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- Management Commitment
Ford, Bacon & Davis is committed to Quality and the
Quality Improvement Process (QIP). We realize that continuous improvement requires
relentless and unending effort led by top management with participation by all employees.
FB&D's President, Rick Moore, is a member of our Steering Committee and Corporate
Quality Improvement Team. He is very active in many areas of our QIP.
- Implementation History
FB&D started implementation of the Quality Improvement
Process in 1989. We are proud of our success to date. Much of our QIP is fully implemented
and functional and our progress continues to be excellent.
Further, and most importantly, we are observing a change of attitude in our employees.
They are actively putting Quality at the forefront of their activities.
- Project Specific Quality Improvement Process Systems
FB&D encourages applying the QIP at the project level. As
a minimum, we recommend pre-project quality planning. Depending on project size, we may
also recommend project specific quality improvement teams, quality councils, measurement
systems, and periodic (as well as end of project) quality reviews. Our corporate
Corrective Action System already addresses project specific as well as company wide
issues.
Organization and Approach
FB&D's QIP has been implemented with the following
requirements:
- Our QIP is a system-based process and a normal part of our
day-to-day business activities. It will not be a "program" we spend time on only
every other week.
- Our QIP is prevention based, not inspection based.
- Our QIP is fully integrated with our employees, clients, and
suppliers.
FB&D's QIP is managed by our Corporate Quality
Improvement Team (QIT). The QIT plans the next phase of QIP implementation, commissions a
Quality Action Team (QAT) to design the system, reviews QAT recommendations and implements
the system. The QIT then monitors the system to insure it is working as planned.
Quality Measurement System
FB&D's Quality Measurement System is made up of a growing
number of stand alone subsystems. To measure overall corporate quality performance and
help set future quality goals, FB&D is implementing a Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award Measurement System. FB&D will be grading itself in the near future to
establish an initial benchmark.
FB&D has developed and implemented a confidential Administrative Cost of Quality
Measurement System. Using this system along with other QIP principles and techniques,
FB&D has already lowered the price of non-conformance by 36%.
Today, FB&D participates in client specified Quality Measurement Systems. Already we
are also participating in the initial design of Quality Measurement Systems with clients.
The FB&D Project Information Management System (PIMS) provides the basis for measuring
actual vs. planned performance. PIMS is a transaction based on-line computerized system
used to manage and monitor the flow of information and documents on a project. PIMS tracks
performance against budget and schedule, as well as recording cycle times.
Quality Recognition System
FB&D has instituted a system for recognizing individual contributions to the
QIP. In addition, FB&D has joined with the client to devise project-based recognition
programs. These include individual as well as team rewards and activities. Project teams
have been presented with dinners, caps, mugs, and even jackets as recognition of
achievement in project specific goals.
Quality Councils
FB&D defines a Quality Council as any group of people that meet to discuss
quality of any item. FB&D hosts an in-house Council open to all employees on a
volunteer basis once a month. Attendance ranges from 14 to 60 employees. At this
Council, specific published agenda items are discussed. Many opportunities for improvement
surface from these candid, open discussions. One example is a significant improvement to
the ECR side of our Corrective Action System which was immediately implemented.
FB&D has hosted joint Client/FB&D Councils and has participated in Quality
Councils hosted by our clients.
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