Custom «Total Quality for Kahramaa» Essay Paper

Kahramaa is a state owned monopoly in charge of transmission and distribution of water and electricity in Qatar. The Report: Qatar 2008 indicated that electricity demand was 3419 MW in early 2008 and looks set to soar above 10,000 MW by 2012. Moreover The Report: Qatar 2008 indicated that water use is now at about 150m gallons per day and will more than double to 330m by 2012 and to 400m by 2015. The publication further notifies that capacity figures show a cushion of 4200 MW of power and 175 gallons of water per day. These totals have expanded to 7900MW and 290m gallons by 2010 according to government figures.

In Qatar, the transmission and distribution of electricity and water is handled entirely by Kahramaa. To ensure total quality to the delivery of its services, the company allocated QR7.5bn. To ensure quality The Report: Qatar 2008  says that “Kahramaa water projects upgrading pumping stations in multiple locations, upgrading water stations and supplying extra capacity for the new airport.” The report also indicates that the company is also charged with forecasting future demand for both water and electricity hence it is therefore to pay for more goods than it collects from selling them which makes the firm unattractive to potential shareholders (The Report: Qatar 2008). 

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The publication by The Oil & Gas Year Qatar 2010 it says that “as part of quality measures, the company is committed to a comprehensive initiative to investigate and deploy solutions that can minimize water leakage.” Kahramaa’s key quality control includes the successful implementation of a supervisory control and data acquisition system for monitoring real time leakage in the sectored water network via district metered areas (The Oil & Gas Year Qatar 2010).

In order to ensure quality, Kahramaa has also initiated intensive and proactive leakage control measures via the use of state of the art digital acoustic equipment (The Oil & Gas Year Qatar 2010). The company is in the process of undertaking the constant replacement and upgrade of the networking through a strategic asset management system.

In it business Kahramaa is determined to ensure complete customer satisfaction. So as to provide total quality services to its customers, Kahramaa has implemented a number of different projects including expanding its call center in order to receive and respond to all emergency calls. The Oil & Gas Year Qatar 2010 says that the company has developed remote meter reading, ensuring faster and more accurate readings and besides that it has established new service centers in order to reach the maximum number of customers.

Kahramaa has long term total quality plans to develop the capacity of its generation and desalination plants. The Oil & Gas Year Qatar 2010 noted that “the company has identified the best techniques for producing electricity and providing high quality drinking water in the coming years.” This is one of the firm’s bases of attaining total quality. Another total quality control measure that the company has adopted is its broad concern for environment, health, and safety of its workers and citizens. This is one of Kahramaa’s strategic objectives. In addition, the company has completed an assessment study on the impact of electricity stations in residential areas which was carried out in co-operation with the University of Qatar. It has also been noted that Kahramaa is also studying options for providing The publication Managing Water Scarcity in Qatar says that in order to deliver quality services to its customers, the company uses a combination of advanced applications, information technology solutions and expert water resource management skills have been identified as key factors in addressing the issue of total quality. Managing Water Scarcity in Qatar (2010) says that “total quality at Kahramaa is on the basis of provision of technology and services in the fields such as leak detection and localization, water quality management besides water balance and audit models for non revenue water assessment” (12). Total quality has been ensured by technology integration in the fields of operation, planning and engineering, commercial information systems, and enterprise resource planning.

 Talk about their rewards (mention, and how they get it)

In the year 2009, Kahramaa won first prize in the e-service category at the Gulf Co-operation Council e-government awards for its billing service. Kahramaa won Al-Hariri Award for Operation and Maintenance 2006 Fifth International Forum for operation and maintenance, held in Beirut from June 12th to 15th, 2006. In addition,  KAHRAMAA won best scientific research prize in GCC Cigre 14th seminar for its paper titled "Operational Problems & Performance of Transmission Overhead Lines in Qatar” (Awards , n.d.). Also, Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation "KAHRAMAA" attained Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum award for Best Arab Management Practice. In 2008, KAHRAMAA Electricity Affairs Directorate, represented in Electricity Transmission Department, attained ISO 9001: 2000 because of its operation and maintenance of the components of ET Network including overhead lines and underground cables and substations(Awards, n.d.)

ISO/six sigma

Kahramaa attained ISO 900:2000 certificate in Control and Load Dispatch of Electricity Transmission from generation facilities to customers besides operation and maintenance of the components of ET Network including overhead lines and underground cables and substations (KAHRAMAA Attains ISO 9001 Certification, 2008). Quality is also applied in protection equipment and devices, auxiliary equipment, telecom and tele-control equipment in the transmission system. Also, provision of response repair and preventive maintenance are quality controlled (KAHRAMAA Attains ISO 9001 Certification, 2008).

Quality and administrative documentation

            According to the article KAHRAMAA Attains ISO 9001 Certification (2008), Kahramaa obtained accreditation due to its commitment to the international quality standards in all its actions. The company obtained ISO 9001 certificate within its distribution of electricity and water which are executed under the supervision of the Internal Audit Department for the company’s application of the administrative systems and measures and technical staff training.

Immediate monitoring system

Kahramaa strategy through this ISO 9001 is to continuously developing and improving work performance so as to cope with the modern advancement. This system has been fundamental in the improvement of the company’s quality assurance. Total quality through the adoption of this system was through its capacity to forecast and reduce current interruption (KAHRAMAA Attains ISO 9001 Certification, 2008).

Customer satisfaction

The ultimate goal of ISO 9001 is satisfying customers according to the contractual items and meeting their requirements. Kahramaa achieves this through an internal administrative system to secure the stability of the quality of services and products provides to its customers (products or services such as water and electricity). The article KAHRAMAA Attains ISO 9001 Certification (2008) further says that “the application of ISO quality management proves the efficiency and reliability of Electricity Distribution Networks to meet the expectations of all customers.”

Quality Assurance

Kahramaa decided to adopt the ISO 9000 Management System as the quality standard to follow because of its focus on customers and continual improvements. In line with the adoption of ISO 9001 the company embarked on developing business process documentation that meets ISO requirements.

Internal Audit

The article KAHRAMAA Attains ISO 9001 Certification (2008) established that since the attainment of ISO 9001: 2000 tangible improvements are already evidenced from the results shown in our regular performance monitoring and reporting especially in its internal audit.

Quality management system

Acquisition of ISO 9001 certification was an additional independent confirmation that our quality management system is working and there is full commitment from ground operators upward. The article KAHRAMAA Attains ISO 9001 Certification (2008) further says that it also came at a time when Electricity Transmission was working full steam to operate a network that was expanding at an unprecedented rate.

Bauer, Duffy & Westcott (2006) says that improvement in process quality at Kahramaa takes different perspectives. One of this is through customer and market focus in the context of customer relationship and satisfaction. The customer and market focus examines how Kahramaa determines the requirements, needs, expectations, and preferences of customers and markets. Process quality improvement helps Kahramaa to build relationships with its customers and determines the key factors that lead to customer acquisition, satisfaction, loyalty, and retention, and to business expansion and sustainability.

Kahramaa’s improvement in process quality also entails changing the performance indicators, and commitment of resources to ensure that customer needs are met. Bauer, Duffy & Westcott (2006) indicated that in order to improve quality process within the company, the management should establish key quality requirements and performance indicators must be established in the design, development, and implementation of all products and services for final customer delivery.

Process improvement will entail a comprehensive focus on customer needs and expectations, support of quality goals and strategies by upper management, development of process for evaluation and process improvement, and integration of quality activities into the daily work of the front line associates.

Talk about an improvement in service quality.

Kahramaa service quality improvement provides the company on how to view service management not only as an organizational capability but as a strategic asset. Office of Government Commerce (2010) says that Kahramaa should use service improvement as a guidance to set objectives and expectations of performance towards serving its customers and market spaces as well as to identify and prioritize opportunities. It further says that improvement in service quality is attained via ensuring that the company is in a position to handle the costs and risks associated with its service portfolios and are set up not only for operational effectiveness but for distinctive performance (Office of Government Commerce, 2010).

Kahramaa service quality improvement includes the changes and improvements necessary to increase or maintain value to customers, ensure continuity of service delivery, achievement of service levels and conformance to government standards and regulation. Office of Government Commerce (2010) indicates that “quality service improvement embodies practices in the management of the day to day operation of services besides working to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery and support of services to ensure value services and products its customers” (18).

Measurement and analysis; the tools that has been used for that

In order to measure service and process quality improvement Kahramaa should establish a benchmark and track its customers through surveys.Miller (1999) says that these indices rely on measuring the impact of customer’s ratings of individual service attributes on overall satisfaction with service. Kahramaa should use measurement analyses which include quadrant and gap analysis, factor analysis and multiple regression analysis and scatter grams (Miller, 1999). In order to fully realize service and quality improvement, Kahramaa should use regression analysis to provide quantitative benchmarks for continuous tracking.

Office of Government Commerce (2010) says that Kahramaa provides detailed service and quality improvement methods and tools for use in these two areas. These perspectives include reactive and proactive measures. Managers at Kahramaa are provided with knowledge allowing them to make better decisions in areas such as managing the availability of services, controlling demand, optimizing competence utilization, scheduling of operations, and fixing problems.

Talk about various quality initiatives adopted by the company and their impact on company’s market position.

Improvement in process quality at Kahramaa Company is geared towards developing a working plan and looking at the particular order and determining the resources that will be required to complete the individual transaction to the customer’s satisfaction and provide an adequate return on the resource investment. Kahramaa’s process quality improvement approach is required by the company to become the guiding policy in producing a valued product or service that remains competitive in the marketplace (Bauer, Duffy & Westcott, 2006).