Updated: 27-Dec-2010
In 1999, the Senior Management of the Maritime Operations Department made the strategic decision of implementing a Quality Management System that would comply with an International Standard and would be certified. The standard selected was ISO 9001:1994. As part of this effort, employees were trained regarding this standard and the preparation of the documentation required. A group of in-house employees were trained as internal and lead auditors. After two years of intense work, the certification was obtained in March 2001.
In almost 10 years of existence, the Quality Management System of the Operations Department has undergone two recertifications, two updates of the standard, a realignment of the organization and a reorganization of the Department. In 2003, the system was updated to the ISO 9001:2000 version, in compliance with the requirements established by international agencies regarding the transition of companies' systems to the new version of the standard. In 2006, the system passed the first recertification audit. In 2009, the scope of the system was increased to include the divisions that became part of the Department when the realignment was done in 2007. On that same year, the system was recertified and updated, this time to a version of ISO 9001:2008 Standard. In 2010, the Dredging Division became part of the initiative. With this last activity, the Department achieved its objective of having all its divisions under only one Quality Management System.
ISO 9001:2008 Standard is an international standard that companies adopt voluntarily to improve the way in which they work and function.
