In today’s world, quality management systems in accordance with ISO 9001:2000 prove that clear executive functions and corporate objectives, project and customer-oriented thinking, integration of staff and good internal communication, constant improvement, and close relations with suppliers are part of the philosophy and are practised throughout the company every single day. Yet, it is exactly this “Way of Life” in the corporate structure which is most often the problem of quality standards. There is always a danger that the top level management empowers staff members with the task of creating and maintaining a quality management system, with which they themselves cannot directly identify. Often, the attitude observed is simply one of “tolerating” the system. Obviously, this attitude, in the long run, is doomed to failure.

TGE Gas Engineering have taken on the task of presenting themselves as a forerunner and have decided to strike out the “quality” from their quality management system. This, at first, may sound absurd and shocking; however, in no way does it mean that the quality of the company’s services and products are going to be affected by this change. It is of great significance that TGE practises a system of management within the company which is piloted from the highest level. Achieving the best quality possible in engineering and the creation of products is the management’s foremost goal and, simultaneously, the core of our management system. TGE is an independent company committed to the engineering of turnkey plants. The company focuses on the design, delivery, construction and commissioning of gas plants for the entire logistic chain. Apart from being awarded the ISO 9001:2000, TGE was also certified in 2004 in accordance with OSHAS 18001:2007 and ISO 14001:2004. This clearly demonstrates that TGE does not simply boast a well functioning management system in accordance with the prevailing quality standards, but that it has also identified health, safety and environment as key issues that have to be improved constantly. In order to accommodate all these norms into one single management system, TGE practises an integrated management system which has been certified by our partner TÜV Nord.

Since the top level management at TGE are committed to permanent improvement and the company is continuously adapting its activities to new developments in the global market gas sector, it was but natural that the company, in its role as a service provider in the gas industry sector, should be one of the first to be awarded certification in accordance with the new ISO/TS 29001:2003 standards. This special technical norm for the mineral oil, petrochemicals and natural gas industry deals with sector-specific demands and requirements on design/development, production, installation and handling of products. The demands and requirements included therein are to be seen as an addition to ISO 9001. Apart from that, the norm ensures that the requirements are clearly defined and auditable in order to guarantee global consistency and enhanced safety in connection with the quality of products and services offered by various suppliers. It therefore serves to avoid grave errors arising from malfunctioning in this sector. BVQI (Bureau Veritas) was TGE’s certifier for this norm at that time and, after a successful audit, issued an internal certificate. Being a German company, TGE, at the beginning of 2006, changed to its current partner TÜV Nord, who is particularly interested in certifying this promising norm together with the company. For the future, the TGE management not only intended an internal certificate for the ISO/TS 29001, but is also, as in the case of the previous norms, aiming at an accredited and internationally recognised certificate. By virtue of their knowledge that TGE’s integrated management system practises and communicates what they claim, TÜV Nord, under the supervision of the German Accreditation Council (the DAR) in May 2007, audited the requirements of the ISO/TS 29001 standards. After this successfully conducted audit and the long accreditation process between DAR and TÜV Nord, TGE Gas Engineering became the first German company to be awarded the first accredited certificate of the ISO/TS 29001 standards on November 21, 2007. For TGE and its top management, this is yet another big step to consolidate their position and the resulting integrated management system on the global market and continue their commitment of successfully shaping the future of the gas industry.