MACORP operating in conformity with int’l standards

Jun 26, 2017 News

---

• gets ISO 9001 Certificate

The Machinery Corporation of Guyana Limited (MACORP CAT) on Friday evening, held

a celebration at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, to commemorate its achievement of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 Certificate.

ISO 9001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations that possess this certification, are known to have the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jorge Medina, in relating the history of MACORP, said that the company was invited to Guyana in 1993 to form part of the support to companies that had come to Guyana at the request of the government of the day to invest primarily in the extractive sector.

“MACORP was invited in 1993 to form part of that support, not only in the large mining sector, but also in other sectors including agriculture, forestry and civil works. So from MACORP’s inception, we had to bring into the country, the age of technology. We are second-to-none in this regard. We are performing at a high level of excellence,” the CEO said.

Medina said that MACORP is the pioneer for introducing several cutting-edge technology-based services to Guyana as it relates to the heavy-duty industrial sector.

Among the milestone he cited were: being the first company to finance customers in the mining

sector; the first company to bring the most advance equipment technologies like the Advanced Combustion Emissions Reduction Technology (ACERT) engines which meet Tier III or Stage III environmental regulations; being the dealer with the high value in equipment and parts inventory for immediate delivery in the country; and being the only dealer to supply testing services of components with hydraulic benches and dynameters with a capacity up to 2.000 Horsepower.

He spoke also about the company making significant strides in making sure that its personnel are up to par with international standards, since the company also provides assistance by means of technical support to its customers.

“We create a group of high standards of human talent and we create our training centre with cooperation with Caterpillar University. In that way, we are training our personnel to get the Caterpillar International Technical and Management Certification. We are proud to have several technicians that have international certification.”

MACORP is, also, the only authorized dealer for Caterpillar products in Guyana.

Anita Ramprasad, Senior Corporate Executive, holding the portfolio of Finance, Administration and Human Resources Manager for the MACORP Group of Companies, informed the gathering of the driving force behind the company moving to obtain the certification.

She said that customers are not looking for just a supply source but they also expect, demand and deserve an optimum level of satisfaction.

Ramprasad recalled the arduous journey in getting the certificate. The transition was the main challenge, she noted.

“We were challenged to manage this transition with strategy, tact and diplomacy and while we realised it wouldn’t be easy, what kept us going was the certainty that it would be worth it. And indeed it was! Three years later in April 2017, we received the honour of being recognised as an ISO 9001:2008 certified company.”

The professional said that regardless of changes in personnel, economic and other social factors, MACORP’s level of customer service and satisfaction will be unaffected, since its robust ISO system will remove subjectivity and complacency and will replace these with certainty and consistency.

“This is possible because all of our processes are systematically designed, documented,

controlled, tested, periodically reviewed and modified to ensure we fulfil our vision of supplying integrated solutions by adding value and guaranteeing stakeholder loyalty,”

Executive Director of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), Candelle Bostwick, during her remarks, said that the achievement is a remarkable one.

She noted that every time a company in Guyana becomes internationally recognised, it sends a message that local businesses are being prepared to take up the challenge to compete with international companies and investors.

Bostwick said that when the GNBS was approached by MACORP in 2012 to start the consultancy process, the GNBS recognised that the company was committed.

“Quite recently when we would have done an audit before their final certification audit, we confirmed to them that they had a good system in place. They just had to do a little fine tuning. We were very impressed with the teamwork, the knowledge of the staff; their commitment towards their jobs”

The Executive Director said that this achievement is the beginning of a new journey. She encouraged the company to continue with “that same zeal, that commitment”.

She said that the certification is one of the most widely-used forms of recognition international companies aspire to.

“An ISO 9001 company is one that you can be assured of consistency, quality and reliability in products and services. It’s one where its operations are streamlined; it’s one where you have focus and customer requirements and of course, you can have reliable and consistent service.”

Bostwick made a call for other businesses to get on board and get certified.

“An ISO 9001 is no longer a dream but it can be achieved by local companies and MACORP would have joined a number of other companies that we have certified in Guyana.

The official noted GNBS continues to promote the use of standards and to encourage businesses to embrace standards so that they can become certified.

“More so, we have been emphasising the implementation of standards within our small businesses in Guyana, our local businesses have to be prepared and we have to be ready for our competitors,” Bostwick said.

---

---