Why
FAIM works?
FAIM is a unique way of demonstrating that an international moving company has
a verifiable commitment to providing a total quality service.
It
differs from other widely accepted standards such as ISO, in that it is geared
specifically to the international moving industry and embraces all financial,
operational and general management activities of a company. Whereas ISO, for
example, is concerned with the establishment of any given system or process
(which can even be geared to a specific and minor item such as packing
materials rather than a company's entire operations) and the application of
that system, FAIM aims to be more objective. ISO enables a company to set its
own standard, while FAIM requires a company to meet its standard. From that
point of view, the two take an opposite attitude.
Some
500 aspects of a company's operations, divided into 16 key parameters, are
covered by the FAIM process. It ranges from operational procedures through to
handling claims, from the timely and accurate delivery of quotations to
satisfactory and accurate billing. Financial, HR, environmental, customer
service and operational practices are all covered.
A
key element of the FAIM process is that participating companies are
independently audited by Ernst & Young. Trained representatives
of the management consultancy visit companies on site and spend a day going
through all aspects of its operations to check compliance with the FAIM
requirements.
This
includes random inspection of files, interviews with staff, testing the
procedures adopted, reviewing staff turnover ratios and investigating
financial and operational controls. A physical inspection of warehouses and
vehicles is also included
The
inspection is conducted every two years. FIDI is not involved with these
audits at all, ensuring their impartiality and confidentiality. The parameters
adopted for FAIM were drafted by a founding committee of specialist
international movers, representing different size companies, from all over the
world. The purpose was to create a standard which is demanding, but
universally achievable by a company professing to have a commitment to
quality.
The
added value that FAIM brings to a client is that the audited company follows
proven quality guidelines in all aspects of its management. While many
companies do have a commitment to quality, the standards are invariably set by
themselves and self-monitored. Under these circumstances, such standards
cannot be objective. The danger is that companies may be using well
established practices which are not necessarily in the interest of the client.