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Kapila Bandara

THE Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), the territory's premier quality consultancy, will undertake a study aimed at adapting an internationally recognised quality management concept to meet the needs of local industry.

  Edmund S. L. Sung, divisional manager of the Quality and Management Consultancy Division at HKPC, said the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM), popular in Europe and the United States, could serve local industrialists better if Hong Kong was to draw on its own lessons and establish suitable TQM techniques.

  'We want to develop a [TQM] model especially for Hong Kong,' Mr Sung said.

   TQM could be simply referred to as the 'Three Cs' - care for people, concern for the quality system and commitment to invest in advanced technology, he said.

   Determining the TQM model for Hong Kong would be done with the participation of various industries.

    The project is expected to start in May.

    'In stage one, the HKPC will do a study using the measuring indicators of successful multinational companies. These indicators will be productivity, competitiveness, operations effectiveness and sustainable profitability,' Mr Sung said.

  'From this we will identify the strengths and weaknesses of a company. This will help us see where a Hong Kong company stands.

  'Then we can help a company to develop a particular model that matches the company's business strategy with the customer needs. Along these lines, we will develop systems and training courses customised to individual companies.'      The HKPC study could take from 18 months to two years.

     'We will select between 10 and 15 companies. From the outcome of the study, we will identify commonalities and differences and then package it into a generic model,' he said.

     The study's findings would be published at different stages of progress.

   'Initially, we will have a pilot group of companies, representing all sectors of manufacturing and industry,' Mr Sung said. 'We will invite companies and select the appropriate ones after a thorough vetting.'   While TQM remained a management method that could generate long-term benefits for customers, shareholders and workers, industry should not overlook the obvious rewards of obtaining ISO 9000 certification, Mr Sung said.

   The HKPC was instrumental in paving the way for the first ISO 9000 certificates to be issued to Hong Kong firms and had provided ISO 9000 training to more than 7,000 people from 1,200 companies, he said.

     Hong Kong's first ISO 9000 certificates were issued to Computer Products Asia-Pacific Limited and Philips Hong Kong.

  'ISO 9000 has become a business requirement. Most of the world's large buyers and procurement offices overseas look for quality suppliers,' Mr Sung said.

   Hong Kong industries had gradually absorbed the idea of quality. Interest had grown as promotion campaigns supplemented by training programmes continued to highlight the rewards of investing in quality.

  Mr Sung said an HKPC survey six ago years showed most industries did not have a good quality system in place.

    'Nine companies participated in our study. We looked at three areas - people, systems and cost of quality,' he said.

    'We found that some of the companies had only a general quality system. In some cases, the system was simply verbal instructions. There was no documented system. On the other hand, the quality system was insufficient.'      Manufacturers and even service companies were now paying more attention to quality, he said.

     'ISO 9000 can be an effective marketing tool. Even banks and utility companies have obtained certification,' Mr Sung said.

   A watchmaker became Hong Kong's first ISO 9000 certified company last year, he said. Renley Watch Manufacturing Company Ltd gained certification in October.

   Mr Sung said the HKPC's consultancy service for ISO certification would examine three areas - system review; development, implementation and internal auditing of the system; and certification assistance.

   HKPC's consultancy is supplement by support services, including training programmes on modern quality management.



Council to style local TQM model