The importance of robust quality management systems - JB Hall case
The current case of JB Hall of Kodiak Consulting is an example of the importance of having robust quality management systems in place.
The case involves an engineering technologist allegedly completing and signing building consent documents, including producer statements, using the identities and credentials of Chartered Professional Engineers without their permission.
ACE New Zealand members are required to have robust quality management systems in place. Although a quality management system may not have prevented the outcomes in this case, it's an important part of the system which helps ensure the provision of quality services.
A robust quality management system should act like a safety net, where each point of the process is an opportunity for an error to be identified and a potential risk addressed. We have a suite of documents available for members to guide them in setting up and maintaining a quality management system:
- B31 A policy on quality management for engineering consultants in New Zealand
- B32 A guide to developing and maintaining an ISO 9001 quality system in a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy
- B33 A Guide for a Quality Management System in small consultant firms
- B34 A Guide to Common sense QA
All of these documents are currently under review and we hope to make available updated resources to our members later this year.
You can also take steps to safeguard yourself and your business against misrepresentation by using our online producer statements. These producer statements, available to our members, provide for the use of secure signatures for engineers submitting producer statements to councils.