Krista Davidson

A famous American poet once mused that “it takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong.” Doing things the right way has become an art form for the Technical Services Division at Memorial University; so much so that they are only one of three Memorial units to achieve ISO 9001:2008 registration.

The ISO 9001:2008 registration, which Technical Services received February 2014, is a globally recognized standard for quality management that delivers on high customer service.

The prerequisites to earning such a prestigious registration takes tremendous dedication spanning years. The Technical Services Department, starting in 2010, has been implementing procedures and processes to ensure all standards are met. This includes procedures for management responsibility, resource management, instrument calibration, equipment maintenance, traceability, continual improvements and corrective action. Every aspect of the operation is rigorously documented. For example, special processes are identified and to ensure consistent quality, it was determined that certification by the Canadian Welding Bureau was warranted.

“The investment in time and resource in this process will play an important role in the scientific research and teaching aspects of the university,” said Jim Titford, quality assurance project manager for Technical Services. Titford joined the team in 2010 and has been working toward the registration ever since.

“Each of our 74 employees has played an instrumental role in this accomplishment. Without their support and attention to detail, working toward this registration would not be possible,” said Rick Meaney, director, Technical Services.

Meaney also credits the support of Dr. Richard J. Marceau, vice-president (Research) in the achievement: “Dr. Marceau’s unrelenting support for Technical Services is a testament to his commitment to delivering the highest quality possible to our staff and researchers.”