Algerian companies often make the headlines of some national dailies and receive rave reviews because of the registration of their quality management system ISO 9001: 2000. From a strictly marketing standpoint, it is a good move for the company. However, it will pay close attention to comments that follow these ads. This is certainly not such registration bodies that are accredited to grant good faith, which will make neither the Algerian company, nor that of the West, a competitive company nationally and internationally, as some sections of these newspapers suggest.
The registration systems of quality management certified are only those that the company has the necessary ingredients to make quality. The rest depends on what its leaders want to do. Some see this record as a marketing aspect without; others see it as a profitable investment in the medium and long terms.
Registration of quality systems is not only a sign of confidence by the Company towards its partners and customers, but also a real source of productivity improvement.
Unlike the Western companies, the competitiveness of Algerian companies unfortunately does not depend only on the willingness of its leaders, even if they have some responsibility, but also and especially on its political and social environment.
For over two decades, as the state tries to recover costs of billions of dollars, the Algerian companies, especially the public company without tangible results. In most cases, there were opposite results to the expected effects. There were restructuring actions, actions for financial recovery, then recovery actions. Today, under the Association Agreement between Algeria and the EU there is talk about upgrading the company to facilitate its integration into the international market.
The cost issues of this operation do not arise, such as those that were conducted solely by state funds to clean up public enterprises. They arise rather in the effectiveness of the operation.
What are the criteria for measuring performance and competitiveness of private and public companies involved in this operation? This operation does not only benefit consulting firms, as they were the recovery operations of public enterprises? These operations will not – so once again a sword in the water, if it is not accompanied by remediation of the political office of the country?
The upgrade program launched by the Ministry of Industry in 2002 is similar in its approach to the recovery plans of the 90s. The differences in the two plans do not address the merits, but rather on the form. The first plan was intended only to public companies, with the objective of financial equilibrium in a market totally protected. The second is, for its intended public and private companies in a market supposedly viable partially protected.
The intent of the program itself, like all other programs, is good, but its implementation takes time. Of the thousands of businesses that operate in the country, only 300 of them have registered, of which 117 are engaged in the implementation plan upgrade.
The results of the upgrade business through March 2006, published in July 2006 are there to testify. Only 15% of companies (72 public sectors and 45 private sectors) involved in the program have completed their upgrade plan.
Tags: Algerian companies, stakes of universalization, registration systems of quality management
[...] We must also recognize that managers have not helped the government to carry out reforms, despite all the simplifications that they could grant them within the financial possibilities available at that time. Much of them were actually complicit in some corrupt union, preferring to keep their privileges instead of engaging in the real reform and restructuring of their business. Our view is that though the policy is greatly responsible for the current situation of the national economy, the manager must also play its part. [...]
[...] It has appropriated the rightful role of law in a market economy, namely adopted the policy of industrial development and has completely ignored, with few exceptions, the initiative of private economic transactions. To return to the Algerian company, the problem remains in my opinion, in the political and social environment. In clear terms the environment is not conducive, and even hostile to improving the competitiveness and development of the Algerian company. The difficulties it encounters in the area of banks, industrial land and red tape. [...]
[...] However it must be very careful to monitor comments following these announcements. It is certainly not the recording that accredited organizations grant in good faith, which will make the Algerian company, nor that of the West. A company should be competitive both nationally and internationally, as some of these items suggest. The recording system of quality management helps to certify my view. If the company has the necessary ingredients to quality, the rest depends on what its leaders want to do. [...]
[...] The certification of a company with a given standard does not make it a competitive company. The upgrade of the Algerian company without an upgrade of its political and social environment will be, once again, a costly action with no real impact on the national economy. It will be a deceptive action, and without more the failures of private enterprise will emerge in a few years, the causes and reasons that are at the origin will have to be justified, as we did for the various remedial actions that the country has achieved over the past two decades. [...]
[...] They could be a prelude to the economic takeoff of the country if they were accompanied by a clear and transparent policy and an industrial development strategy with a program of action explicitly showing its outcomes. Unfortunately, the economy still remains dominated by the public company. Excluding oil, the growth rate of industry in the public sector is mostly below, if not close to zero. Algerian private firms, with the exception of a few, who for a decade, have been show some encouraging results in terms of growth, remain dependent on a patriarchal organization and weak ad gaudy human resources. [...]
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