"Tamkeen's EDS support helped us to upgrade our perspective": Al Safir Managing Director and Board Manager Mr. Abdul Hameed Al Halwachi
Juffair, Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010: Bahrains Al Safir Hotel and Tower in Juffair has created a hospitality industry record by becoming the first Bahrain hotel to gain certification of excellence in three different areas: Quality Management System- ISO 9001:2008, Occupational Health and Safety System - OHSAS 18001: 2007 and Food Safety Management System - ISO 22000:2005.
Al Safir Hotel and Tower had enrolled for assistance under Tamkeens Enterprise Development Programme in 2008 to upgrade its standards, thereby entering a higher growth trajectory. The process of developing the methods, training staff to carry out assignments in the specific ways that would complement the quality procedures and working to create the records for the certification took nearly two years but Al Safir Hotel's Managing Director and Board member Mr. Abdul Hameed Al Halwachi today leads a proud team at the hotel in Juffair.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Tamkeen which extended its Enterprise Development Support to include quality management and giving medium-sized organisations like ours access to expertise and opportunities - It just opened up so many doors for us, he said.
But Halwachi is quick to point out that the final goal was not just to collect certificates but to aim higher and achieve better targets in business.
This marathon exercise in identifying our strengths, ironing out weak spots, standardising procedures and training our staff to work to a whole new level of professionalism is not just about gaining certificates, he said, An immediate result of the Food Safety Management System - ISO 22000:2005 certification, for example, has been that Al Safir won a major food contract with U.S. Marine Services. This has meant that we have had to expand our food preparation and handling team and more jobs have been generated for Bahrainis. Similarly, because of enhanced occupational health and safety procedures we have hired more Bahraini security personnel; the quality management features that are now embedded in our work have resulted in new openings for HR personnel and customer service staff.
The three certificates have been awarded to Al Safir after careful assessment by TUV Middle East. Quality management lays down the guidelines for proper implementation of administrative, HR and marketing work; the other two certification processes emphasise strict workplace safety and food handling and excellence in preparation and delivery of top quality. The implementation has resulted in the creation of templates and procedures that have been documented and embedded in the daily work pattern of staff through training and continuous supervision.
Al Safir Hotels management executed their certification plan meticulously and with sincerity, said Tamkeens Private Sector Support Senior Manager Mohammed Bucheery, This ambitious Quality Management Systems Scheme comes under our Enterprise Development Programme (EDS) which seeks to provide the private sector with access to expert consultation and help in attaining world class standards.
He added, Al Safirs experience has shown that there is more to certification than just paperwork. The hotel has re-interpreted international standards to meet local needs and generated new standards, new employment for Bahrainis and is well on its way to the next growth trajectory from 4-star to 5-star property. It is something we would like to see developing further in the Kingdoms hospitality sector.
Al Safirs three-certificate process was part of a BD 200,000 pilot Quality Management Systems Scheme process in which Tamkeen provided a grant up to 60% of the total fees for the certification, which includes consultancy services, pre--assessment audit and certification fees for two years. The co-financing programme offers small businesses a maximum of BD 10,000 and for medium-sized businesses, a maximum of BD 15,000 in support. In this pilot phase, Tamkeen has registered a total of 13 companies.
Tamkeen plans to reach at least 160 enterprises with the Quality Management Systems Scheme thereby helping to raise quality standards across the board for Bahraini enterprises.
The primary goal of Tamkeens quality management systems scheme is to raise the standard of corporate productivity and performance and enhance its competitiveness in the markets, Mr. Bucheery said, "Quality is the main differentiator between good and poor practices and products, enterprises which are run by passionate entrepreneurs, are short of the required international certification that will give them the winning edge in the marketplace. Through the quality management systems scheme, we hope to empower the enterprises with yet another instrument to add value to their business and make them more competitive in the region and internationally."
The quality management scheme comes under Tamkeens ambitious Enterprise Development Support Programme which seeks to assist and support enterprises in enhancing their productivity to enable them to develop and grow while providing high quality jobs to Bahrainis through providing access to world class consultation and training for upgrading business information systems, technology inputs and business growth and development.
For Halwachi, the next step is sustaining the progress that the certification has brought to Al Safir. This has been a marathon exercise and our success has not just opened new avenues of excellence and growth for us but also for other hospitality industry establishment, he said.
-Ends-
Press Release 2010
