The year 2016 is remembered as a year in which a string of issues have taken place to remind the world of the significance of quality management. To name a few, they range from the recall of Volkswagen automobiles for the rigging of toxic tailpipe emissions to toxic disinfectants in humidifiers and a halt in the production of the Galaxy Note 7 for faulty batteries.
Even global corporate players have been struggling to deal with crises stemming from failures in quality management. They may take comfort in recalling the fact that companies can secure a competitive edge through the foremost management activities focusing on quality. By doing so, they offer to customers and stakeholders the satisfaction of differentiating themselves from others.
In a recent interview with a vernacular journal, Chairman Baek Soo-hyun of the Korean Standards Association said, “Companies with a mindset that quality is trust, and it is related to their survival, should attach top management task to ensuring quality management.” he said, adding that it’s “Back to basics.”
“Korea, with a conviction that quality is essential to its survival, has made strenuous efforts to overcome global quality barriers, and these efforts have morphed into initiatives to spread quality management, which has led to a rise in the competitiveness of its companies and products, thus boosting the ‘Made in Korea’ brand on the global stage.” he said.
Citing Korea’s invaluable achievements — ranking seventh in the world in terms of trade volume and 10th in terms of the size of the economy — the KSA Chairman said that Korean products have been recognized as ones “Worth their weight in salt.”
But Baek sounded a warning that under the cloak of regulatory reform, Korea tends to stress autonomy and efficiency rather than quality and safety, a tendency of undermining quality.
42nd National Quality Management Convention
The 42nd National Quality Management Convention, hosted by Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the umbrella of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and organized by KSA, took place at COEX Auditorium on Nov. 23 with about 1,800 people in attendance, including prize winners and quality management officials.
The event, the 42nd rendition of National Quality Management Convention, took on added significance as praise went to those who contributed to quality innovation and quality management initiatives. It also it served as an arena in which they promoted solidarity among them.
A combined 437 individuals and organizations were presented with seven orders and medals, 24 presidential awards, 15 prime ministers’ prizes, and other awards in recognition of their contributions to promoting quality management activities and improving the industrial competitiveness during the convention.
In particular, 43 percent of 51 prize-winning individuals went to executives of SMEs and mid-size superstars, up from 36 percent in 2015. It indicates a tendency of improving quality management activities involving SMEs and mid-size superstars.
The Order of Industrial Service, Silver Tower, the coveted prize in the individual prize category, went to President Chung Chang-kil of Korea Midland Power Co. (KOMIPO) and Executive Vice President Hwang Won-jae, head of the Ulsan Complex at Poongsan.
KOMIPO President Chung has been credited with his leading role in the nation’s first development of 1,000MW-class power facility technology and localizing core parts.
He has been praised for his contribution to the development of the national power industry by ensuring a stable power supply and improving quality by promoting companywide quality management initiatives and exploring overseas markets.
In 37 years in the metal industry, Poongsan Executive Vice President Hwang has been merited for making continued R&D investments, establishing nationwide quality management regimes, and laying a solid foundation to spread awareness of quality management. In particular, he has been credited for his contribution to making Poongsan’s plant have the most production capacity and world-class technology in the copper and copper alloy sheets & strips and coin blank segments.
_국가품질 02.JPG)
