Hanimex and HCi: a long-term relationship
By Shashi Laverick
‘The client is Hanimex,’ I was told. ‘You know, the camera people’.
It was 1994, and I was being briefed about my first job as a project manager with HCi. My first client. Little did I know that 9 years later in 2003, HCi would still be working with Hanimex, giving help and advice. Not to mention saving the company money and time based on our ongoing and intimate knowledge of the company, its people and operations.
A close working relationship between client and advisor can provide cost efficiencies as well as an easy and effective way to ensure that the client’s documentation and quality assurance needs are addressed proactively.
Most people know Hanimex as an importer/distributor of cameras and film, specifically the Fuji brand. But its activities are much more varied than that. It is a major Australian importer of medical imaging equipment. It conducts an extensive paper slitting operation for photographic paper. It installs and services its medical equipment as well as the Fujifilm outlets for retail photography. It also works closely with professional photographers to service their needs.
Back in 1994, Hanimex decided that it could benefit from achieving quality certification. The company knew that documenting its activities and ensuring that they were followed would assist with operational efficiencies. QA certification to ISO9002 is a powerful tool to prove this to customers in Australia and overseas, and in Hanimex’s case their major Japanese supplier, Fuji, were also keen on QA certification. So Hanimex asked HCi to work with them to achieve the certification they wanted.
Our first step was planning out what needed to happen. As with all HCi jobs, comprehensive planning is a cornerstone of working quickly and letting the client know exactly what’s going to happen, when and how much it will cost. HCi planned out the Hanimex QA system and how it could be implemented quickly and with minimal bureaucracy.
We then worked with Hanimex staff to document its activities and introduce new processes to comply with the QA Standard. We trained Hanimex staff, including the QA Manager and his administrative staff, and a group of staff to perform internal auditing.
The QA system implementation process took several months and culminated with achieving certification. In the end Hanimex got what it wanted, but we all felt the sense of achievement. It was a BIG day for all of us.
HCi’s policy is to ensure that all documentation and systems implemented for clients can be managed and maintained by them without further HCi input. We made sure Hanimex staff could update their own documents, audit their own processes internally, and keep the QA system working efficiently. We also introduced a corrective action system that provided major leverage for the organisation to continuously improve its own activities.
So why has our relationship continued? Why is HCi still doing work for Hanimex today?
Over the years we have:
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Provided ongoing QA system assistance and advice, including documentation of new and changed processes, staff training, and planning for new processes and initiatives
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Helped staff systematically re-write QA documentation to streamline and improve useability
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Helped new QA staff prepare for surveillance and triennial QA audits
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Provided consulting assistance to upgrade packaging documentation and to bring additional processes within the scope of certification for ISO9002
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Upgraded and changed some paperslitting processes and documents to meet the requirements of the Japanese parent company
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Extended the scope of the existing ISO9001 certification of the company to include the Consumer Products Division and the Brisbane Branch office
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Upgraded the certification to the new standard ISO9001:2000.
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Trained new staff as they joined Hanimex or were promoted into positions. In 9 years, we’ve watched (and worked with) relatively junior staff as they’ve become Department Heads!
Put simply, no organisation stays the same from year to year, and no organisation has a truly independent perspective on how it can improve, re-structure or streamline its activities. The things we had learned about the Hanimex staff and systems during our initial project meant that we already had a head start whenever new activities were introduced or new operations were suggested. Hanimex continue to come to us as they introduce new initiatives or update processes. We know how the place works, and who’s who. We know what can work and what won’t. We know the culture of Hanimex, and the policies and management imperatives. We know the IT limitations and strengths. You could almost say we know where the bodies are buried!
Our ongoing relationship is also a testament to the cost-savings inherent in a long term relationship. Every planning exercise becomes streamlined due to our detailed knowledge of operations. This saves both time and money for the client.
Chris Warner, QA/Environmental Systems Manager at Hanimex, says “My job is made easier knowing that HCi are around. The staff are friendly, very experienced at what they do, helpful and most importantly they know Hanimex and how we work. Over the years I have recommended HCi on many occasions. Shashi is indeed a honorary member of our team and one that I would not like to be without”.
I have been called many names at Hanimex in the time I have worked with the organisation (some of them not entirely complimentary!), but being called an honorary member of the Hanimex team reflects how we’ve worked together over the years.First published August 2003
This article may be reproduced only with the permission of HCi (email HCi ). Copyright HCi, 2001-3.
