Section 7 - Support

7.1 Resources

7.1.1 General

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting has determined and provided the resources needed for the establishment, implementation, maintenance and continual improvement of the QMS.

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting has considered:

  1. The capabilities and constraints on existing internal resources;
  2. What needs to be obtained from external providers.

7.1.2 People

To ensure TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting can consistently meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting provides persons necessary for the effective operation of the QMS, including the processes needed.

7.1.3 Infrastructure

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting has determined, provided and maintains the infrastructure for the operation of our processes to achieve conformity of our products.

Infrastructure can include:

  1. Buildings and associated utilities;
  2. Equipment including hardware and software;
  3. Transportation;
  4. Information communication technology.

7.1.4 Environment for the operation of processes

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting has determined, provided and maintains the environment necessary for the operation of our processes and to achieve conformity of products.

Environment for the operation of processes can include physical, social, psychological, environmental and other factors (such as temperature, humidity, ergonomics and cleanliness).

7.1.5 Monitoring and measuring resources

Calibration Records

Where monitoring or measuring is used for evidence of conformity of products to specified requirements, TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting determines the resources needed to ensure valid and reliable monitoring and measuring results.

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting ensures that the resources provided:

  1. Are suitable for the specific type of monitoring and measuring activities being undertaken;
  2. Are maintained to ensure their continued fitness of purpose.

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting retains appropriate documented information as evidence of fitness of purpose monitoring and measuring resources.

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting determines if the validity of previous measurement results has been adversely affected when an instrument is found to be defective during its planned verification or calibration, or during its use, and takes appropriate corrective action as necessary.

Specifically, for TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting, specific product performances that are deemed necessary to measure are identified in product work instructions along with details describing test methods and acceptance criteria.

All items requiring periodic calibration are recorded in a calibration file.  Specific calibration procedures are documented and recorded in CRM and Attache’ Pro databases.  External calibration results shall be recorded in emails.

7.1.6 Organizational knowledge 

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting determines the knowledge necessary for the operation of our processes and to achieve conformity of products.

The knowledge is maintained and made available to the extent necessary. 

When addressing changing needs and trends,  TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting considers our current knowledge and determines how to acquire or access the necessary additional knowledge.

Organizational knowledge can include information such as intellectual property and lessons learned.  To obtain knowledge required, TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting consider:

  1. Internal sources (e.g. learning from failures and successful projects, capturing undocumented knowledge and experience of topical experts within the organization):
  2. External sources (e.g. standards patents, internet, academia, conferences, gathering knowledge with customers or providers).

Specifically, for TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting shall transfer knowledge by mentoring and by one on one training on identified specific subjects.

Key TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting knowledge shall be recorded in;

Academic papers, product work instructions, improvement action request forms, design files, work books, experimentation records, emails and other appropriate locations.

7.2 Competence

Training

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting shall:

  1. Determine the necessary competence of person(s) doing work under our control that affects our quality performance;
  2. Ensure that these persons are competent on the basis of appropriate education, training or experience;
  3. Where applicable, take actions to acquire the necessary competence and evaluate the effectiveness of the actions taken;
  4. Retain appropriate documented information as evidence of competence.

Applicable actions can include, for example, the provision of training to, or the re-assignment of currently employed persons; or the hiring or contracting of competent persons. 

Specifically, for TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting training records for identified processes will be kept in the training records file.  These will be reviewed by the Quality Manager annually.

7.3  Awareness

Persons doing work under TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting shall be aware of:

  1. The quality policy;
  2. Relevant quality objectives;
  3. Their contribution to the effectiveness of the quality management system, including benefits of improved quality performance;
  4. The implications of not conforming with the quality management system requirements.

7.4 Communication

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting determines the internal and external communications relevant to the QMS including;

  1. On what TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting will communicate:
    Communicates with staff:
    Initiatives for quality improvement
    Any customer complaints
    Resolutions for quality issues
    The guidance described in this manual
    Communicates with suppliers on commercial direction such as orders, order schedules and complaints.
    Communicates with customers on product specifications, quotations, and product support and, delivery schedules.
  2. TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting decides:
    When to communicate:
    Customer complaints will be communicated immediately via email.  All communications will be timely so as to maximise the benefit to all parties.
  3. With whom to communicate:
    The first receiver of a customer complaint shall decide on receipt who to communicate to.
  4. How to communicate:
    Communication shall be as required verbally and or email.
  5. Who communicates?
    In general team members shall use their initiative as to who communicates.  Particular communication responsibilities are recorded in position descriptions.

7.5 Documented information

Document Control

Document Change Register

TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting quality management system includes:

  1. Documented information required by ISO 9001.
  2. Documented information determined by TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting as being necessary for the effectiveness of the QMS.

Procedures for the control of all documents which support the Quality System have been implemented to ensure the following:

  1. All documents are reviewed and approved, prior to use, by authorised personnel.
  2. The pertinent issues of appropriate documents are available at all locations where operations essential to the effective functioning of the Quality System are performed.
  3. Any obsolete documents are promptly removed from use and saved in the Archive folder on the Quality Managers computer.

Each section of the Quality Assurance Manual is approved, prior to issue on a paper based format by Top Management and the Quality Manager.  This approval is shown and the document controlled by the signatures of Top Management and the Quality Manager on the first page of each section before posting to the websites.  Appropriate Quality Manual documents are posted to the website by the Web Master under the instruction of the Quality Manager.  All copies of the initial paper-based approved documents and amendments are place in a Master Copy folder held by the Quality Manager.  

Any modifications/revisions to the Quality Assurance Manual are prepared, approved, issued and recorded in the appropriate section of the master document list held by the Quality Manager.  The Quality Manager conducts a final check on all newly posted pages to the web-based manual to ensure they are correct.

Identification of modifications/revisions is indicated in the right hand margin, next to the modification/revision, according to the revision number at the bottom of each page.

In the event a procedure is completely re-written, re-written text is not identified in the margin but the word “Rewrite” appears after the Revision Number.

The current revision status of each section of the quality assurance manual appears at the bottom of each page.

A revision history of each section of the quality assurance manual appears in the master document list, held by the quality manager.

Details of all new sections issued and posting of removed sections are recorded in the “Document Tracking Form”.

7.5.1 General

Documented information shall include but not be limited to:

  • Work instructions
  • Product specifications
  • Design records
  • Orders, past and present
  • Delivery information
  • Customer details
  • Supplier details
  • Calibration records

7.5.2 Creating and updating

Storage of Quality Records may involve either or both a computer based and/or paper based (hard copy) system.  Where records are stored on computer, they are backed up daily and stored offsite, as well as existing hard copy. Where records are paper based, the conditions of storage are such that the information contained on the record is legible for the life of the storage of the record.

The Quality Assurance Manual is prepared by the Quality Manager. TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting operates a web-based quality assurance manual viewed under an appropriately-named navigation tab on the home page of the website http:www.lordpowerequipment.com.  All staff of TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting have ready access to computers and appropriate communication links to permit them to view the quality manual in the normal course of a working day.

Each section of the Quality Assurance Manual is identified by a unique number that references the one or two digit suffix to the corresponding ISO 9001 Standard e.g. Section 5.

Each section of the Quality Assurance Manual is approved, prior to use, on a paper based format by op Management and the Quality Manager.  This approval is shown and the document controlled by the signature of Management and the Quality Manager.

Any modification/revisions to the Quality Assurance Manual are prepared, approved and issued once a final check on all newly-posted pages to the web-based manual to ensure they are completely correct.

Identification of modification /revisions is indicated in the right hand margin, next to the modification/revision, according to the Revision Number at the bottom left of each page.

In the event a procedure is completely re-written, re-written text is not identified in the margin but the word “Rewrite” appears after the Revision Number at the bottom left of each page.

The current Revision Status of each Section of the Quality Assurance Manual appears at the bottom left hand corner of each page.

A revision History of each Section of the Quality Assurance Manual appears in the Master Document List, held by the Quality Manager.

When creating and updating documented information, TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting shall ensure appropriate:

  1. Identification and description (e.g. title, date, author or reference number)
  2. Format (e.g. language, software version, graphics) and media (e.g. paper, electronic) for TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting the language shall be English, by large records should be emailed records with paperless recording preferred.
  3. Review and approval for suitability and adequacy for TR Lord and Associates t/a AVO New Zealand, LORD Power Equipment and LORD Consulting this shall be done by exception. If shortcomings are exposed, corrections shall be made and recorded in the Document Change Register.

When creating and updating documented information, documented information shall include but not limited to:

  • Work instructions
  • Product specifications
  • Design records
  • Orders, past and present
  • Delivery information
  • Customer details
  • Supplier details
  • Calibration records

7.5.3 Control of documented information

The records are filed such that their integrity is maintained and records are uniquely traceable back to their origin.

Quality Records are filed and held, disposal is by shredding, incineration or any other suitable means approved by the Managing Director.

The Quality Manager informs designated holders of the Quality Manual via email of any posted changes to the Quality Manual Forms.

Documented information required by the QMS and by ISO9001 is controlled to ensure:

  1. It is available and suitable for use where and when it is needed;
  2. It is adequately protected (e.g. from loss of confidentiality, improper use or loss of integrity).
  3. Standard product specifications are published and are available on the AVO web site.
  4. Custom product specifications are included in emails to the appropriate customer.
  5. Assembly instructions are saved in the AVO computer.
  6. Customer order and delivery schedules are saved in the AVO computer
    1. Desktop\ Attache’ Pro
    2. Outlook email
    3. My Computer\Documents
  7. Customer complaints are recorded in the Outlook email as well as IAR (Improvement Action Request Forms).
  8. New product development is recoded in the Design Engineers folder. Paper based information is filed in the filing cabinet.

Currently involved are the following:-

  1. Shemar – Composite Insulated Cross arms for 11-33Kv Overhead Power Lines.

Shemar design drawings, correspondence, peer review, documentation and marketing and design details, procedure ID and related material. 

Computer based information is backed up by a second-party back-up provider.

Record Name Filing Method Location Life
QAM Procedures In Sections - in order of Revision No. QM Web Site & Quality Managers Office 5 yrs
Forms - Controlled Copies In Forms Folder Archive QM Web Site & Quality Managers Office 5 yrs
Industry Standards In Book Form as appropriate Quality Managers Office 5 yrs
Internal Audit Reports By Date Order QM Web Site & Quality Managers Office 5 yrs
Review Meeting Minutes My Date Order QM Web Site & Quality Managers Office 5 yrs
Staff Records Training / Assessment By Surname Personnel files Commercial Manager's Office 5 yrs
IAR Forms By IAR No. QM Web Site & Quality Managers Office 5 yrs
Purchase Records By Date Order Saved in Attache’ Pro and email 7 yrs
Customer Correspondence Alphabetically by Date & Customer Saved in Attaché’ Pro and email 7 yrs
Quotations Alphabetically by Date & Customer Saved in Attache’ Pro and email 7 yrs
Supplier's List By Revision and Date Order Quality Manager's Office 3 yrs
Design Master Copies of Design Folders Alphabetically by Date & Product Filing Cabinet & Email then Archives 10 yrs