Quality certification for Active Industries

15/2/94

A Western Australian enterprise that employs 80 people and has a turnover of more than $1 million a year received quality certification today.

The enterprise, Activ Industries, of Kewdale, was congratulated by Commerce and Trade Minister Hendy Cowan on its achievement.

The quality certificate means that buyers of Activ textile products are assured of a high standard of product.  48 of Activ's employees in this area have an intellectual disability.

"The Activ Foundation's decision to achieve quality certification was based on commercial realities," Mr Cowan said.

"Many of the foundation's customers, including State Government agencies, are specifying a third party quality system as a qualifying requirement for the performance of work.

"Activ has recognised that such specification is not a fad but rather represents an encompassing trend which is becoming a dominant feature across Australian and overseas markets."

Disability Services Minister Kevin Minson said quality certification was tangible recognition that Activ Textile Products was a business which was meeting the required levels of quality demanded by customers.

"When the focus is on the products Activ produces, the disability is not an issue," Mr Minson said.

"If support is maintained to employ people with disabilities, the provision of quality services and products will become an expectation, rather than an exception.

"Today's success should be seen as an opportunity to expand on the vision of employment for people with disabilities and focus on their capabilities.

"It also provides the catalyst to challenge business to provide employment for people with disabilities."

Mr Cowan said Activ believed the quality certificate would make its bids in Australian and overseas markets more competitive.

This belief was backed up by the findings of a survey conducted by the Department of Commerce and Trade on the impact of certification upon local companies' operations.

The survey showed that in the majority of cases quality led to reduced costs, productivity gains and access to new markets. 

Companies also identified that gains such as improved relations with both customers and suppliers, better staff morale and enhanced focus by management stemmed from quality.

Mr Cowan said certification did not guarantee such outcomes automatically as there was also a requirement for an ongoing commitment to quality by management and staff.

"Quality, if it is to work, can often mean changes in an organisation's culture with greater emphasis on co-operation, shared goals and increased regard for the customer's needs.  Quality is a central facet of a revised approach to marketing," he said.

"Many WA companies are undergoing this transition to the extent that the State may have more than 1,000 quality-certified business establishments by the end of 1994.

"State Government purchasing policy has played a major role in promoting quality, and Activ's decision was largely influenced by this policy."

Media contact:  Peter Jackson 222 9595