Thailand - Four leading organisations from the Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) and PTT groups have won Thailand Quality Class (TQC) Awards in recognition of their integrated and quality management systems, according to the Office of the Thailand Quality Award.
Sompop Amatayakul, chairman of the Thailand Quality Award committee, said PTT's Gas Transmission Pipeline unit and Thai Oil - in which PTT holds a major stake - received the TCC awards; along with CPF's Bangkok Produce Merchandising (BKP) and Pak Thong Chai Feedmill operations. However, no organisation was honoured with the highest TQA award this year.
Modelled on the internationally recognised Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the US, the Thailand Quality Award has been held annually since 2002. There have only been three winners of the TQA award: Thai Acrylic Fibre in 2002, Thai Paper in 2003 and PTT's Rayong Natural Gas Separation unit in 2006.
The TQA's evaluation criteria comprise seven major aspects: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and business results. In receiving the awards, the four organisations proved they are capable of integrating all the organisational management tools involved in the seven areas used as the TQA criteria in a very effective manner, said the TQA chairman.
Since TQA involves a total quality management system, the benefits also go to suppliers, customers and other stakeholders in the winning organisations, he said.
CPF senior vice president Virote Kumpeera said Pak Thong Chai's animal-feed plant was the largest in the world, with a capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum. Built five years ago, the integrated feed mill is run by the firm's younger-generation staff, he said.
"Normally when we do business, we tend to be only looking 'forward'. TQA helps us to look 360 degrees ... at all stakeholders," he said.
The Pak Thong Chai plant now assesses itself as one of the top-three animal feed mills in the world, each of which have an annual revenue of between US$1 billion (Bt32.3 billion) and $3 billion. Prior to implementing the TQA criteria, the firm was only assessing itself according to benchmarks set by the other 123 feed mills in the CPF group, said Virote.
BKP senior vice president Nopphadon Sirijongdee said implementing the TQA framework helped the firm identify its weaknesses, and allowed staff to look beyond their own "turf" to see the overall organisational goals and ensure that everyone was going in the same direction.
Thai Oil chief executive Surong Bulakul said the firm was ranked 17th in terms of production capacity among Asia-Pacific refiners, but placed third in terms of regional competitiveness. This accomplishment stemmed from the vision, focus and professional values of the company, he said, along with its demand-based culture, its bond with local communities, and its integrated processes.
"TQA is a tool that helps to ensure that we will sustain our strengths," he said.
PTT executive vice president Charcrie Buranakanonda said the Gas Transmission Pipeline unit, which won the TCC award for the third time, strove for excellence on a sustainable basis, regardless of who was heading of the business.
"People come and go. Last year, I wasn't the top executive. There are always opportunities for improvements," he said.
More than 150 government departments in 75 provinces were implementing some of the TQA criteria for the first time this year, something Sompop said could result in faster and better services at some government agencies.
