Communicating Excellence across a Multi-Site Organisation

The Challenge

The Quarries Division of Tarmac, the leading supplier of asphalts, aggregates, ready mixed concretes and mortars, needed effective distribution of its quality management documentation for over 180 quarries and sand and gravel operations, spanning the UK and Europe. The quarries supply both raw materials and products made up to customer specification.

Integrated with the quarrying operations throughout Europe are 90 asphalt plants. Fast rail loading facilities mean that they can supply aggregates from larger quarries to major customers and depots with minimum impact on the local road networks. High purity limestone is supplied for the manufacture of chemicals and foodstuffs and for the treatment of acid gases from coal fired power stations. Limestone grits and powders are supplied to the agro-chemical industry for use in the production of animal feeds and fertilisers and in manufacturing processes such as the production of floor coverings and adhesives.

David Rockliff, Tarmac Technical and Quality Manager said: "Quality is at the very heart of our operations. Tarmac’s vision is to be the most successful and rewarding heavy building materials company - offering the best value to our customers within a safe working and sustainable environment. Our values are about quality and customer care, offering the best value products and services to our customers from a controlled cost base. We wanted to optimise our use of IT to communicate our pursuit of excellence across the organisation and with our business partners."

The Solution

David and his team selected EQMS from Qualsys as the mechanism for capturing documentation and information and making it available to all the appropriate parties. The capacity for sharing controlled content with customers and suppliers was an important consideration. A fully web-enabled tool such as EQMS was the perfect solution.

David Rockliff said, "The Qualsys’ EQMS system is a logical extension to our continuous improvements in safety, health and environmental performance, which have won us numerous awards and accolades."

The Benefits

Mike Pound, Managing Director of Qualsys, said: "Many of Tarmac’s quarries are in remote areas. As it uses web-based technology, the immediacy that EQMS offers means that the quarries are never behind in the information they receive. Quarry personnel can focus on safe and accurate delivery of a high quality, often bespoke product rather that chasing documentation, which can now be available at the click of a mouse in its latest version."