Performed by: Ho Nga
(Article published in “Industry Magazine No. 23/2000)
After 18 months of active implementation, in September 2000, Dien Quang Lamp Company was simultaneously granted a certificate of quality management system in accordance with ISO 9002 standards by three international organizations for the fields of production and supply of various types of alkaline glass; 1.2 m and 0.6 m fluorescent lamps; fluorescent lamp heads, wires for fluorescent lamps and incandescent lamps. This event came to Dien Quang as a historical milestone, marking the 25-year journey of tireless efforts to build a prestigious Dien Quang brand in the market.
The following interview by the reporter of Cong Nghiep magazine with General Director Ho Thi Kim Thoa will help readers understand more about Dien Quang - the leading fluorescent lamp manufacturer in Vietnam today.
PV: Congratulations to Dien Quang for being granted ISO 9002 certification, but why from three international organizations at the same time? Did the Company choose many organizations to increase brand reputation when recognized as ISO 9002?
CEO Ho Thi Kim Thoa: Implementing ISO 9002 in the near future will be an almost mandatory condition for businesses when the time of Vietnam joining AFTA is approaching. It is like a passport for manufacturers to bring their goods to foreign markets. Recognizing this issue, the Company has long paid attention to investing and improving working methods and since 1998, Comrade Nguyen Van Hung - Former General Director has begun to conduct activities to prepare for quality management according to ISO 9002 standards. With the assistance of APAVE Consulting Company, after being assessed by experts from QUACERT, AFAQ and IQNET organizations as meeting the requirements, all 3 organizations have jointly issued a certificate for the Company's quality management system to meet ISO 9002 standards. We are also very proud that Dien Quang is the first Company of the General Corporation of Ceramics - Industrial Glass to achieve ISO 9002 certification.
PV: 18 months to achieve ISO 9002 certification, not a short time. Can the General Director tell us what difficulties the Company encountered during the implementation of ISO 9002?
CEO Ho Thi Kim Thoa: There are many problems, the first of which is confusion about procedures and paperwork. On the other hand, Dien Quang has a scattered area of operation in the provinces, not concentrated in one place, so modern management is very difficult. However, in my opinion, the biggest difficulty is still how to overcome the situation of equipment not following a unified standard in the production line system, in order to create conditions for easier modern management.
PV: So how did the company overcome that situation?
CEO Ho Thi Kim Thoa: As I said, the Company has been aware of this problem for many years, so we have paid great attention to investing in production development. From the old machinery and equipment taken over from Japan after the liberation in 1975, we have improved to double the design capacity, the annual growth rate has always reached 25 - 30%. In 1999, the Company produced and consumed over 27 million light bulbs of all kinds. Compared to 1991, the industrial production value increased 5.5 times; revenue increased 10.76 times; labor productivity increased 4.3 times (glass tube products: 2.16 times, fluorescent bulbs: 8.93 times, incandescent bulbs: 3.9 times). With increased revenue, the Company has the conditions to invest in production development. Every year, the Company invests tens to hundreds of billions of VND to buy new machinery and equipment, expand production and increase labor productivity. Along with investing in infrastructure, the Company also cares about human resources. In the glass industry, experience is very valuable. Therefore, on the one hand, we continue to retain skilled workers with many years of experience, on the other hand, we recruit a number of young engineers so that they can immediately get acquainted with the new management style. When the Company meets the requirements, they will have access to good and new things to work better.
During this time, the Company is focusing on investing in energy-saving production lines in Dong An Industrial Park (Binh Duong). These are completely new production lines imported from Korea, currently producing at a capacity of 1,440 units/hour. Put into operation since April 2000, this production line is currently operating at full capacity in 2-3 shifts. It is expected that in 2001, an additional production line for producing round bulbs with a capacity of 2,000 units/hour will be put into operation, increasing the annual output to about 40 million bulbs of all kinds.
PV: According to the General Director, is the implementation of ISO 9002 a turning point for the business?
CEO Ho Thi Kim Thoa: For Dien Quang Lamp Company, the most important thing when implementing ISO 9002 is to learn modern management methods, according to a standard process. Now, all production stages are strictly inspected and controlled. Products of the previous stage that do not meet the requirements will not be accepted by the next stage. The responsibility of the workers in each stage will be closely linked to each product. Defective products will be eliminated right from this stage, saving costs and production time, reducing the rate of defective finished products. And as a result, the company's production and business efficiency has increased significantly compared to before implementing ISO 9002, the whole company reduced costs by 5%. Dien Quang Lamp has become a prestigious product in the market, trusted by consumers, always on the list of high-quality Vietnamese products, Topten Vietnamese consumer goods and the Company has been awarded many noble prizes.
PV: With ISO 9002 certification, surely in the near future, the Company will have more advantages when exporting goods abroad?
CEO Ho Thi Kim Thoa: In theory, it is true. Because IQNET and AFAQ are both prestigious organizations in the world, especially IQNET has a great influence on European countries. Therefore, goods will be more favorable when exported. But in reality, the decisive factor is still product quality. Continuously improving product quality and diversifying product types is the Company's goal in the coming time. Only product quality determines the existence of the enterprise.
PV: Thank you, General Director, and wish Dien Quang continued development./.
