Quality System

Ongoing improvement

In relation to strategic management, the activity of the IMH is subject to continuous improvement and as a result of this guideline, we are the first Institute of Technological Innovation (1998), we are certified in ISO 9001 (1998), ISO 14000 (2005), Investor in People (2005), the Silver Q according to the EFQM model of excellence (2000), and the Silver BIKAIN certification in the Linguistic Quality of the Basque Government (2008 and 2015).

History

In the strategic plan defined in 1994, the challenge was identified as "To offer high quality training and services at the IMH". From this, derived objectives such as: to implement a system of continuous improvement, to promote relations with other centres (educational, industrial, technological...), to achieve the homologation of equipment and installations, etc. Other objectives included basic actions, such as obtaining ISO 9000 certification or managing people's skills.

 

In those years, ISO 9000 certification was in full swing in the surrounding companies. In the IMH, besides being very interested in the subject, there were people highly competent in quality control techniques, ISO 9000:87, EFQM (incipient), etc.

A process management system was implemented - the Teaching and Learning system being the critical one - which was based on the Deming cycle or PDCA, where: "P" meant deciding what, when, how, who, and with what processes will be carried out, "D" meant doing what was planned, "C" meant testing and analyzing the performance obtained and "A" meant standardizing the experience and improving it, to avoid a setback and to be able to deal with deviations detected when the result is not the desired one.

 

At that time it was seen that ISO 9000 was a proven and accepted system. It was, therefore, the appropriate platform since, by giving it a focus on process management, it contained the necessary ingredients for the effective management of the Teaching-Learning process.

 

The strategic plan also addresses other dimensions that we understand transcend the management of the critical process analyzed. Thus, the EFQM model was also seen as a very valid tool to evaluate the quality of management at an organization-wide level and to advance on the path to excellence.