I have posted here several articles about GSPI’s quest for ISO 9001:2000 certification. The first questioned whether the five-day work-week was the result of that dream. The second, parodied the middle-management expats’ alleged support during the three Internal Quality Audits [IQAs]. The next one was a commentary on the IQA of the Information Security. The latest, dated 17 November 2008, was an exposition of the synergy of Six-Sigma and ISO 9001:2000. This was also highlighted as the third best events for GSPI’s inclusive history from 2004 to 2008.
Unfortunately, GSPI officially closed its gates on the fourth day of December last year. A day before GSPI went on a force leave, I posted a comparison between what happened during the last breath of NSC and in the present era, in light of the quest for an ISO certification for both.
It had been exactly 105 days today from 04 December, whereby a skeleton crew in the production lines—dubbed yet again as the Preservation Team—were on a limited, i.e., no work-no pay, duty for three to five days a week. The Preservation crew, to a limited extent reminiscent of the Liquidators’s Plant Preservation Team, consisted of tenders plus shift-in-charges [SICs]. Managers are also on rotation-duty, while most Division Heads render five-day duty, at most. For support groups, such as Human Resources, Utilities, Central Repair, Accounting, and Quality Assurance, were also on rotation. Most expatriates [*] are also on rotation-duty.
Thus, even though the fourth IQA was scheduled on the third week of December, this was postponed to a much later date. The actual date is still debated. The Hot Strip Mill No. 2 and some mills at Cold Rolling were able to operate for some days in February and this month. Minimal domestic orders were processed until the 13th of March.
GSPI’s ISO 9001:2000 Certificate
Amidst these gloomy picture, the certification body, TÜV SÜD Asia Pacific Ltd., issued Certification Registration No. TUV100 05 1250 on 03 March 2009 valid until 14 November 2010 for the manufacture of GSPI’s Cold Rolled Steel Products.
This ISO 9001:2000 certification basically relieved the Quality Assurance and Marketing departments from preparing elaborate, yet detailed and verifiable, documentation on whatever production procedures and quality standards were/are being followed during Cold Rolled Coils manufacture. Previously, GSPI even resorted to sending a copy of NSC’s Cold Strip Mill ISO 9002:1994 Certification to prospective customers as proof of that commitment to quality. It should be noted that NSC’s ISO certificate lapsed when the latter was forced to close in 1999. NSC was under SEC receivership beginning 21 December 1999 (The Philippine Star, 10 November 2000).
On the back of the minds of most ISO Core Team members, however, was the impending surveillance audit scheduled this semester. With intermittent operations of Cold Rolling mills, there are persistent doubts among the internal quality auditors, members of the ISO Core Team, whether such audit would be possible unless the steel market bounces back from its bear’s hibernation during this second quarter.
It is noteworthy, moreover, that even though only a few production runs are envisaged for Cold Rolling Mills, almost all personnel still adhere to the standard operating procedures and work instructions in each campaign as stipulated in the meticulously-documented Quality Manuals .
This Certification is a testament to the personnel’s personal commitment to Quality products and procedures. Incredibly, Quality is still foremost to everybody’s minds especially in this time of world economic crises!
Notes:
[*]. Heard through the grapevines that although they are only on duty for two or three days per week, expats are still receiving their full pay as stipulated by their Indian-drawn contracts, which usually includes a relative hardship allowance. The locals, however, have yet to received their 13th-month pay, as mandated by the Philippine labor laws. That’s formidable patience for three-long months! back to text
Ynion, Rommel (2000). SEC can’t order NSC liquidation — Hottick. Manila: The Philippine Star, November 10, 2000. back to text
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The Grey Chronicles 