Realisation has had a long involvement with Hanimex.  Our first assignment, in 1988 (under our former name of HCi) centered on re-writing a set of procedure documents, as well as creating additional material to cater for operations in some divisions. Our brief was to make the material more user-friendly, simple and direct.

Staff feedback indicated that the revised and new documents were well received and were actually being used, for almost the first time.

In 1994, Hanimex decided to progress to the next stage of its corporate maturity: compliance with ISO9002:1994 to achieve quality systems certification. The company knew that adopting a fully systematic approach to its activities (and documenting these systems) would promote further 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. Hanimex asked us to work with them to achieve the certification they wanted.

Our first step was planning the approach. As with all successful projects, 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.

We then worked with Hanimex staff to document its new systems, and to integrate compliance requirements into the existing documentation set so that there would be no concept of a ‘separate’ quality system somehow divorced from staff’s day to day activities.   We helped to orchestrate a cultural change within Hanimex so that ‘quality’ became an active role as well as an abstract concept.

Our policy is to ensure that all documentation and systems implemented for clients can be managed and maintained by them without further input from us. Our initial systems design for quality at Hanimex made sure their staff could update their own documents, audit their own processes internally, and keep the QA system working efficiently.

Nevertheless our relationship has continued. We have:

• Helped new QA staff prepare for surveillance and three-yearly QA audits

• Provided consulting assistance to upgrade packaging documentation and to bring additional processes within the scope of certification for ISO9002

• Upgraded and changed some processes and documents to meet the requirements of the Japanese parent company

• Extended the scope of the existing ISO9002 certification of the company to include the Consumer Products Division, the Medical Division and the Brisbane Branch office

• Upgraded the certification to the new standard ISO9001:2000.

• Helped Hanimex to integrate additional compliance requirements into its overall compliance system. Current compliance standards incorporated within the overall system include Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Systems.

Chris Warner, QA/Environmental Systems Manager at Hanimex, says, “My job is made easier knowing that [Realisation] 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 them on many occasions.”