Quality
The P&OFM Assessment Standard System - PASS Programme
1. The integrated management system (IMS) has been developed over a number of years from a number of quality systems registered to ISO 9001/2. In anticipation of changes in business operations, these quality systems were superseded in the mid-nineties by a process-based customer service system. Subsequent developments in safety and environmental legislation, the introduction of the environmental standard ISO 14001 and the requirement for 'dangerous goods' hauliers to operate to CEFIC SQAS standards led to a further migration of the customer service system into the IMS.
2. It became apparent that neither ISO 9001 nor ISO 14001 registration fully satisfies the needs of our IMS, which is primarily aimed at improving business performance for our customers, employees and the public at large. For that reason, we introduced in 2001 an internal assessment system, based on the model devised by the European Foundation for Quality Management. This assessment programme has been named as the P&O Assessment System Standard - PASS.
3. The self-assessment system, PASS is a modified version of the EFQM model. Under the PASS system, assessment is made in the following areas:
Providers
Results
- Operating Process - How critical processes are managed, performed, measured and improved.
- Safety, Quality and Environmental - How corporate and legislative instructions and requirements are met.
- Training and Career Development - How recruitment, training, objective setting and feedback are optimised.
- Resources and Support Functions - How information, equipment, suppliers and technology are provided and validated.
- Leadership and Communication - How management teams own, inspire and communicate corporate ideas.
Results
- Customer Performance Analysis - How performance is measured, complaints handled, customers communicated with.
- Business Results - Performance against plan, targets and achievements.
4. The assessment is carried out by a team of assessors, controlled by the Business Improvement Department and augmented, when necessary, by health and safety specialists and focuses on each business area. Each of the 'Providers' and the 'Results' is evaluated against a standard check-list and scored. The aim of the assessment is to examine the complete working of the business area.
5. Key business locations are subject to a full assessment once per year. The assessment team prepares a report, in the first instance for the General Manager. This report reflects the assessment of the seven categories of the management system in specific KPI terms, giving each category a percentage score, broken down into a number of weighted parts. The report also identifies Mandatory Actions and other Opportunities for Improvement. The assessment findings and subsequent remedial actions are discussed and approved at Management Review Meetings.
6. As the assessment, detailed above, generates a series of scores for the particular business area, the General Manager has a 'bench-mark' against which to measure business improvement. This combined with the focus of detailed Improvement Actions and the KPIs given in the report, enables real progress to be made. In this way, the assessment process becomes a vehicle for change rather than a 'one-off' pass/fail.
7. To meet the Company objective of PASS being 'an acceptable viable alternative to ISO 9001', it is necessary for there to be an effective follow up to the assessment process. Initially, follow up consists of the General Manager confirming that remedial actions have been carried out. These actions are then validated and closed-out by the assessment team. In the event that actions have not been taken or were inappropriate, the Business Improvement Department administers a follow-up system similar to the HSE improvement/prohibition notice. An Instruction Notice is sent to the General Manager with copy to the relevant Director.
5. Key business locations are subject to a full assessment once per year. The assessment team prepares a report, in the first instance for the General Manager. This report reflects the assessment of the seven categories of the management system in specific KPI terms, giving each category a percentage score, broken down into a number of weighted parts. The report also identifies Mandatory Actions and other Opportunities for Improvement. The assessment findings and subsequent remedial actions are discussed and approved at Management Review Meetings.
6. As the assessment, detailed above, generates a series of scores for the particular business area, the General Manager has a 'bench-mark' against which to measure business improvement. This combined with the focus of detailed Improvement Actions and the KPIs given in the report, enables real progress to be made. In this way, the assessment process becomes a vehicle for change rather than a 'one-off' pass/fail.
7. To meet the Company objective of PASS being 'an acceptable viable alternative to ISO 9001', it is necessary for there to be an effective follow up to the assessment process. Initially, follow up consists of the General Manager confirming that remedial actions have been carried out. These actions are then validated and closed-out by the assessment team. In the event that actions have not been taken or were inappropriate, the Business Improvement Department administers a follow-up system similar to the HSE improvement/prohibition notice. An Instruction Notice is sent to the General Manager with copy to the relevant Director.