ISO 14000

ISO 14000

The ISO 14000 family addresses various aspects of environmental management. It provides practical tools for companies and organizations looking to identify and control their environmental impact and constantly improve their environmental performance. ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14004:2004 focus on environmental management systems. The other standards in the family focus on specific environmental aspects such as life cycle analysis, communication and auditing.

ISO14000

ISO 14001:2004 sets out the criteria for an environmental management system and can be certified to. It does not state requirements for environmental performance, but maps out a framework that a company or organization can follow to set up an effective environmental management system. It can be used by any organization regardless of its activity or sector. Using ISO 14001:2004 can provide assurance to company management and employees as well as external stakeholders that environmental impact is being measured and improved.

The benefits of using ISO 14001:2004 can include:

• Reduce cost cost of waste management
• Savings in consumption of energy and materials
• Lower distribution costs
• Improved corporate image among regulators, customers and the public

Preview ISO 14000

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ISO 9000

ISO 9000

Hello guys,

Today, let`s take a look about ISO 9000. Well, what is ISO 9000? Why it is important to any company to have it? what its functions? How to get it? how give it? I am going to share some information about ISO 9000 in this post.

ISO stands for International Organization of Standardization. This organization will audit and inspect a firm about its standard.ISO is really strict in auditing a firm whether its management system in an organization or other issues regarding its characters. It makes the change of getting an certification from the ISO is small.Those who are really good in managing its standard only can be registered by the ISO.

The ISO 9000 family addresses various aspects of quality management. It contains some of ISO’s best known standards. The standards provide guidance and tools for companies and organizations who want to ensure that their products and services consistently meet customer’s requirements, and that quality is consistently improved.

The standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement. These principles are explained in more detail in the Quality Management Principles. Using ISO 9000, helps ensure that customers get consistent, good quality products and services, which in turn brings many business benefits.

There are many standards in the ISO 9000 family, including:

• ISO 9000:2005 - covers the basic concepts and language
• ISO 9001:2008 - sets out the requirements of a quality management system
• ISO 9004:2009 - focuses on how to make a quality management system more efficient and effective
• ISO 19011:2011 - sets out guidance on internal and external audits of quality management systems.  

A lot of benefits can be gained by registering ISO 9000, one of them is company reputation. Any company which has ISO certification will have high reputation because the company absolutely has high degree of quality of management or quality management.

Customers will confident to  buy or use the products that have been producing by that company. That increases the sales margin and gives the profit to the company.

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) AND PURCHASING

 TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) AND PURCHASING

Assalamualaikum…….

Hello Everyone………….)

Today is about Total Quality Management (TQM)

Total quality management (TQM) is both a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the foundation for continuous organizational improvement. TQM is the application of not only quantitative methods but also human resource management principles to improve the materials and services supplied to an organization, all the processes within that organization, and the degree to which the needs of customers are met. The research discussed in this article integrates the concepts, ideas, and findings that have emerged from ongoing multi-phase studies of purchasing role in TQM. From this research, sponsored by the centre for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS), the investigators have developed several ideas about what purchasing organizations should do to attain total quality management goals. Besides, TQM is an approach that seeks to improve quality and performance which will meet or exceed customer expectations. This can be achieved by integrating all quality-related functions and processes throughout the company. TQM looks at the overall quality measures used by a company including managing quality design and development, quality control and maintenance, quality improvement, and quality assurance. TQM takes into account all quality measures taken at all levels and involving all company employees.

The Origin Of TQM

Total quality management has evolved from the quality assurance methods that were first developed around the time of the First World War. The war effort led to large scale manufacturing efforts that often produced poor quality. To help correct this, quality inspectors were introduced on the production line to ensure that the level of failures due to quality was minimized. 

After the First World War, quality inspection became more commonplace in manufacturing environments and this led to the introduction of Statistical Quality Control (SQC), a theory developed by Dr. W. Edwards Deming. This quality method provided a statistical method of quality based on sampling. Where it was not possible to inspect every item, a sample was tested for quality. The theory of SQC was based on the notion that a variation in the production process leads to variation in the end product. If the variation in the process could be removed this would lead to a higher level of quality in the end product. 

After World War Two, the industrial manufacturers in Japan produced poor quality items. In a response to this, the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers invited Dr. Deming to train engineers in quality processes. By the 1950’s quality control was an integral part of Japanese manufacturing and was adopted by all levels of workers within an organization. 

By the 1970’s the notion of total quality was being discussed. This was seen as company-wide quality control that involves all employees from top management to the workers, in quality control. In the next decade more non-Japanese companies were introducing quality management procedures that based on the results seen in Japan. The new wave of quality control became known as Total Quality Management, which was used to describe the many quality-focused strategies and techniques that became the centre of focus for the quality movement. 

The positive relationship between perceived quality and profitability has been well documented. The Profit Impact of Market Strategy (PIMS) data base shows this correlation unequivocally. Analysis of the PIMS data has shown that in the long term, the most important factor affecting a business unit's performance and market share is the quality of its products compared with that of its competitors. Superior relative quality is the most effective way for a business to grow. Improved quality leads directly to market expansion and increased market share. 

In the short term, superior quality leads to increased profitability and even the ability to charge a premium price relative to a firm's competitors. As quality increases, cost per unit invariably decreases at both the buying and the supplying firms.

REVERSE LOGISTICS

REVERSE LOGISTICS

Reverse logistics stands for all operations related to the reuse of products and materials. It is "the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. More precisely, reverse logistics is the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of capturing value, or proper disposal. Remanufacturing and refurbishing activities also may be included in the definition of reverse logistics.The reverse logistics process includes the management and the sale of surplus as well as returned equipment and machines from the hardware leasing business. Normally, logistics deal with events that bring the product towards the customer. In the case of reverse logistics, the resource goes at least one step back in the supply chain. For instance, goods move from the customer to the distributor or to the manufacturer.

When a manufacturer's product normally moves through the supply chain network, it is to reach the distributor or customer. Any process or management after the sale of the product involves reverse logistics. If the product is defective, the customer would return the product. The manufacturing firm would then have to organise shipping of the defective product, testing the product, dismantling, repairing, recycling or disposing the product. The product would travel in reverse through the supply chain network in order to retain any use from the defective product. The logistics for such matters is reverse logistics.

                                  

Other terms synonymous to Reverse Logistics are Aftermarket Logistics, Retrogistics.

Aftermarket Supply Chain. The reverse supply chain is also a term used in the industry. RL is not to be confused with forward logistics or getting the product to market commonly known as the forward supply chain. Types of activity common with reverse logistics includes: logistics, warehousing, repair, refurbishment, recycling, e-waste, after market call center support, reverse fulfillment, field service and many others. 

Our definition of Reverse Logistics has evolved since our founding to encourage all industries towards managing their assets… “Reverse Logistics is the scientific process of managing assets, in every department in all industries and across all disciplines”…. Not only supply chain solutions in the High Technology Industry, but all industries and every department from Legal to Human Resources.

AIR TRANSPORTATION

TECHNOLOGY AND AIR CARGO

Technology is now playing an increasingly important role in the Aviation /Air Cargo business.  This covers a range of applications that include : Air Cargo Security and the manner in which cargo is handled at the  Airports,  the monitoring of goods in transit, Certified Cargo screening in accordance with US Aviation and Safety regulations, improvement of communications and real time data access etc.  This paper examines the different uses of technology within the Air freight business in the determination of whether this has resulted in increased levels of efficiencies and cost improvements.  In addition the strengths and weakness of technological applications, together with the opportunities and threats provided by same (SWOT Analysis).  Can Air cargo operations operate s uccessfully without all of the technological innovation provided or is this just an extra layer of cost that is ultimately passed on to the end consumer ?

TYPES OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY

Within the context of air cargo transportation the business is assisted with the following types of technological support:

SECURITY |   Covers that range of options involving the inspection, handling, screening and security of goods in transit.  A vast range of technological applications now support this process including sophisticated scanners,  computer systems,  database applications  and personnel trained in the technology in order to support these applications;

COMPUTERS |  An extensive range of technology that supports the back office function in terms of managing the administrative side of the business and the legal documentation requirements to support the business operations.  This has also extended to the front office or handlers of the goods using wireless handheld computer devices for scanning and recording of goods in transit information;

SOFTWARE |  Microsoft Cloud has been widely adopted in the Air Cargo business area for  the improvement of integration of information technology and communications, thereby providing a more sophisticated holistic solution to the integration of computer technology to the business.

THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SECURITY

With the advent of globalization and the ability for Air freight to despatch goods throughout our planet, there is an increased need for vigilance and security measures.  Potential threats arise not from just acts of terrorism but may be threat of potential pandemic diseases resulting from the air transportation of animals or hazardous materials.  In addition materials that may contain toxins,  radioactive materials and other goods that may require special handling or treatment.  “If you intend to move dangerous goods by air, you must ensure that your goods are packaged, labelled and certificated in compliance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations.”  (British International Freight Asscn, 2011).  Different countries will have their own legal sets of compliances and Air Cargo companies will need to comply with these.  In the UK failure to comply can be treated by legal remedy as a breach of the Air Navigations Act (2005).

One firm providing Air Cargo security services is that of Rapiscan®.  “Rapiscan Systems is an established leader in the air cargo security market, with long-standing, successful relationships with both commercial firms and government agencies around the world.”

MARITIME SHIPPING

 MARITIME SHIPPING

Ship transport is watercraft carrying people (passengers) or goods (cargo). Sea transport has been the largest carrier of freight throughout recorded history. Although the importance of sea travel for passengers has decreased due to aviation, it is effective for short trips and pleasure cruises. Transport by water is cheaper than transport by air, despite fluctuating exchange rates and CAF charges to account for such.

Ship transport can be over any distance by boat, ship, sailboat or barge, over oceans and lakes, through canals or along rivers. Shipping may be for commerce, recreation or the military purpose. Virtually any material that can be moved can be moved by water; however, water transport becomes impractical when material delivery is highly time-critical.

Containerization revolutionized ship transport starting in the 1970s. "General cargo" includes goods packaged in boxes, cases, pallets, and barrels. When a cargo is carried in more than one mode, it is intermodal or co-modal.

 Merchant shipping

2005 registration of merchant ships (1,000 gross register tons (GRT) and over) per country.

Professional mariners

This map of shipping routes illustrates the relative density of commercial shipping in the world's oceans.

Ships and watercraft

Ships and other watercraft are used for ship transport. Types can be distinguished by propulsion, size or cargo type. Recreational or educational craft still use wind power, while some smaller craft use internal combustion engines to drive one or more propellers, or in the case of jet boats, an inboard water jet. In shallow draft areas, such as the Everglades, some craft, such as the hovercraft, are propelled by large pusher-prop fans.

Most modern merchant ships can be placed in one of a few categories, such as:

	Bulk carriers, such as the Sabrina I seen here, are cargo ships used to transport bulk cargo items such as ore or food staples (rice, grain, etc.) and similar cargo. It can be recognized by the large box-like hatches on its deck, designed to slide outboard for loading. A bulk carrier could be either dry or wet. Most lakes are too small to accommodate bulk ships, but a large fleet of lake freighters has been plying the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway of North America for over a century.
	Container ships are cargo ships that carry their entire load in truck-size containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport. Informally known as "box boats," they carry the majority of the world's dry cargo. Most container ships are propelled by diesel engines, and have crews of between 10 and 30 people. They generally have a large accommodation block at the stern, directly above the engine room.
	Tankers are cargo ships for the transport of fluids, such as crude oil, petroleum products, liquefied petroleum gas, gas and chemicals, also vegetable oils, wine and other food - the tanker sector comprises one third of the world tonnage.
	Refrigerated ships (usually called Reefers) are cargo ships typically used to transport perishable commodities which require temperature-controlled transportation, mostly fruits, meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products and other foodstuffs.
	Roll-on/roll-off ships, such as the Chi-Cheemaun, are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trailers or railway. RORO (or ro/ro) vessels have built-in ramps which allow the cargo to be efficiently "rolled on" and "rolled off" the vessel when in port. While smaller ferries that operate across rivers and other short distances still often have built-in ramps, the term RORO is generally reserved for larger ocean-going vessels.
	A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Most barges are not self-propelled and need to be moved by tugboats towing or towboats pushing them. Barges on canals (towed by draft animals on an adjacent towpath) contended with the railway in the early industrial revolution but were outcompeted in the carriage of high value items due to the higher speed, falling costs, and route flexibility of rail transport.

Liners and Tramps

A ship may also be categorized as to how it is operated.

A liner will have a regular run and operate to a schedule. The scheduled operation requires that such ships are better equipped to deal with causes of potential delay such as bad weather. They are generally higher powered than tramp ships with better sea keeping qualities, thus they are significantly more expensive to build. Liners are typically built for passenger and container operation though past common uses also included mail and general cargo.

A tramp has no fixed run but will go wherever a suitable cargo takes it. Thus a ship and crew may be chartered from the ship owner to fetch a cargo of grain from Canada to Latvia, the ship may then be required to carry a cargo of coal from Britain to Melanesia. Bulk carriers and cruise ships are examples of ships built to operate in this manner.