In 1995 the KCI, permanently attentive to self-development and improvement, entered the period of Total Quality Management with the slogan “Institutionalisation”. The watchwords of this process may be: Standardisation, Productivity Expansion and A Period of Change.
Having evaluated itself within the framework of the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) “Model of Perfection “, and having completed over the years the establishment of the requisite Strategic, Process and Human Resources Systems, the KCI continues to extend the process of development and improvement with the inclusion of employees, customers and suppliers.

 
MAJOR STEPS ALONG THE ROAD TO PERFECTION:

1996: First establishment in the Turkish Sector to receive the ISO 90001 Quality Management System Certificate.
Proclaimed “Most Successful Institution Giving Direction to the Turkish Economy” in Dunya Gazette, (one of the major financial publications in Turkey).
1997: Initiated the “KCI Structural Renewal” process.
1999: First and only establishment in the Turkish sector to receive the ISO14001 Environmental Management Certification.
2000: Became “Local Quality Chamber” and, by means of the “Model of Perfection”, undertook Self-evaluation.
2002: First establishment in the public-sector to acquire the Major National Quality Award
2003: First Turkish public sector institution to acquire the European Quality Success Award.
2004: First public-sector establishment to be presented with the Major European Quality Award; first Turkish public-sector establishment to participate in the aforementioned awards schemes.
2005: To date the KCI has achieved the highest grades in the
Turkish Chambers Accreditation Process, the highest achieved by any Chamber of Commerce/Industry in any such scheme worldwide.
Using the experience it has gained on the national and international platform and staging presentations at home and abroad, the KCI propagates understanding of Perfection worldwide, and continues activities geared towards quality-application in the public sector. Amongst the local institutions to benefit thus are: Gölcük Naval Hospital, Kocaeli Treasurer’s Office, the Department of Health and Social Security (Kocaeli branch), Kocaeli Police Department, Kocaeli Health HQ and Kocaeli Religious Affairs offices.

 ISO 9001:2000 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

In 1996, as a front-runner in Turkey, the KCI was the first Chamber to receive the ISO 9002 Quality Guarantee and Management System Certificate from the Turkish Standards Institute. The Turkish President Süleyman Demirel in person made the award at a special ceremony on 30 Nov of that year.

In the current climate of globalisation and intensifying competition attending Turkey’s entry into a Customs Union with the EU, the KCI has assumed responsibility in applying an international quality system to answer its members’ needs. As the first institution to receive such certification, it supports similar public service bodies prioritising the implementation of such systems.
Due to the revisions in the ISO 9002 Quality Guarantee and Management System Standards, the KCI renewed its system too and in 2002 received certification for a successful transition to the ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System.
The KCI has thereby received recognition for meeting the requirements of its customers, the standing legal conditions and of the ISO 9001:2001 Quality Management System itself. A system is applied which acknowledges customers’ stipulations, develops customer-satisfaction and observes its own influence. All the processes involved, together with the strictly defined performance-measurement criteria, are scrutinised carefully for a defined period. Thus the needs and expectations of customers, employees and society generally are identified from various angles and, within the framework of the Strategic Management System, targets for the forthcoming term are planned and applied.

 

KCI QUALITY POLICY

 

The Chamber’s working practices, principles and agreed responsibilities are set out thus:
The Chamber will perform its services promptly and with quality, focusing on the customer and the process.
The Chamber endeavours to be a leading and exemplary institution in the overall drive to develop the country’s economy; to this end, it permanently improves its Quality Management System, develops its services to the satisfaction and expectations of its customers, and places utmost priority on the education, motivation, cooperation and strength of its members, employees and management.

 

RESTRUCTURING IN THE KCI

 

In 1997 the KCI, after a cross-examination of its management style, began the process of root-and-branch restructuring in adopting Total Quality Management, a contemporary system which makes full recognition of global quality consensus, the need for sustained change and development.
In order to initiate the implementation and application of Total Quality Management as a way of life, the mission, vision, policies, strategies and establishment culture of the Chamber were determined with the participation and cooperation of all the senior management, employees and the representatives of industrial institutions operating in the chamber. The overall working ethics of the KCI are reviewed and updated annually with the participation of the shareholders.
In order to establish, publicize and review strategies and policies, the Strategic Management System was established and target-based management was adopted.
Since the first year of operation, the KCI has endeavoured to maintain the principle of self-development and renewal, always bearing in mind the current and foreseeable needs and expectations of its industrial-institution customers. By attending every year to the expectations of the shareholders and establishing short- and long-term goals, it guarantees sustained improvement and development.

 

KOCAELI CHAMBER OF INDUSTRY

ESTABLISHMENT CULTURE BY BEING OPEN TO GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS AND READY TO SHARE AND IMPLEMENT THE FRUITS OF LEARNING AND EXPERIENCE, PRIORITISING THE EXPECTATIONS OF SHAREHOLDERS, AND SHOWING RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS SOCIETY AT LARGE, THE KCI IS A LEADING MODEL OF ESTABLISHMENT CULTURE.	MISSION TO BE A CREATIVE AND VALUABLE INSTITUTION TO EMPLOYEES, INDUSTRIALISTS, SOCIETY AND THE NATION EQUALLY.
VISION TO SUSTAIN LEADERSHIP IN OUR SECTOR BY CREATING VARIETY.	QUALITY POLICY THE KCI AIMS TO PRESENT THE SUSTAINED IMAGE OF AN EXEMPLARY, FRONT-RUNNING ESTABLISHMENT, WHICH CONTINUOUSLY SEEKS TO IMPROVE ITS QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, AND DEVELOP ITS SERVICES WITH THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF ITS MEMBERS IN MIND. BY PROVIDING TIMELY AND QUALITY SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS AND PRODUCTION PARTNERS ALIKE, AND PLACING GREAT EMPHASIS ON THE TRAINING, EDUCATION, MOTIVATION AND PARTICIPATION OF ITS MEMBERS, OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES, THE KCI WILL THEREBY MAKE AN INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY IN ORDER TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT AND THE SUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES WHILST SIMULTANEOUSLY MAINTAINING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, THE CHAMBER UNDERTAKES TO EDUCATE ITS MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE PROPAGATION THEREOF, AND TO INVOLVE ITSELF IN WASTE-REDUCTION, RECYCLING OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ANY OTHER PROJECTS ORIENTATED TOWARDS THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES , AND TO ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDING RULES AND REGULATIONS CONCERNED WITH THIS MATTER.	COMMUNICATION POLICY IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, THE KCI AIMS TO ESTABLISH AND DEVELOP SYSTEMS AND DISTRIBUTE KNOWLEDGE VIA THE MEDIA AND OTHER MEANS.
HUMAN RESOURCES POLICYOUR PRINCIPLE AIM IS TO BRING OUR WORKFORCE TO A PERMANENT STATE OF GLOBALLY RECOGNISED SUPERIORITY.	SOCIAL POLICY OUR FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IS TO REMAIN AWARE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND TO ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW, TO BE OPEN AND RELIABLE AND TO ABIDE BY OUR ETHICAL CODE. THE KCI WISHES TO PROMOTE OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING ANY WORK DIRECTLY CONCERNED WITH SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS AND CULTURE, OF SCIENTIFIC OR SOCIAL UNDERTAKINGS.