The road marking industry Quality Management System (QMS) offers a good example of the manner in which an industry might collectively control quality assurance. The purchase of KC Contracting (KCC) by Fulton Hogan Southland (FHS) raises a number of QMS related issues. These issues need to be addressed in order to merge the two disparate systems, and form a unified and coherent strategy for meeting QMS industry standards.
There were three research objectives for this study. The first was to perform, and present the results of, the compulsory annual T/8 tests, in order for FHS to meet the appropriate industry quality standards. The second objective was to review the manner and format of documentation previously undertaken by the two companies, and suggest the most appropriate structure for future documentation. Finally, in response to a specific request of FHS management, the report aimed to deliver an 'honest opinion' of the industry QMS, in particular the T/8 testing methods for gauging quality of road marking.
The T/8 tests were successful. Every operator and vehicle passed the tests, completing the required markings within the tolerances of the specification. However, the project identified inherent problems with conducting the testing at peak time, when operators were busy and may not have been fully receptive to it. It is recommended that in future FHS conduct the testing at another time of year. The KCC documentation was designed on a 'one size fits all' premise, whilst the FHS documentation was somewhat 'minimalist'. These systems have the potential to complement each other, since each meet different needs of the end users of the documentation. To meet these identified needs, it is recommended that FHS have multiple sets of documentation. It is possible that this could add to the bureaucracy that traditionally exists in Quality Assurance (QA). However, if managed correctly, the documentation could become a better 'working document', instead of being 'tucked away' in the glove box of most operators at FHS.
