SUPPORT DOCUMENT

FOR
INTERNAL QUALITY REVIEW

Listed below are a number of items, that are not intended to be exhaustive, that could be
checked during a quality review. Before the visit, the regional quality manager should define
the objectives and select the subjects.

Organization
! Organisation and allocation of tasks
! Job description
! Competency/qualification of quality department employees
! Staffing situation
! Quality staff training program
! Quality network

Objectives
! Review objectives of the year

Communication
! Check the technical contents of commercial offers made to the
customers:
- Conformity with the national standards
- References to legal aspects (references of
standards, etc.)
! Are specifications of products requested by clients and not
covered by standard products reviewed by the quality
department prior to quoting or order confirmation?
! Communication with Sales/Operations
- Frequency of meetings
- Development of joint action plans
- Effectiveness of implementation
! What is the request process for creation of special mixes?

Raw materials
! Availability
! Selection process
- Discuss alternative sources and substitution
materials,
- Admixtures
! Supplier Quality Agreements and Contingency Plans developed
and implemented

Quality control
General
! Is the lab clean?
! Laboratory accreditations (up-to-date)

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 ! Is there a file presenting target testing frequency and method for
each raw material and concrete?
! Is testing frequency respected?
! Is the laboratory equipment satisfactory?
- press,
- moulds,
- water ponds,
- slump set,
- sieves,
- air meter,
- small mixer for lab tests
- etc.
! Are laboratory tools calibrated?
! How is calibration followed up?
! Is there a definition of raw materials parameters (technical
specifications, minimum value, maximum value)?
! Is it sufficient?
! Is there a raw material contingency plan?

Tests
! Control of testing methodology and process of laboratory
technicians
! Aggregates:
- gradation,
- fineness modulus,
- Sand equivalence,
- unit weight,
- water absorption,
- friability,
- SO3%,
- Chlorine content%,
- Organic matters,
- blue methylene value.
! Concrete:
- temperature,
- air,
- slump,
- strength,
- unit weight
! Sampling frequency (cement admixtures, SCM)

Results management
! How are QC tests result data monitored for trend analysis?
- concrete
- aggregates
- cement
- Supplementary cementitious materials
- admixtures
! Tests results management coming from customers

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 ! IMPA²CT database management (aggregate)

Non compliances
! Process for reporting non compliance of raw materials
! What do you do if :
- A concrete is out of specs?
- A concrete has been waiting for more than the
acceptable time limit at the job site?
- A concrete truck is refused by a customer (not
ready, mistake in production)?

KPIs

! What are the KPIs monitored?

! How are KPIs reported and utilized for improvement (corrective
actions and/or action plans)

Optimization

! Are savings monitored and reported?

! How are laboratory tests and trials recorded?

New mixes

! What is the process for the creation of mix designs?

! How is optimisation monitored, verified for compliance
(strength, setting time, yield control)?

Regular mixes
(most produced concrete
and VAPs)
! What is the process for the optimisation of regular mix designs?
! How is optimisation monitored, verified for compliance
(strength, setting time, yield control)?
! Do you have a process for screening of existing mixes
performances for optimisation?
! At what frequency do you do it?

Tools utilized
! Is Simplex utilized (creation of new mix designs and screening
of existing mixes/ particles packing)?

Value Added Products:

! Agilia (volumes, issues, etc)
! Competitors’ products/situation, monitoring of local technical
developments.
! Local product development – is the lab active in developing and
optimising Value Added Products formulations?

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Customer complaints
! Is there a defined process for management of customer
complaints?
! Claims analysis (cause, cost)

Mix design database

! Is the mix design database robust?
! Listings of mix designs
! Number of mix per plant or per cluster of raw materials
! What is the process for mix design adjustments?
! Who is allowed to adjust designs for production?

Computerized
equipments
! Is the laboratory linked to concrete plants?
! What is the security back up to secure mix designs data base?

Plant visit
Raw materials
! What is the procedure for raw material deliveries (control of
raw materials delivered at plant)?
! Is storage separation between different aggregates sufficient?
! Are stock inventory variations within tolerances?

Equipments
! Are admixtures, cements, aggregates clearly labelled on the
plant?
! Are weighing scales calibration controls done regularly?
! Is there a moisture probe per sand bin? Is it regularly calibrated?
! Aggregates moisture (recorded vs actual)

Production
! Are mix designs correctly selected by dispatcher regarding their
final application?
! Batching accuracy (targeted vs realised weights)?
! Does the batcher make sure that truck drivers have discharged
washing water of truck drums before mixing?

Concrete
! Concrete (general aspect, workability, bleeding)
! Mix design adjustment (process, who is in charge)

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