Quality Assurance

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3Jul 0

Quality Assurance


Quality Philosophy

At Interfield we pursue quality in all the processes of our management system, and in all the technical tasks we undertake. We believe that overall project Quality can best be delivered by adhering to a simple principal: if all the little steps are right, the outcome is very likely to be right.

Our objective is the achievement of the maximum protection of our Clients’ interests, through the strictest standards of quality control. We believe that rigorous enforcement of codes and applicable industry standards are critical to ensuring quality.

 

Quality Objectives

The following objectives are listed, in order of priority, to control Interfield’s products and service quality:

  1. To comply with all laws and regulations (including any standards referenced within Interfield’s procedures) that apply to design products and services.
  2. To ensure that the design is consistent with facility performance objectives specified in the Client’s Project Specifications, Design Criteria and/or Basis Memoranda.
  3. To ensure that the design complies fully with Client’s practices or that any non-compliance is pre-approved by Client in accordance with defined change control procedures.
  4. To achieve project execution specified requirements.
  5. To contribute to “design optimization process”; including, identification of design alternatives, implementation of design/execution improvements, etc.
  6. To minimize cost and duration of contracted design work.
  7. To identify and resolve any conflicts between Interfield’s procedures and Client’s specific requirements for any portions of project scope.

 

Quality Assurance & Quality Control Procedures

Our Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) policy is a rigorous and detailed checking procedure administered continuously by our experienced personnel, at every level and on every project deliverable. The commitment to ensuring quality in a very effective manner is a key part of Interfield’s culture.

QA/QC is a time consuming and demanding dynamic process that:

  • is initiated at the time of assignment of an experienced professional to lead and coordinate the project execution process;
  • starts with the conscious review of design criteria, Client’s project needs, specifications and constraints;
  • continues with periodic review of all the project plans and documents, and verifying the applicability of codes and standards;
  • ends with a throughout final review and control of the various products generated during the execution phase of the project.

We rely on our experienced personnel, and invest in our systems, methodology, procedures and standards to provide Quality Control in every document produced and step undertaken.

We continuously improve our own quality control processes by training personnel, by teaching young engineers and designers the ABC’s of competent project design, and by reviewing and updating our policies, procedures, and methods in response to evolving codes and industry standards.

Interfield focuses not only on the achievement of Client’s objectives, but also on the satisfaction of our own personnel, generating a sense of pride for the “mission accomplished”.

Interfield has effective QA/QC processes in place, to ensure that our service meet Client’s quality expectations; specifically,

  1. Interfield’s goal is to implement during 2006 a Quality Management System which complies with the latest ISO 9001 standard “Quality Systems – Model for Quality Assurance in Design / Development, Production, Installation and Servicing”, or approved equivalent. Interfield’s Quality Management Systemapplies in general to all work and is not implemented solely (nor fundamentally modified) for the benefit of some specific work. Interfield has working procedures covering the following areas within its Quality Management System framework:
    1. Project control, addressing effective planning and tracking of design activities with respect to schedule, manpower and cost.
    2. Design verification to ensure design product quality through systematic (and when appropriate, independent) checking activities. Extent of verification will reflect product criticality.
    3. Design change control to manage deviations or changes to work scope, design basis, design specifications, documentation and project schedule. Procedures address change impact review / assessment, approval, verification, notification & documentation.
    4. Quality external auditing and other corrective measures to ensure independent verification of work processes, effective communication of results and resolution of non-conformances.
  2. Interfield has a Quality Assurance organization which is independent of line (or functional) groups, and which has communication access to senior management.
  3. Interfield is fully responsible for ensuring that any sub-contracted work meets the quality objectives as stated above. We work with our sub-contractors to maintain formal Quality Systems that meet these minimum requirements.
  4. Starting in 2006, Interfield will begin conducting annual audits of the in-house Quality Assurance system.

 

Specific Quality Assurance Requirements for Major Projects

Interfield’s quality plan requirements and goals for the execution of Services for Major Projects, including Deepwater Projects, are the following:

  1. Interfield’s plan is to prepare and submit for each project a Project Quality Plan (PQP) within ten (10) days of Work Order award. Depending on Client and Job complexity, Client may require that the outline of the PQP be submitted along with the Proposal. The PQP defines specific project quality requirements and activities to be undertaken during the project. The PQP must define those milestone-type design reviews and verification activities, as well as specific quality assurance activities (such as quality auditing). Generally the PQP makes reference to, and considers, Interfield-specified quality activities such as document review meetings. Any proposed exceptions, deviations or modifications to Interfield’s Quality Management System and/or procedures for a given project will be identified in the PQP. The PQP will be submitted for review and approval by Client prior to being finalized, and will be controlled throughout the duration of the project.
  2. Interfield may assign qualified Quality Assurance personnel to any specific project. The Project QA Engineer is responsible for the overall implementation of project quality activities and is specifically responsible for conducting project QA tasks. He/she has an effective line of communication to the Manager ofInterfield’s QA organization and will inform the QA Manager of any concerns related to meeting project quality objectives. The Project QA Engineer need not be exclusively dedicated to the project.
  3. Depending on type, size and duration, Interfield may conduct up to two (2) internal quality audits per year during the duration of the work. Small projects may not require quality audits, at the discretion of Client’s Management. Generally, a copy of the audit report will be submitted to Client, who will be notified at least two (2) weeks in advance of each audit. Client may reserve the right to participate in the audits.
  4. Generally, Clients may reserve the right to conduct quality reviews of Interfield work during the duration of a project. Interfield is obliged to allow Client access to all deliverables, for the purposes of review of such deliverables at any time during the project development phase.
  5. Interfield always has, at its primary work location, at least one copy of all regulatory codes and standards applicable to the project to be executed.
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