LEA breaks new ground in ISO certification

GOITSEONE KGOPANA
Correspondent | Tuesday July 14, 2009 00:00

Managing Director of Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) Dr. Elsie Meintjies said the event was equally special to them just like it was to LEA.

This is because the certificate is a new achievement for BOBS as well as LEA. LEA forms part of the first batch of companies to be issued with a certificate in accordance with the BOBS ISO 9001:2008 standard.

The standard was adopted by Botswana in February this year following its introduction by international organisations in November 2008.

'The certificate is issued in recognition of LEA's quality management system which has been audited by the BOBS and found to be in conformity with the BOBS ISO 9001:2008 standard for quality management systems,' Meintjies said.

'Although BOBS has previously issued multi-site certificates, LEA's certificate is one of its kind since the scope of certification covers a total of 14 sites, being the organisation's head office and its 13 branch offices.

' This makes LEA's multi-site certificate to be the most extensive ever issued by BOBS,' she added.

Acting chairperson of the LEA board of directors, Malekantwa Mmapatsi said the achievement is a great milestone that deserved to be celebrated.

He stated that a lot of hard work has gone into the achievement. 'It all started in March 2008, with the award of the project to the consultants, Quali Quest, who guided the project team in ensuring a smooth understanding and implementation of the ISO9001: 2000 concepts into the organisation.'

LEA underwent internal audits to test the level of implementation of the required ISO9001: 2000 procedures and its own business process so as to identify gaps before the External Audits took place in February. In May 2009, the organisation implemented the ISO 9001: 2000 standard and was recommended for certification.

The ISO website says the ISO 9001: 2000 is a generic management system standard. 'Generic means that the same standard can be applied to any organisation, large or small, whatever its product or service, in any sector of activity, and whether it is a business enterprise, a public administration, or a government department.

' ISO 9001 contains a generic set of requirements for implementing a quality management system,' the website says.

About 750,000 certificates have been issued to organisations against the ISO 9001 standard throughout the world, demonstrating its recognised importance to business.

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Duke Lefhoko said LEA can be said to be on the right track, having adopted a formula that has helped it to attain the ISO 9001: 2000.

'I am reliably informed that there are hardly any multi-site institutions in Botswana and indeed a few exist in Sub-Saharan Africa that are fully ISO certified. LEA is among the first multi-site institutions to have had all their processes certified wholesome at the same time,' he stated.

A Quality Management System that LEA has, enables an organisation to achieve the goals and objectives set out in its policy and strategy. It provides for consistency and satisfaction.

LEA awarded 14 of its staff with certificates for their efforts in ensuring that it got ISO 9001: 2000 certificate. Meintjies gave LEA a BOBS ISO 9001:2008 flag, which will be flown at the head office and the 13 branch offices.

LEA is however obliged to ensure it continues to satisfy the requirements that form the basis of the certification. LEA will be monitored through surveillance audits at pre-determined intervals to ensure conformity.