Port of HaminaKotka Ltd has maintained an ISO-certified environmental and quality management system for 25 years now. This long-term certification reflects strong commitment to a high quality in the operations and environmental responsibility. The main goal of the ISO certificate is continuous operational development, and the auditor’s role is to support the company in this development work and to improve the operations together with the company.
“Port of HaminaKotka Ltd and LRQA have conducted co-operation in certification from the very beginning, which shows that we have moved in the right direction,” says Niklas Rönnberg from LRQA.
Certification processes have changed over the years
In the 1990s, ISO standards focused on guidance and documentation, and quality manuals were widely used. Nowadays, ISO standards place more and more emphasis on processes, and the importance of documentation has decreased. Risk management has also become increasingly important, and organisations now have more choice in how they fulfil the requirements of the standards. This poses its own challenges for auditors, because each organisation can implement different types of measures that comply with the standards. The certificate is not just a formality, but it is a tool for developing the operations, and it always stems from the organisation’s own processes and operations.
Internal audits are a key part of the ISO certification system. They provide the organisation with the opportunity to detect nonconformities before an external audit. Nonconformities should be perceived as development opportunities, not as negative criticism. Niklas Rönnberg points out that nonconformities must always be justified by the requirements of the relevant standard.
Commitment to continuous improvement yields high-quality operations
A company can ensure high-quality operations by complying with its own management system and by developing it continuously.
“Port of HaminaKotka Ltd has identified the development needs in its management system, the management are committed to its continuous improvement, and the personnel are motivated to develop the operations based on audits," Niklas Rönnberg says.
This commitment to a certified quality and environmental management system spanning over a quarter of a century is a strong indication of long-term development work and quality assurance within Port of HaminaKotka Ltd.
