Quality, like beauty, may be in the eye of the beholder—so when KCI sought input on the firm’s procedures and policies, it called on objective observers from outside of the company. From May 1-5, four peer reviewers, trained under the auspices of the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC), took a close look at KCI’s professional practices. Bruce Podwal (Parsons Brinckerhoff-FG, Inc., Princeton, NJ) led the team of David F. Evans (David Evans & Associates, Portland, OR), David W. Wright (Presnell Associates, Inc., Louisville, KY), and Paul T. Manahan (McClure Engineering Associates, Inc., Waukegan, IL). Before their visit, the peer reviewers distributed questionnaires to KCI staff, receiving 160, and then selected about 80 employees from the Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina offices for one-on-one, confidential interviews. The inquiries focused on seven areas: general management; human resources; finance; business development/communications; project management; information technologies; and quality management.
KCI President & CEO Terry Neimeyer, PE, likens the exercise, which KCI also conducted in 1994, to a “five-year physical” that helps the firm gauge its overall health and well being. “The peer review gave our employees a voice in improving the firm’s processes and performance,” Terry said. “The reviewers met with our senior managers to discuss the company’s strengths and areas for improvement. As a result, KCI implemented several quality initiatives, which included upgrading the company’s Information Technology/Project Management System and revising our growth/debt reduction strategies.”
An added benefit: KCI’s professional liability insurer, DPIC Companies, Inc., supported KCI’s participation in the Peer Review Program, reimbursing 72% of the total cost.
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