when delivering solutions or services to customers; which ISO 9000 defines as “part of quality management focused on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled”.
- Quality management: A quality management system (QMS) is a formalized system that documents processes, procedures, and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives. A QMS helps coordinate and direct an organisation’s activities to meet customer and regulatory requirements and improve its effectiveness and efficiency on a continuous basis.
- Rwanda Standards Board (RSB): The Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) is a public National Standards Body established by the Government of Rwanda, whose mandate is to develop and publish National Standards, carry out research in the areas of standardization, and to disseminate information on standards, technical regulations related to standards and conformity assessment, metrology for the setting up of measurement standards, among others.
- Certification body: A certification body is any recognizable agency that grants permission to an individual or organisation and controls, monitors and assesses an individual’s or organisation’s information technology and business systems.
- Certification schemes: Certification schemes are elaborate and systematic plans of action or mechanisms for establishing market preference for sustainable goods. They verify that an organisation has achieved a certain standard, whereas a standard itself can be set independently without the added validation of an independent third party.
- Certification mark: A certification mark is a form of trademark used to identify goods and/or services that meet certain standards or specifications. These standards or specifications include: quality, accuracy, place of origin, raw materials, mode of manufacture of goods or performance of services, other specified properties.
- Product Certification: The product Certification is an attestation following assessment that; attributes, characteristics, quality, or status of goods, are in accordance with established standards. The scope covers foods and beverages, construction materials, cosmetics, paper based products and other industrial products.
- The Mark is a powerful marketing tool for all manufacturers especially exporters. This eliminates the need for products to be re-tested all the time;
- Displaying the mark gives a product real point-of-sale differentiation resulting in more sales and greater revenue; 237 Unit 10: Quality Management and Certification
- The Mark provides credibility when negotiating any contract especially government contracts as reflected in Rwandan regulation, exports and tender submissions;
- There is an improvement in complaints’ handling this cuts costs and increases customer satisfaction;
- The certification scheme results in consistent quality of products as it involves operating in a defined manner.
- Filling-in application form
- Certification fee payment
- To conduct audit of the production line and take samples
- Product sampling and testing
- Submission of audit report to client
- Closure of corrective actions (if any)
- Certification decision by independent committee
- Issuance of certificate of conformity
- Surveillance audit # Market surveillance
- Re-certification (after 2 years)
- Filling-in application form
- Certification fee payment
- Stage 1 audit (desk audit & on site visit)
- Stage 2 audit (full audit)
- Submission of audit report to client
- Closure of corrective actions (if any)
- Certification decision by independent committee
- Issuance of certificate of conformity
- Customer focus
- Leadership
- Involvement of people 238 Ordinary Level Entrepreneurship for Rwanda Schools, Learner’s Book Senior 3
- Process approach
- System approach
- Continual improvement
- Fact-based decision making, and
- Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
Benefits to consumers- Standards ensure that consumers are protected from hazards to their health and safety.
- Standards promote and protect economic interests of consumers.
- Standards ensure that consumers have easier access to and greater choice in goods and services.
- Standards ensure improved quality and reliability.
- Standards ensure better operation and compatibility between product s and services.
- Standards ensure the availability of effective consumer redress.
- Standards lower installation and start-up costs.
- Standards inspire added trust in your business.
- Standards assist business to meet mandatory regulations.
- Standards ensure improved quality and reliability.
- Standards create a competitive advantage by improving the quality of your goods and services.
- Standards open new markets by assuring new customers that you meet their quality requirements.
- Standards attract new customers.
- Standards reduce cost in the way you do business.
- Standards benefit the Rwandan Government by complementing regulations and promoting international trade.
- Standards reduce technical barriers to international trade, thus positioning Rwanda industries to compete in the world economy.
- Standards are used to regulate and monitor industry so as to prevent adverse business practices.
- Standards help make laws consistent.
- Standards offer an alternative to regulation, with less red tape and business costs, while still ensuring that products and services are safe and healthy.
- Helps organisations to make continuous review of procedures and strategies to be in the market with a good name. Following the rules, will make sure that they have a good turnaround in their business and make the most profit out of it.
- Builds more clientele as it builds confidence in both the customers and new project leaders to emerge with you.
- Helps organisation in carrying out internal audits. Auditors and employees follow rules of quality management systems which play an important role in a company’s term as long as it’s active.
- Maintaining quality and standards in products and services. Regular review and implementation of better methods, practices and policies helps to ensure quality.
- It increases customer’s loyalty and trust
- It also increases the efficiency of workers in the organisation.
1. What do you understand by:
(a) Quality?
(b) Quality control?
(c) Quality management?
(d) Certification?
(e) Quality assurance?
2. Why should Rwanda Standards Board enforce quality management and certification in Rwanda?
