API Spec. Q1 Certification

For companies seeking API Spec. Q1 certification, we offer full-service certification assistance to get you in compliance.
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Certification

In the oil and gas industry, certification to API Spec. Q1 remains one of most prestigious certifications in the industry. Q1 certification demonstrates the robustness of your quality management system by building upon ISO 9001 requirements to create a more risk-based approach to quality management. While ISO 9001:2015 addresses the subject of risk and other critical QMS areas, in addition to these requirements, Q1 certification motivates manufacturers to further institute controls for:

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Risk Assessment and Management
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Contingency Planning
Management of Change
Supply Chain Management
Employee Competency and Training
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Quality Manual and Corresponding Documented Procedures

The American Petroleum Institute

The American Petroleum Institute’s certification programs provide the opportunity for companies in the oil and natural gas industry to meet global demands and to operate in an increasingly competitive business environment. Today, organizations must demonstrate that they can consistently meet customer requirements and international standards through API certification.

API Monogram Program

Organizations registering under the API Monogram Program are required to:

♦  Prove that they have “capability” to API specified requirements
♦  Develop and maintain a quality manual that describes their quality management system and how it conforms to the requirements of API Spec Q1
♦  Submit quality management system application
♦  Submit a signed API Licensing Agreement
♦  Submit an agreement for the specific API product specification(s) to which they wish to be licensed
♦  Operate under their documented quality management system for 4 months prior to receiving an API audit
♦  Perform and document an internal audit
♦  Perform and document a management review

Your Competitive Advantage

There are clear, empirical competitive advantages for manufacturing companies that implement the Q1 standard for their quality management:

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Product Reliability – A well-documented quality management system to Q1’s requirements minimizes risk, and subsequently, nonconforming product. Your customers can consistently rely on product quality.
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Operational – Having a well-structured and formalized approach to quality management improves productivity and reduces waste. Return-on-investment well exceeds implementation costs.
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The lack of certification is a competitive disadvantage for manufacturing companies.
Whether you’re looking to begin the certification process or simply transitioning your current system, QSI provides a wide range of certification solutions to help you achieve certification and keep your quality management system running efficiently.

Certification Solutions

QSI offers a proven path to certification, backed by numerous years of industry experience. Whether your quality management system is in need of major or minor changes, our approach helps to foster quality commitment within your organization from the top down. QSI supports companies nationally and internationally to successfully license to API product specifications (e.g., 2C, 4F, 5CT, 5L, 6A, 6D, 6DSS,  7-1, 8C, 10A, etc.) and certify to quality specifications (e.g., API Q1, ISO TS29001, ISO 9001).

With QSI, your path to certification and compliance comes with various levels of technical assistance and support. Our consulting services include:

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Cost efficient implementation and a dedicated consultant to track your certification timeline.
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Customized development of manuals, procedures, work instructions, job descriptions, etc.
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Access to your online, web-based QMS portal that houses all your documentation and integrates all your management system standards in a secure location. We provide:

Software setup and deployment
Employee training in software modules and procedures
Data imports of all existing documentation
 Ongoing system support and software upgrades

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Internal audit and management review
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Observations during your certification audit to provide additional guidance.

Implementation and Integration

Because many oil and gas companies choose to integrate their Q1 certification with other management system standards, such as ISO 9001:2015, QSI provides services that help make this implementation and integration seamless. Companies may choose to integrate Q1 with:

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ISO/IEC/TR 18001:1999; Occupational Health & Safety
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API Spec. Q2: Specification for Quality Management System Requirements for Service Supply Organizations for the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries
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ISO 9001:2015; Quality Management Systems
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ISO 14001:2004; Environmental Management System
For companies wishing to integrate additional management system standards, our mission is to develop a customized solution that meets your business needs.

Benefits of API Spec. Q1 Certification

  Reduce cost

  Improve operational efficiency, productivity, and product reliability

 Customer satisfaction - meet customer requirements

 Access to new markets

 Increase market share and sales

  Meet statutory and regulatory requirements

  Increased environmental benefit

Why O&G Suppliers Should Go Beyond ISO 9001:2015

O&G companies are beginning to push Q1 requirements down to their suppliers. ISO 9001:2015 provides a basis for quality management system requirements, but suppliers should highly consider gaining Q1 certification in addition to ISO 9001 because Q1 was specifically designed for the O&G industry.

For example, while a quality manual is not a requirement in ISO 9001:2015, it is required in Q1 and is essential for:

♦  Gaining a high-level understanding of your degree of quality management system competence and understanding

♦  Providing O&G customers a level of assurance that you understand basic quality management system requirements

♦  Allowing the QMS requirements to be flowed-down cross-functionally (all departments, all locations) throughout your organization

Customer Testimonial

“Special thanks to our quality team for their expertise on making this certification possible.

ISO 9001:2015
API Spec. Q1
API Spec. Q2
API Lead Auditor

Learn the latest. Stay competitive with training.

 

QSI and API

QSI is experienced in API product specifications and can assist your company in the following areas:

♦  Submitting the API Monogram Program application
♦  Performing  internal quality audits
♦  Assisting with analysis of data
♦  Assisting with management reviews
♦  Suspensions
♦  Cancellations
♦  Act as the intermediary to API

Popular Software Apps for Compliance

Which software apps do most companies value to effectively track their quality management system?

♦  Document Control

♦  NCR & CAPA

♦  Competency & Training

♦  Calibration & Maintenance

♦  Change & Risk Management

Key QMS Software Features

As a tool to assist you in the Q1 certification process, QSI’s approach is to provide our clients with full system access to our web-based QMS portal, uniquely designed to streamline your processes from the top down. Working together, the applications in the software make your QMS more efficient.

Improve Your QMS Efficiencyimprove-qms-efficiency

QSI's web-based quality management software comes loaded with over 20 applications that help you leverage and streamline your business processes. The software applications easily integrate with each other so your QMS stays compliant and runs efficiently. Easily integrate processes, such as:

check markRisk Management

check markChange Management

check markNonconformance Reporting

check mark Corrective and Preventive Action, and much more

Measure Effectiveness.reporting-and-analytics

Know exactly what's going on in all aspects of your management system. Real-time dashboards give you great visibility and insight. With dashboard reports, you can identify your company's opportunity for improvement and steadily decrease systemic issues, including corrective actions, customer returns or complaints, and audit deficiencies.

Dashboard reports allow you to analyze data and identify trends. For example, view your company's gradual decrease in nonconformities, and watch your company improve its efficiency over time.

Instant Visibility.cloud-based-hosting

Instantly access all your documentation at the click of a mouse with our self-hosted, web-based QMS portal. All information is stored on our secure servers, eliminating the need for expensive IT costs and implementation. Get visibility to all areas of your QMS, across all your departments and locations world wide - no matter your company size.

Hassle no more during an audit. With quick search and record retrieval, our software allows you to quickly access your QMS documentation without flipping though mounds of paperwork. The system also comes pre-configured with various sort and filter options, which can also be customized to meet your needs.

Get Notifications. Track Due Dates.calendar_r1

Track due dates with interactive calendar management. Get email notifications of key due dates, such as:

check mark Calibration / maintenance due dates

check mark Expired vendors

check mark CAPA / NCR approval and assignment

check mark Training notifications

All the software applications you need to manage your compliance.

Our Experience Says It All

Our consultants are the best in the industry. With over 150 years of combined, hands-on expertise, QSI has extensive experience helping companies achieve certification. Our experience includes:

♦ Integration of management system standards (API Q1/Q2, ISO 9001, AS9100, SEMS, etc.)

♦ Cross-functional and cross-geographical deployment of management system standards

♦ Determining / increasing manufacturing capability

♦ Tracking of regulatory requirements

♦ Troubleshooting problematic certification and / or industry licensing audit results

♦ Re-installment of industry licenses for certification

Our Reputation.

Bud Weightman, President of QSI, is an international management systems expert involved with management and technical systems for over 40 years. As President of QSI, Bud is involved with the industry committees responsible for emerging requirements, including: revision of API specifications, leading various API Task Groups, and lead auditor for the accreditation of SEMS Audit Providers through the Center for Offshore Safety. Bud’s experience includes working with ISO 9001, ISO 14000, and OHSAS 18000 management systems, as well as industry-specific certification schemes such as API Q1 and Q2, AS9100, ASME systems, and numerous other standards.

Other Key Consulting Services
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Pre-assessments for determining your conformance/compliance readiness
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Technical conformity assessments
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Gap analyses for comprehensive conformity / compliance checks
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Manual and procedure reviews, detailing the missing pieces in your own manual and/or procedures
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Regulatory compliance assessments
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Supplier audits

Do you have questions about our software, consulting, or training services?