During the last century, 60s', 70s' and early days of 80s', were the prime years for PIA Engineering. As we turn the pages of organisational history for this period, we find that PIA Engineering grew to become a large Aircraft Maintenance Organisation.
Primarily the growth was the reflection of expansion within the parent organisation, that is Pakistan International Airlines Corporation.
In late 80s' and in 90s', the growth became static, the socio-economic weather prevailing in the country and in the parent organisation, crept in.
Cultural influx from the other corporations, semi government organisations, government organisations and the country overall, resulted in the cultural decomposition. The result was the valuable loss of international approvals (FAA & UK) PIA Engineering & Maintenance was having before.
PIA Engineering & Maintenance stepped into the 21st century with a new hope of rebuilding the reputation and the quality culture. Revitalising the JAR-145 and later known EASA Part-145 project in year 2001, was not only for the commercial scenario faced by the organisation but was also to uplift the quality culture existing in PIA Engineering & Maintenance.
As Gurus of quality say that this shall in terms result in stability of the organisation, provide better working atmosphere to its employees and healthy business friendly atmosphere to its management.
PIA Engineering management clearly communicated its goal down the line, which was to improve the organisational culture first to level of multinational organisations and further on to the level set by the aviation maintenance organisations of Europe, America and South-east Asia.
Therefore, target for the project was not only to bring the organisation in compliance with the EASA regulation but was also to induce a quality system within the organisations.
According to Crosby, "Quality is the result of a carefully constructed culture, it has to be the fabric of the organisation", to be really effective as quality organisation, an organisation should manage its way of doing things by systemising it. Management systems standards provide the organisation with a model for setting up and operating the management system.
Standards and other solutions for quality management or total quality management (TQM) ensure that nothing important is left out, and that everyone knows who's doing what, when, how, why, and where.
Identifying the training needs was first task carried out, courses like Certified Quality Professional, Six Sigma Concepts, Aviation Legislation and Human Factors in aviation were offered to middle and lower management of organisation.
These training's along with Lead Auditor training's with respect to ISO-9000; 2000 and European Aviation Standards provided a platform for culture change. Seminars and short courses on quality were also conducted with the courtesy of PIA Training Centre to spread the change virus in larger audiences.
Artifacts within the premises of PIA Engineering were displayed for awareness of safety and quality.
For the first time in the history of PIA Engineering the Organisation set its Quality Policy and Quality Objectives. Job descriptions were emphasised and reviewed for all level of assignments.
Management decided to uplift the structure of Automation which would also be help full in the maintenance of new generation Aircrafts such as Boeing 777 and Airbus A340.
Large number of Personal Computers and other equipment to set-up Local Area Network for Engineering was inducted. To cater for the Human Resource problems future training needs etc, separate Human Resource and training section was established.
The above listed measures are not all the measures taken up by PIA Engineering management for improvement, complete list shall engulf hundreds of such plans, small or large, from Cleaning standards to the set-up of a new wide-body hanger.
It is a well established fact that Quality, quality culture, quality management systems etc, are all synonyms to continual improvement processes and subjects as listed above will continue to add-on in the organisation with no end. Finally I do not feel ashamed to pragmatically mention that today PIA Engineering as EASA Part-145 approved Maintenance Organisation has only reached the bottom periphery of its quality goals, and there are many targets yet to be achieved.
However with the changing attitudes of management, known extraordinary skilled manpower, the developing hunger for quality, proven abilities of hard work and above all by the Grace of Almighty Allah the day is not far when all these objectives will be achieved, yet higher goals will be set and PIA Engineering will be one of topmost assets for Pakistan.
(The author is Mumtaz A. Zubairi Aircraft Engineer)