BHEL is implementing Quality360. What is it?

New Delhi: As part of its efforts to transform the company into a future-ready global engineering organisation, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has launched Quality360. A companywide 'Quality First' initiative to put in place state-of-the-art processes, for making quality a hallmark of the company's products and services.

BHEL has built a strong reputation in quality with products known for their sturdiness, performance and longevity delivering maximum value to the customers. However, in today's dynamic market scenario, the requirements are becoming increasingly demanding, cost-competitive and the robustness of quality processes is a pre-requisite for any company to succeed. Keeping these imperatives in view, BHEL is reviewing and revitalizing its quality processes' and systems to better meet future requirements.

Mission 'Quality First' focuses on four objectives—Empower, Educate, Engage and Encourage employees and putting in place the latest quality processes and systems to further strengthen the quality mindset within the company.

BHEL is implementing a structured model – Quality360 (latest in-house QMER model), to measure and improve the quality system maturity index across all its divisions. 'Business Excellence' movement has been initiated in-line with the latest EFQM 2020. The company has taken a number of steps including standardization of quality processes and systems, extensive training programs at various levels and introduction of reward schemes to create a future-ready workforce delivering superior products & services.

'Quality First' initiative, an integral part of BHEL's multi-pronged Transformation Strategy, is another step towards achieving organizational excellence focusing on maximizing customer value

BHEL pioneered the development of quality management systems in India as early as the 1970s, with the adoption of the then prevalent state-of-the-art technology and quality processes and systems. The company is known for introducing the concept of 'Quality Circles' in India as early as 1981, launching its quality maturity model called Quality Management Effectiveness Review (QMER—a copyright of BHEL), adopting total quality management and other major quality initiatives like problem-solving through root cause analysis (RCA) methodology, improvement projects through IMPRESS (Improvement project reward scheme system), periodic and structured audits on processes, products at manufacturing units and at project sites. BHEL has received numerous quality awards and was the first PSU to get the CII-EXIM bank prize in the year 2006. Major BHEL divisions have also been awarded under the CII-EXIM bank award for business excellence.

Significantly, BHEL adopted the ISO 9000 quality system since its inception in India in the early 90's and today all its divisions are ISO-9001 certified. Subsequently, the company has acquired an international environment, health and safety accreditations, ISO-14001 and OHSAS-18001. Major laboratories of BHEL are already NABL accredited and various products have been certified by relevant agencies like Central Boiler Board, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), UL India, American Petroleum Institute (API), Aerospace Quality Management System and Lloyds Register.

BHEL is committed to meet and exceed the present and future requirements of its customers by delivering excellent quality products and services. 'Quality First' initiative, an integral part of BHEL's multi-pronged Transformation Strategy, is another step towards achieving organizational excellence focusing on maximizing customer value.