P.N. Sunil Kumar: About the Author
Specialized Inspection Consultant, Kuwait Oil Company

The market around the globe is being opened up. More and more manufacturers are entering the fray from different parts of the world. The competition is tightening at an unprecedented rate causing considerable reduction in profit margins enjoyed by the industry. This prevailing scenario around the globe makes the sustenance of a pressure vessel manufacturer in the fabrication industry a "tight rope walk". Continuance in the same market could only be assured through best quality and best price, both with conflicting interests. In order to maintain both, the manufacturer shall have a reasonably good quality system and shall have adopted the most efficient methodologies and systems, so as to maintain best quality at the lowest possible cost. Regarding the quality versus cost aspects, in my previous article published in April 2007 Issue of the Hydrocarbon Processing, titled "Optimum Specification & Quality requirements for Pressure Vessels", various methods and practices were elaborated. In this article, an effective, sensible and realistic quality audit system for continuously monitoring the quality of various disciplines that contribute to the manufacturing quality of pressure vessels is proposed. Such a system is absolutely essential for the sustenance of the already established stature and reputation of the manufacturer in the industry, by the vigilant and committed involvement of the top management. The QAR is intended to serve as a tool to the management with information on any decline in quality (if any occurs), to initiate timely remedial action, to ward off such occurrences in the future and to prevent a decline in quality of the organization in its functions.