ASEC’s Quality Assurance System (QAS) is a corporate policy that encompasses the following principles:

• Researching and understanding the customer’s needs and expectations.

• Inspiring, encouraging, and recognizing employee strengths and contributions.

• Involving and utilizing employees in accomplishment of goals and objectives

• Developing clear processes for achievement of specific results.

• Integrating processes into an effective system for quality production.

• Improving the system through continual measurement and evaluation.

• Conducting periodic and as-needed quality reviews – from the corporate level through the project level.

ASEC insists on these QAS elements from the outset of any contract tasking, recognizing that quality is a mind-set that must be established at project inception. A brief overview of ASEC’s QAS as applied to a project follows.

1. Team Kickoff Meeting
The team kickoff meeting initiates a thorough review of the contract Statement of Work (SOW) to insure all parties are clear as to the precise nature of the customer’s requirements. At this meeting:

• Conflicting interpretations of the SOW, if any, are aired and resolved or earmarked for additional research and discussion with the customer to insure correct understanding;

• Individual team member areas of expertise are identified;

• Specific lines of communication are established; and,

• Preliminary tasking is assigned for development of a detailed project plan.

2. Project Plan
From the initial team meeting tasking, a detailed project plan is developed defining specific steps and milestones for SOW accomplishment within the prescribed cost and period of performance. The Project Plan is an iterative process:

• Preliminary draft by the Project Manager from team member inputs;

• Review and comment by team members;

• Final Draft by Project Manager based on team member comments;

• Review and comment by senior ASEC management;

• Preliminary Plan by Project Manager based on management comments;

• Plan presentation and discussion with thecustomer to insure accurate capture of all requirements;

• Final Plan.

The Project Plan includes all project deliverables across a timeline that depicts stages of development as well as specific metrics and checklists for product acceptability at each stage. This monitored approach facilitates progress reporting, and identifies problems and/or below average quality comfortably prior to the final product due date.

3. Quality Reviews
ASEC’s QAS requires standard, periodic quality reviews by a Review Board throughout the life of a project. These reviews, at a minimum, occur at each stage of a deliverable’s development. Review Board members include senior project engineers, senior-level corporate managers, and other team member representatives as appropriate. At these reviews:

• The Project’s progress is gauged against the Project Plan;

• Deliverables are critiqued utilizing the checklists developed for each stage of the deliverable;

• Improvements to the deliverables are proposed or mandated as necessary; and

• Adjustments to the Project Plan are proposed or mandated as necessary.

The Review Board may mandate additional, more frequent reviews as it sees fit based upon the Project’s satisfactory progress.

4. Team Members
ASEC communicates the same QAS principles iterated above to all its Seaport e Team Members. The goal of technical quality is communicated to each subcontractor, and their products are audited through our QAS. ASEC is committed to frequent meetings and detailed plans involving all team members to insure open lines of communication and adherence to high standards.

5. Audits

a. Task Completion
At the close of a project, the Project Manager and Team conduct a quality audit and report findings to ASEC’s senior level management. At a minimum, the audit determines:

 

• Project pitfalls – causes and how to avoid them in the future

• Project successes – recognizing the team as a whole as well as outstanding individual effort

• Customer satisfaction – customer requirements represent the minimum acceptable level of quality. Did we strive to just meet the customer’s requirements or exceed them?

• Lessons learned and ideas to improve performance.

b. Quality Assurance System (QAS)
ASEC’s senior level management maintains an active internal audit program of the company’s QAS. Audits are performed semi-annually to insure that all projects are adhering to the quality principles and performance processes. Deviations are noted and corrective action taken. Additionally, inputs from the Task Completion Audits are compiled and studied providing valuable input to the process improvement function.