CBAI and Associates’
Seaport-e Quality Assurance Plan
Ability to Monitor and Maximize Quality: CBAIA maintains a Total Quality Assurance program and applies this program to all task orders, services and deliverables that we produce. CBAIA’s Total Quality Assurance program is a “cradle to grave” approach to quality assurance that involves all staff levels from the front line analyst or technician to the highest levels of company management. Our Total Quality Assurance program ensures that cost, schedule and performance metrics are measured and achieved during all stages of the contract. The key elements of CBAIA’s Total Quality Assurance Program are:
· Management Commitment – CBAIA management is committed to a quality program that ensures the highest possible degree of customer satisfaction and quality product
· Customer Focus – CBAIA’s Total Quality Assurance program is focused on the customer. The customer is the last arbiter of quality
· Quality Planning – Accurate and concise quality planning is essential to a quality product. CBAIA never employs a “fly by the seat of your pants” methodology toward any task order
· Audits and Inspections – CBAIA employs periodic auditing of processes and procedures to ensure that quality is maintained in accordance with customer requirements. Members of CBAIA management will periodically inspect products and services as appropriate to ensure compliance with customer requirements
· Constant Improvement – Where audits and inspections indicate a need for improvements to meet quality standards, CBAIA will take immediate action to implement changes to bring services or products into the quality standard. Even where services or products meet customer quality standards, but improvements to quality can be identified and implemented to enhance the end deliverable, CBAIA will take action to implement such improvements
· Management Responsibility – CBAIA upper management retains ultimate responsibility to the customer for the quality of all work produced by CBAIA. Upper management is always at the disposal of the customer for quality issues
We maintain a quality control plan that employs the CBAIA Total Quality Assurance Program principles and uniquely applies them to each task at hand. Regular management oversight and supervision by the team/task leader ensure day-to-day quality of operations, adherence to schedule and cost control. A schedule of audits is developed, as appropriate, to the task to ensure that processes and procedures established meet acceptable quality standards. A schedule of inspections is developed to ensure that the end service item or product meets quality standards. The customer may be involved in developing these audit and inspection schedules and may take part in audits or inspections at their discretion.
Where audit and inspections identify the need for process improvements, they are implemented to ensure total quality. Where changes to the original task order or customer requirements may be recommended, the customer is immediately notified through the program manager for consultations. The ultimate goal here is not merely compliance with stated customer requirements but total customer satisfaction.
An essential facet of our ISO 9001:2008 quality control plan is employee training. Where it is identified through audits and inspections that additional employee training may be necessary to ensure a quality service or product, CBAIA ensures that the team member receives such supplemental training.
Customer feedback is the final and perhaps the most important part of any quality control plan. Regular customer feedback, which includes Customer Monthly Status Reports in addition to the results of audits and inspections, will provide the necessary data to ensure that the highest quality standards are met and customer satisfaction ensured.
Approach to Guarantee Customer Responsiveness: CBAIA maintains a responsive stature throughout the period of performance of all task orders. All levels within the organization are responsible to be proactive to customer needs. As an element of customer service, we instruct and mentor our staff to remain responsive to client needs under all circumstances and conditions within the scope of the task order. Through task order execution monitoring, employee annual reviews and through our ISO 9001:2008 Quality System responsibilities we guarantee customer responsiveness and satisfaction. Proactively monitored by our President and Chief Operations Officer our customer service approach provides a great advantage to our customers.
Approach to Problem Resolution: CBAIA places a high level of emphasis on problem resolution. Through task order execution monitoring, problems are identified early, providing an opportunity for mitigation or resolution. Our processes for problem resolution fall into three stages of severity: those that can be resolved by the Task Leader assigned to a task order, those solved by the area Program Manager and those elevated for attention by the corporate staff.
Problems that can be resolved at the task lead level may be defined as minimal, having little to no affect on performance, schedule or cost. Problems resolved at the area program manager level reflect potential issues that are in process of being noticed, yet having little to no affect on performance, schedule or cost.
Problems resolved at the area program manager level and below may warrant a documented oral or written corrective action which will be monitored through our Quality System processes for continuous improvement and to avoid recurrence.
Problems elevated to the area Director or Corporate level also involve status sharing with the corporate staff and potential action by the corporate staff. Different ranges and magnitude of problems will warrant distinct actions to be taken. However, all problems are dealt with swiftly and with resolve. All problems not resolved at the lower levels will elevate to the next higher level and when warranted, will elevate to the corporate level.
Any recurring problems and problems necessitating corporate staff guidance or action will be dealt with appropriately and with resolve. In the event where there is a potential impact to performance, schedule or cost, our staff will provide surge support to mitigate or eliminate the potential impact. Recurrence is prevented through staff monitoring and direct liaison with each affected customer and through our Quality System processes.