Group Quality Manager Maximilian Kaiser is responsible for the quality management at Militzer & Münch sites all over the world. In this interview, he talks about current projects, the quality audit process, and what fascinates him about working in logistics.
Could you briefly describe what your activities for Militzer & Münch look like?
The purpose of Quality Management is to ensure that consistently products and services are provided that meet customer requirements and comply with applicable laws and regulations. Our team consists of more than 20 Quality Managers, one for each country unit, all of which are coordinated through the holding company here in St. Gallen. Our goals can be summarized in three key words: effectiveness, conformity and compliance. This means that, with a clear customer focus, we purposefully implement, maintain and continuously improve a quality management system. The values guiding us here are loyalty, integrity and respect.
What are the current projects or developments that keep you busy in Quality Management?
We passed our surveillance audit for 2022 this May. Not a single deviation from the standard was found during the external audits carried out by auditing company LRQA. At the beginning of 2023, we will proceed to the ISO 9001:2015 recertification. We are also rolling out our quality management system at other country units, currently seeking ISO 9001:2015 certification for our country units in Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Malaysia. Closely linked to quality management is risk management, for which we are currently optimizing various processes throughout our country units. I am also establishing an Environmental Management System in accordance with ISO 14001:2015.
What is the procedure of a quality audit?
We select internal audits on the basis of what is known as the “risk-based approach”. We decide on specific sites, taking into account time, success and risk factors: When were the sites last audited? How important is the site to the success of the company? The local Quality Manager supports local management in the implementation, administration and improvement of the Quality Management System. For example, a colleague from France goes to Morocco or vice versa – after all, no one should audit themselves.
What fascinates you about the logistics industry?
Our team consists of many generalists, who are also specialized. All forwarders need to be knowledgeable in a wide range of areas: They have to understand the market, know import and export flows, keep an eye on the infrastructure and the political climate of many countries. Every day brings new challenges in an international context.