Experiences gained at quality management system · Experiences gained at quality management system introducing and work ace. to ISO 9001 standard in Szczecin shipyard S.A. (Stocznia

Experiences gained at quality management system

introducing and work ace. to ISO 9001 standard in

Szczecin shipyard S.A. (Stocznia Szczecinska S.A.)

K. Krukowski

Szczecin Shipyard, Quality Department, Szczecin, Poland

SummaryThe Author presents the methods of Quality Management Systemintroduced and in operation in Szczecin Shipyard.Stocznia Szczecinska S.A. (SSSA) is one of the largest industrial enterprises inthe area of Pomorze Zachodnie. It has been co-operating with approximately1000 home and foreign businesses.The scope of SSSA activity includes:- design, construction, repair and sales of water crafts ,- manufacture of other products ,- transport,- provision of services ,- import / export of commodities and services ,- home trade.Stocznia Szczecinska S.A. is a large industrial company with a significantproduction potential.The production premises spread over an area of ca.900 000 m\ of which ca. 84 000 nf has been roofed. The engineeringfacilities enable the construction of vessels 33 500 tonnes DWT in two hullconstruction centres:+ "WULKAN" with 250 x 25.6m and 248 x 25.6m slipways ,+ "ODRA" with a 189 x 44m slipway, which makes possible to built vessels upto 50 000 tonnes DWT.

Stocznia constructs , furnishes and sells vessels and marine equipmentdesigned in its Design Office , based upon its own "know-how" and anufacturepractice. CAD has been widely implemented to enhance the entire designingprocess/The yard's processing lines pertinent to plate pre-fabrication andnesting have been significantly automated and processor-controlled. Thehoisting capacity throughout the pre-fabrication workshops enables to piece upmodules up to 100 Mg in size, whereas same at the slipways ensures theassembly of hull modules up to 300 Mg. The outfitting quay 1500m long isfully equipped and provided with an ample hoisting capacity.Throughout its 40-years' activity the yard has delivered more than 525 shipsof diverse types, and amongst them:+ chemical tankers and product tankers ,+ general cargo ships and bulk carriers ,+ multipurpose general cargo vessels and container ships ,+ research ships and combined tug-and-supply vessels ,

Transactions on the Built Environment vol 11, © 1995 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3509

554 Marine Technology and Transportation

+ cargo-and-passenger ferryboats.Recently the yard has specialised in the construction of 850-1650 TEDcontainer ships. The tasks assigned to the yard are accomplished undersupervision of Classification Societies, which are selected at shipowners'discretion. SSSA deals with contract acquisition and trade on its own.Contracts are concluded by Sales and Marketing Department, whichco-operates with brokers based in Hamburg, Oslo and London and also inPoland. Every shipyard and also SSSA is to reach for and then retain a topposition in the competitive shipbuilding market. It is to face challenges ofshipowners, who require the ship to provide not only excellent performance buta high manufacture quality as well. Currently the limiting of the costs bymeans of a low hourly payment rate and in consequence by the employment ofpoorly qualified work force never attracts a buyer due to a doubtfulmanufacture quality. The term "quality", according to ISO Standards, refers tosuch a situation, where a customer is totally pleased with the fulfillment oftheir requirements and expectations reflected in a contract by means of theprice, delivery time and highest quality assurance. The customers all over theworld require that the manufacturers are to implement quality assurancesystems, which are in compliance with ISO Standards in question. Thedevelopment and implementation of a quality assurance system is neithersimple nor cheap. The relevant process requires that a business bewell-organized in its every field of activity and its cells be committed to andfully responsible for the assigned tasks, starting with Managing Director downto an individual employee.A perfect management and reasonably applied khow-how are the key-factorsfor success-oriented businesses, which intend to implement ISO 9000 basedquality assurance system by themselves. The year 1993 was very successful forStocznia Szczecinska S.A., the particular reasons for that merry mood being agood financial result, a thick order book, the favourable completion of aconsecutive stage of the SSSA privatisation. A quality assurance system wasimplemented, which improved substantially the organization of works. Anothersuccess was that the yard was certified to ISO 9001 Quality Assurance System(QAS). That is a remarkable success since SSSA as the first Polish shipyardstarted to be ranked amongst the so certified businesses. The implementationof ISO 9001 Quality Assurance System at the yard brought about not only abetter recognition in the market but business-oriented advantages within theyard as well. The improved organisation of the works created a better workingenvironment, conditions for the manufacture of a higher quality product andadded to an advanced approach towards the responsibility for assigned tasks ateach level. The year 1993 witnessed the enforcement of the Single EuropeanAct, in result of which it is the manufacturers offering products of assuredquality, who count in the market. Such high quality level may be accomplishedthanks to the implementation of ISO 9000 / EN 29000 QAS.The submission of QAS documentation for client's perusal prior to clinching acontract has become a must, which honours no exception unless a QAS hasbeen examined by an independent body being accredited by the subsidiaries ofeither ISO or CEN. The confirmation of compliance of yard's QAS with ISO9001 was handed in to Stocznia Szczecinska S.A. on 10.11.1993 byGermanischer Lloyd - having been accredited with Raat voor de Certificate the


Marine Technology and Transportation 555

Netherlands and with Tragergemeinschaft Akkreditierung /T.G.A./, Germanyand Deutscher Akkreditierungsrat, Germany. The ceremonial handing-over ofthe ISO 9001 QAS certification to SSSA was held on 27.11.1993 whilesteaming for Hamburg , Germany on board a containership "Paul Rickmers"; itwas witnessed by about 600 visitors ,amongst them being shipowners, businesspartners of the owner of the ship in question , both Germany's and Poland'smass media reps.The lane towards the success had been very difficult and therefore I wish toelaborate on it later on in order to specify which measures had had to be takento develop , implement and finally to have Quality System certified. Due to theabove I will present facts , issues and accomplishments of our shipyard in achronological order , which finally ended up with the acquisition of ISO 9001certification. In the seventies SSSA had worked out and developed a KSSJ -Quality Control Complex System - within DO-RO framework (DO-RO is anabbreviation of DOBRA ROBOTA i.e. GOOD WORK). Similar systems hadbeen effective in a few dozens of home enterprises.KSSJ was then modified at the yard in the years 1981 and 1984. In 1987 SSSAentered into agreement with Osrodek Badania Jakosci Wyrobow (ResearchCentre for Product Quality) - ZETOM at Ministerstwo Hutnictwa i PrzemysluMaszynowego (Ministry of Steel and Machine Construction Industries) forresearch and implementation studies , which were to be financed from CPRBfunds , with the goal to convert and modify the existent KSSJ to System ofComplex Quality Control and Quality Cost Balance (abbr. SKSJ). A series ofnew sub-systems was worked out, and amongst them a sub-system of deliveryquality assessment, a sub-system of welding process quality assessment,a quality cost balance and others. The works were completed and the systemimplemented at the shipyard in June 1990. The same year ZETOM by order ofthe Ministry for Industry and Trade performed a series of inspections in certaincompanies to find out whether their quality systems complied with ISO 9000Standard. Stocznia Szczecihska, too , was subjected to the inspection.ZETOM's report (title: Quality System of Shipyard) after the audit revealedmany similarities and consistencies with the system specified in ISO Standard.On the other hand there were issues calling for an improved approach. Vagueand unpredictable situation in Poland's industries , and same in our shipyard,was of no help for the Quality Staff, who had been attempting to introduce anew QS. Seminars "Quality Management Systems" organised in the years1989-1992 by ZETOM, NOT and other institutions , and which were attendedby reps of Stocznia Szczecihska , proved expressly , that the process of theimplementation of ISO 9000 based systems had been well underway and thatthe shipbuilding industry - regardless of its individual approaches towardsquality approvals - should be involved within the process. In PRS's Bulletme ofApril 1991 there was news on the fact International Council of 1ACS wascompiling a project on "Certification Principles of QAS" and that each memberof this organisation (also PRS) was to introduce a QAS conforming to ISO9001 Standard , and that all made the shipyard's Quality Department executivesthink a new system was a must. A visit of Director of PRS in July 1992, onwhich he offered our shipyard assistance at developing QAS , caused that thequality staff of both Design Office and Quality Department obtained fromManagement a duty to do a feasibility study of the preparation of the pertinent



documentation within the shipyard. Design Office and Quality Departmentworked out an analysis "Accomplishment of QAS Certification at StoczniaSzczecihska S.A."Authors: Kazimierz Krukowski, Antoni Schneider.The analysis contained:* Principles on Acquiring QAS Certification* Benefits from being certified* Costs of Acquiring Certification* Primary Activities Aimed at Acquiring Certification* QAS Book / structure and description /* Organisation of Goal Accomplishment* Information on Businesses having ISO AccreditationOn the basis of that document, the management of Stocznia Szczecihska S.A.announced a resolution on the implementation and certification of QAS beingin compliance with ISO Standards. After having investigated the offers fromcertifying bodies such as :- Germanischer Lloyd- Yarsley- Lloyd's Register of Shipping- Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von QualitatssicherungssystemGermanischer Lloyd was selected as the most appropriate one.

On 5.11.1992 in Hamburg a seminar was held with the attendance of yard'sreps. The required scope of requirements on Quality System, training ,principles of motivating the personnel, practical system implementation steps ,certification procedures , schedule of works for working out andimplementation of QAS were discussed. The next step was the development of"Organisation of Measures to be Taken to Adapt QAS to the ISO 9001Standard Requirements" by design Office. Author: Kazimierz Krukowski.That paper included:*Goal* Justification of the goal* Inevitable measures to be taken to acquire the certification of QAS* QAS documentation necessary for certification* Organisation of processing of the venture* Schedule of the venture* Stage schedules* Comparative listing of elements of QAS ace. to ISO Standard* Project of QAS in Stocznia Szczecinska S.A. ace. to the requirements of ISO9000 Standard Series

* Organisation of project works on QAS / diagrams /* Flow chart while working out and implementing procedures and instructions* Tasks and responsibilities of staff of Control Team - Working Groups -executives of organisational cells

* Guidelines for Control Team* Guidelines for Working Groups* Procedure development algorithm* Pattern forms of procedures and instructions* Numbering of procedures and instructions* Example of comprehensive development of procedure scheduling* Audits / internal surveys /



* Algorithm of audit - reports* Procedures of acquiring QAS certification* ISO 9001 QAS propaganda amongst the workers* Example of a developed procedureIn 9.12.1992 a resolution of Managing Director of the yard was issued. Itconcerned " Preparation of Stocznia Szczecinska S.A. for AcquiringCertification Confirming Compliance of Its Quality Assurance System withInternational Standards".The Director of the shipyard set the primary goal of SSSA quality policy i.e.retaining a remarkable position of a reliable and trustworthy manufacturer inthe world's shipbuilding industry and furthermore that this objective is to beadhered to by:- readiness of the shipyard to design and construct new generations of highquality and reliable ships which conform to rules of classification societiesand other relevant authorities as well as to standards laid down in maritimeconventions;

- observing the requirements of shipowners and classification societies- while building a ship , reaching parameters defined with quality of type and

execution;- enforcement of a required quality of supplies from yard's suppliers;- demanding documented QAS to ISO 9000 Standard series from yard'ssuppliers;

- constant modernisation of the production facilities in line with ensuringyard's quality of products;- permanent qualifications upgrading courses for yard's personnel;- constant improvement of quality management at the yard.The quality works supervision was vested in hands of Technical Director,Project Manager / Author / and his Deputy were appointed, Control Team andWorking Groups along with their responsibilities and scheduling pertaining tothe final goal achievement were established. Both Project Manager and SSSAQuality Manager run necessary courses for the above teams and groups in thefield of the requirements stipulated in ISO 9000 and ISO 10011.The scope included :Standardization and certification in the EEC countries:* The issue of quality ; quality strategy : the term quality.* Quality policy: definition / ISO 8402 Standard ./, quality systems ace. to ISO9000 Standard series - selection of the system. ISO 9000,

* Quality system - lecture / interpretation /.* Quality audit, its types, auditing process / ISO 10011 Standard /.* Quality System documentation.* Quality Book.* QAS procedures / QAS instructions /.* Quality entries.* Works organisation while documenting quality system.* Tasks of the teams developing QAS documentation. Approach to developing

QAS procedures.A draft copy of Quality Book of Stocznia Szczecinska S.A. developed underthe lead of Project Manager s well as basic procedures and instructions ofQuality Assurance System provided a foundation and a pattern for furtherdevelopments by the members of the teams.



In order to enhance and to achieve a better quality of the works which werecarried out at that time, Stocznia Szczecihska S.A. with a participation ofGermanischer Lloyd and Polish Business Advisory Service held a seminar andworkshops in the field of the implementation of ISO 9000 Standard serieswhere lecturers of Germanischer Lloyd and of International ManagementConsultants provided their guidance. Gradually, based upon comments,remarks and opinions of organizational cells and teams, Project Manager wasable to work out" A Draft of Quality Assurance Book of Stocznia SzczecinskaS.A." which were afterwards passed to the members of SSSA Management fortheir approval and its eventual issue.All the developed documents, procedures and instructions, after beingverified, opinioned, agreed, approved and issued were consequentlyimplemented in the organizational cells of the yard. An extensive agitationamongst the employees regarding Quality Assurance System was embarkedupon. Totally 300 QAS procedures and instructions were developed andimplemented. A number of yard's standardizing acts pertinent to QASprocedures were verified and updated.A uniform structure of to date utilized engineering instructions based upon thepattern of QAS instructions and procedures' was introduced. Also, yard'sstandards in the Polish-English version reflecting the ISO Standards'requirements were worked out and put into effect. In order to have personnelgot acquainted and capable of conducting an internal audit at the yard, aseminar titled "Quality System Audit" - given by lecturers of Osrodek BadaniaJakosci Wyrobow / Product Quality Research Centre ZETOM - was held.Once the seminar was completed, works were immediately started to work outdocumentation on the internal audit. Auditors nominated by a decision of theDirector of the yard started their job in individual cells of the yard observingthe plans and schedule of the audit laid down in the effective procedures. Thedefinite version of Quality Book of Stocznia Szczecinska S.A. No. 1 wasapproved on 22.07.1993 by the Director of the yard. On the basis of internalauditors' reports Project Manager filled out Cards of Non-Conformities andinitiated corrective action to the procedures. Once any and all non-conformitieswere cured thanks to the corrective action ,Project Manager run a check-outand after having found out the remedies were effective he announced thereadiness of QAS to a survey. QAS did not proved any departures off ISOStandards as far as the functioning of it in the yard's organizational cells wereconcerned. Technical Director acknowledged the readiness of QAS to thecertification routines. Due to the applicable procedure , 6 weeks prior to acertification audit to be performed by Germanischer Lloyd , the QASdocumentation and GL-selected primary procedures were subjected to initialexamination.In a time preceding the certification audit the yard's management took part in aseminar on "ISO Quality Systems for Management Members" run by lecturersfrom Osrodek Badania Jakosci Wyrobow / Product Quality Research CentreZETOM . The audit of QAS of Stocznia Szczecihska S.A. was carried outbetween the 11th and 15th October 1993. A good atmosphere and awarenessfrom both the personnel and auditors. The auditors disclosed seven slightdepartures from ISO 9000 Standard. They admitted it was an excellent scorefor such a large company and allowing for associated lots of the relevantdocumentation. Some of discrepancies were corrected on the spot by the



auditors. According to the auditors the number of departures was therecord-breaking least amount to that date, since in a comparable renownedGerman company 43 non-conformities were discovered whereas normally therate is about 200. The auditors reckoned the yard's executive staff set a newrecord in the developing, implementing QAS as it had taken barely 9 monthsagainst 1.5 to 3 years needed in the West-European counterparts. As a resultwe were awarded the Quality Assurance System certificate of compliance withISO 9001 Standard. The certification covers: the construction of ships andmachines and steel constructions. It is to be well noted we had been keepingthe yard's personnel informed on the progress in that task.All the employees of the yard and subcontractors were given a booklet "ISO9001 / EN 29001 Guide", whose contents' familiarity was as equal as theeffective procedures and instructions of QAS.Once the first experiences from the GL certification audit were collected, a"Programme of works relative to maintaining QAS throughout 1994" wasdeveloped. It included:1. Development of new documentation on QAS procedures related to:- improvement of the existing procedures- entry of supplements to the procedures past internal audits- re-organization within the yard (establishing Sales and Marketing Dept,Financial Dept., Strategic Planning Office)

- enforcement of legislation on metrology- development of procedures for quality accounting- collection of needs of organizational cells.2. Updating the SSSA Quality Book.3. Qualifying QAS leading auditors.4. Running internal audits in yard's organizational cells.5. Corrective actions past the audits.6. Running audits in yard's subcontractors.7. Assessment of yard's subcontractors considering the requirement for the

possession / implementation / of QAS systems to ISO Standards.Whilst "Programme 1994" was put into practice, 156 QAS procedures andinstructions were worked out or upgraded. As for now, the QAS contains 323procedures and instructions. 15 leading auditors were trained for the needs ofthe shipyard - the relevant courses were run by Quality ManagementInternational (UK) according to requirements of National Registration Schemefor Assessors Quality Systems. The implemented changes within the yard'sorganizational structure as well as newly set procedures resulted in significantamendments in Quality Book; due to the above in 1994 it was to work out anew edition ( 03 ) of SSSA Quality Book. The examination of functioning QASat the yard was conducted 5.04 through 25.08.94 with the help of 24 auditingteams (2-person auditing teams). In consequence of the internal audit, theappropriate reports and Cards of Non-Conformities and Corrective Action .The cells specified in the Cards implemented the proper corrective actionswithin their fields of interest. Between 30.09.94 and 6.10.94 audits wereconducted at the servicing firms and subcontractors' with respect to thepossession of the required documentation on Quality Management Systems toISO 9000 series Standards. Together 27 firms were involved, inclusive ofthose, which had their quality systems certified in the meantime. Another



event related to the verification of the efficiency of QAS was a survey run by

the management - it happened on 21 th October 1994 in the preselectedorganisational cells of the shipyard. Conclusions and settlements after thatsurvey were handed to the cells in question, which than cured the discoveredproblems.Germanischer Lloyd conducted a control audit of Quality Management Systemat the yard on 21.11.94 through 25.11.94. As a result, 7 Nonconformity Reportswere issued with the conclusion the system had been working good. The scoresimilar to that accomplished in 1993, while certifying, has been a goodevidence of the system's effectiveness and steady improvement, which hasbeen then reflected in new compilations. It is worth highlighting that it hasbeen due to a tremendous commitment of employees, executive staff and themanagement./* - While carrying out the GL's control audit, the auditors made available to us a newedition of ISO 9000 series Standards, which were announced to be in force from1.07.1994 forward, the new title of ISO 9001 being: "Quality Management System " /.As for 1995 the working scheme relative to the maintenance and improvementof the Quality Management System covers i.a.:+ working out and correction of QMS procedures+ upgrading Stoczma Szczecihska S.A. Quality Book+ development of a quality book and the relevant procedures for Laboratoriesfor Measurements and Engineering Tests

+ running courses on quality+ conducting QMS audits at yard's subcontractors+ carrying out internal QMS audits and reviews+ provision of a motion picture on QMS at Stocznia Szczecihska S.A. for anewly employed persons+The majority of these goals have been accomplished:• 8 best leading auditors have been trained• SSSA Quality Book has been updated• audits have been conducted at some subcontractors'• a quality book and procedures for Laboratories for Measurements and

Engineering Tests have been completed• the motion picture is being finished.We think that those accomplishments and a carrying on the remaining worksrelated to the maintenance and improvement of Quality Management System atour yard will in consequence ensure a favourable result of an audit byGermanisher Lloyd scheduled in October 1995.References:1. ISO Standard: 9001/94 - Quality Systems Model for QualityAssurance in Design Development, Production , Installation and Servicing.

2. PRS Informative Bulletin No.2 / 171, Polski Rejestr Statkow, Gdansk 1992.3. Krukowski K., Schneider A.: Accomplishment of QAS

Certification at Stocznia Szczecihska S.A.".4. Krukowski K.. "Organisation of Measures to be Taken to Adapt QAS to theISO 9001 Standard Requirements", Stocznia Szczecihska S.A., Szczecin1992.

5. Krukowski K.: Project of Stocznia Szczecihska S.A. Quality Book,Szczecin 1993.


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Experiences gained at quality management system · Experiences gained at quality management system introducing and work ace. to ISO 9001 standard in Szczecin shipyard S.A. (Stocznia