The QSE department: an essential component of a quality cutlery industry
What is the QSE department in charge of?
The QSE department (Quality, Safety, Environment) is in charge of improving and optimizing a company’s entire manufacturing process. The number of individuals in this department depends on the company’s size and their policies.
The QSE department makes sure that the company is running smoothly. One of this department’s main goals is to provide our clients with the best possible quality products. The QSE makes sure this goal is met by totally controlling the company’s innovative manufacturing process and by making sure that the company is in compliance with established standards (particularly the ISO standards regarding quality management and the environment).
The QSE department’s main functions are as follows:
- Giving advice, establishing and continuously monitoring procedures regarding security, the environment and the quality of the product
- Monitoring the company’s quality control system in accordance with the director’s goals, the company’s constraints and customer demands
- Conducting internal audits in order to analyze the application of different processes and regulations
- Regulatory surveillance: analyzing potential problems
- Resolving problems that have been identified
- Raising employee awareness about issues concerning the environment, security, and quality
The steps involved in verifying the quality of our knives
At Tarrerias-Bonjean the QSE department monitors and improves the production of TB Groupe knives and makes sure the company is following ISO standards, focusing on the following three priorities:
Quality control
Checking products and their components (barcodes, text, numbering, regulations) from different product lots. This process verifies all of the product’s visual aspects and is performed through a series of checks during the production process.
Laboratory tests on materials
These tests are conducted on steel and consist of analyzing the composition of TB Groupe’s knife blades. The following are a couple of examples of these tests:
- Tests necessary for obtaining a declaration of conformity (see the second section of this article)
- Tests checking the product’s dishwasher resistance
- Tests checking the blades efficiency and its cutting capacity
Customer claims processing and the SAV (customer service team)
Our goal is to handle customer claims efficiently in order to completely satisfy our clients. This department handles defective merchandise that is returned and offers either a product exchange or store credit. In every situation, TB Groupe and its QSE department put finding a solution that pleases its clients at the top of its list of priorities.
ISO standards and certifications: guaranteeing of TB Groupe’s knives’ credibility
9001 and 14001 ISO standards
The ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards are certifications established by an international organization specializing in quality, security and the environment.
The ISO 9001 is a set of standards regarding quality management. The ISO 14001 standards are regulations relating to environmental protection and limiting the company’s impact on the environment.
The QSE department assures that these international standards are being met and constantly works towards improving the ensemble of TB Groupe and its subcontractor the Générale de découpage’s business processes, including the following:
- Creating new models of quality knives
- Purchases
- Manufacturing TB Groupe knives
- Packaging
- Distribution
- Customer service team, etc.
The QSE department can also be assigned the task of supervising the implementation of new rules and regulations concerning quality, security and the environment as well as making sure that the company is prepared to follow future ISO standards.
TB Groupe’s knives declaration of conformity
The declaration of conformity is a set of tests verifying that a material does not react when it comes into contact with foodstuffs. TB Groupe’s QSE department does tests of this nature on a regular basis.
This declaration of conformity not only tests the materials used and its reaction to edibles it also builds a bond of trust between the company and its customers. It proves that TB Groupe’s quality knives successfully passed a series of tests and were declared fit for coming into contact with foodstuffs.
At Tarrerias-Bonjean, quality, safety, the environment and following different ISO standards play an integral role in the manufacturing system and are studied in our workshops with the utmost care.
TB Groupe’s knives are also analyzed with spectrometers and durometers. These instruments collect data, notably the level of chrome present in the steel blades and information measuring the final material’s strength and solidity.
Thanks to the QSE department TB Groupe’s knife manufacturing process is constantly improving. In addition a great deal of attention is put toward risk prevention on a daily basis.