API - American Petroleum Institute

The API is a national trade association headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA, serving all branches of petroleum, drilling, and production industry. The API has established a standardization program to facilitate the availability of safe and interchangeable equipment and materials used in these industries. The API Monogram Program offers licensees the opportunity to obtain certification and the use of the API Monogram Trademark which signifies a certain supplier to the petroleum industry as a company recognized by API for its capability to provide quality product or service. In order to be certified, the API requires compliance to the API Specification Q1 for Quality Programs and the applicable API Product Specification,( i.e. Specification 5L for Line Pipe, Specification 6A for Valves and Wellhead Equipment, Specification 6D for Pipeline Valves, Specification 11E for Pumping units.)

TIEC has extensive experience in developing these Quality Programs and can provide interpretation of the standards and practical considerations for effective implementation.

International Organization For Standardization (ISO)

The International Organization for Standardization is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with over 100 member countries. Its purpose is to promote standardization of products and services in today's global market by developing and publishing standards. The development of these standards is performed through the efforts of over 180 Technical Committees. TC176, Quality Management and Quality Assurance Technical Committee, is responsible for quality standards. TC 176 developed the ISO 9000 family of generic standards or models for quality management systems intended for broad application to a wide range of nonspecific industries, products and services.

The ISO 9000 family of quality management system standards is comprised of three documents:

• ISO 9000:2000 Quality Management Systems- Fundamentals and vocabulary
• ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Systems- Requirements
• ISO 9004:2000 Quality Management Systems-Guidelines for performance improvements

These documents define the requirements for establishing, documenting, maintaining and continually improving an effective quality management system. The ISO 9000 family of standards include requirements for defining the organizational structure, policies and objectives, personnel competencies, documentation requirements, design and development activities, process controls, product verification and validation, internal audits, corrective and preventive action, data collection and analysis, and other controls to be implemented within the company to ensure the quality of a product or service and to ensure customer satisfaction.

Many industries require suppliers to demonstrate compliance to the standards via certification or registration by a third-party organization known as a Registrar. All the certified companies are listed in the Registrar's Directory which is available to the public. Additionally, certified companies may display the Registrar's trademark on their marketing and advertising materials, business cards and letterheads to further demonstrate to the world their commitment to quality.

TIEC specializes in assisting companies to prepare for the certification process and quality audit.

The U.S. Department of Defense (D.O.D.), the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have adopted the ISO Quality Management System Standards.

American Society for Quality (ASQ)

The American Society for Quality (ASQ) has been the leading quality improvement organization in the United States for more than 50 years. Its members have initiated most of the quality methods used throughout the world, including statistical process control, quality cost measurement and control, total quality management, failure analysis, and zero defects.

Typical of ASQ's activities is its administration of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, managed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The annual award is the highest level of national recognition for quality achievement that a U.S. firm can receive.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that promotes the art, science and practice of mechanical and multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences throughout the world. The core values of ASME are rooted in its mission to better enable mechanical engineering practitioners to contribute to the well-being of humankind.