Professionals

SLAQ promotes quality practices

BY HIRAN H. Senewiratne

THE Sri Lanka Association for Quality (SLAQ) is a premier professional body on quality in Sri Lanka and its mission is to promote awareness of quality nationwide in building a strong and vigorous national quality movement, its President Dr. Srilal de Silva said.

He said that through initiatives such as seminars, workshops, conventions and exhibitions SLAQ endeavours to reach all sections of the community with the message of quality.

The Institute conducts short duration courses for school leavers and others who are in the quality management sector and the entry qualification to follow them is the G.C.E (O/L) and (A/L).

A key area addressed by SLAQ is to promote quality among school children with the intention of building a better society. A Council consisting of professionals manages all activities of the SLAQ.

SLAQ is a leading professional body for the advancement of quality practices in Sri Lanka. The Institute conducts two diploma courses on quality management and food quality. It also conducts many certificate courses on different sectors designed for technicians.

SLAQ was established to meet a long felt need of the escalating demand for the industry, business and services to improve the quality vis-a-vis the rapid industrial and commercial growth Sri Lanka had been dreaming of for some time.

It is a not-for-profit organisation and a respected contributor to policy issues at a national and international level.

It has maintained its position of independence from commercial or vested interests and embraces all quality models, philosophies and standards that help an organisation improve performance.

According to Dr de Silva there is a big demand for their programmes from the garment sector and the employability of these professionals are very high not only in Sri Lanka but also in overseas as well specially in India.

SLAQ is affiliated to the Asia Pacific Quality Organisation, Institute of Quality Assurance UK and the American Society for Quality. It hopes to conduct programmes from the American Society of Quality. The charges for all SLAQ courses are reasonable.

The diploma course costs Rs. 35,000 and for a certificate course it would be around Rs 15,000.

The primary objectives of SLAQ is "to be a world-class professional body in quality by 2010.

SLAQ will help businesses and organisations to save time, energy and money in finding practical answers to the many questions that arise when taking up the ISO 9000 challenge.

SLAQ promotes Sri Lanka Benchmarking Service (SLBS) as a means to effect changes in the quest for excellence, assist companies to have access to information on best practices through partnership and networking, to facilitate information sharing among companies and provide training for members.

It also conducts food safety programmes for companies and also helps schools to set up quality circle programmes in the country Dr. de Silva said.

SLAQ was established in 1994 and is a respected contributor to policy issues at national and international level.