Manfield Coatings: Quality Management as the Winning Formula

Manfield Coatings: Quality Management as the Winning Formula

Introduction

Manfield Coatings Company Limited (Manfield) was the main player in the paint and coating industry that involved in coatings of many industrial products. Being both supplier and manufacturer Manfield has to ensure both safety and quality standards and customer requirements for short production lead-times. The requirement has lead Manfield to develop a quality management structure that had successfully resulting to recognition of various quality awards.

Quality Management Process

The road to quality management was initiated by Manfield's chemical engineer, Yuen. This was due to the competition among manufacturer to deliver goods and service in the shortest lead time as possible without compromising on the safety and quality. To achieve such standards, the first goal of being ISO 9001 certified was initiated. However to achieve such standards will require a change of mindsets of both management and employees in the organization. As such, training for both management and employees is carried out in which integrated job specific and specific training as well as communicate Manfield's value system and way of thinking. Later in 1997, Manfield was successfully awarded with ISO 9001.

The journey did not end there, but it continues with the award applications through various audit and examinations. It served two purposes which are helping the employee sees potential area of weaknesses and improve their performance and achieve targets. This second wave that had being streamlined all across the Manfield departments, units and also the whole process involved.

As the journey still continues and went further with the success of tripartite joint venture among Cashew from Japan and Weilburger from Germany in 2000. The agreement was made due to the same interest and commitment