The end of the previous and the beginning of this millennium are undoubtedly marked by people's efforts to increase the quality of their own lives, which can only be achieved by increasing the quality of products (hardware, software, process materials and services) that meet people's needs. At the end of 1992, the Government of the Republic of Serbia passed the Decision on Improving Quality in the Republic of Serbia. The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Kragujevac (MFKg) has been intensively involved in the national movement for quality since 1993, directing a part of its teaching staff in activities that support the national movement for quality. By hiring experts from IFC, some organizations received a certificate of recognition of the quality system, and some began to establish a quality system according to the standards of the JUS ISO 9000 series.

The Center for Quality (CQ), established in 1998, is a special organizational unit of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Kragujevac. The Quality Center received a certificate from the Federal Institute for Standardization on the recognition of the quality management system No. QS-0152 (November 28, 2002) confirming that the quality management system implemented by IFC - Center for Quality is in compliance with the standard JUS ISO 9001: 2001 and refers to the field of activity: research, education and consulting services in the field of quality, environmental protection, safety and protection at work.

CQ Activity

CQ's activity includes work on the following jobs:

• consulting services to organizations that establish a quality management system (QMS) according to ISO 9000: 2000 standards (JUS ISO 9001: 2001),
• consulting services to organizations that establish an environmental management system according to the ISO 14001 (EMS) standard,
• consulting services on the establishment of an integrated management system (QMS, EMS and HACCP),
• food safety management consulting services (HACCP),
• design of health and safety at work (ZNR) system in accordance with the BS 8800 standard (OHSAS),
• improving the quality and QMS (as a whole or individual processes of the organization) in accordance with the standard ISO 9004: 2000 (JUS ISO 9004: 2001),
• quality research,
• organizing educational and promotional seminars, gatherings and symposiums in the field of quality and QMS,
• preparation of expertise, studies, pre-projects and projects that streamline the operations of organizations and thus increase the level of product quality of these organizations and themselves,
• production and publishing of various publications in the field of quality,
• engagement with other contractors upon request or consent of the user and
• other jobs in the field of quality.

CQ Resources

CQ resources are: human resources, financial resources, hardware, software, projects, documented solutions and information, literature and office inventory.

The Center for Quality and associates-consultants of the Center, in the development of the national movement for quality so far, have affirmed and proven themselves as very successful employees in the field of quality and quality system. The Quality Center is competent for consulting work for the establishment of QMS.

In the work so far, the consultants of the Center for Quality have participated in the implementation of many activities in the field of quality and quality systems / QMS, of which the most important are:

• consulting services to organizations implementing a quality system / QMS based on the ISO 9000 series of standards,
• quality education,
• journalistic activity and
• projects.

In order to present scientific and professional achievements, exchange experiences with partners from the environment, check the scientific and professional competence of the Center, spread the national movement for quality, help in the work of the branch JUSK - Šumadija, the Center participates in organizing and implementing conferences / meetings. emphasizes the organization of the FESTIVAL OF QUALITY, since 2003 every year.

Consulting Services

In the past period, the associates of the Center for Quality have provided consulting services to a number of organizations in the field of quality and quality systems, of which stand out:

• "Zastava 21. oktobar" d.o.o, Kragujevac (certified, winner of two "Oscar of Quality" plaques),
• "Zastava kovacnica" d.o.o., Kragujevac (certified),
• FAD- Gornji Milanovac (certified),
• Primorka - Bar (certified),
• Jugopetrol - Kotor (certified),
• MAP - Podgorica (certified),
• PE "Elektrošumadija", Kragujevac (certified),
• PLANT EXPORT - Risan (before certification),
• RMHK Trepcha - K. Mitrovica (before certification, before bombing),
• Water supply and sewerage - Kragujevac (in progress),
• "December 22", Kragujevac (in progress),
• "Zastava security", Kragujevac (in progress),
• "Zastava IMB", Batočina (in progress),
• GIK "1. maj", Lapovo (in progress),
• PE "TENT", Obrenovac (in progress),
• "Faculty of Mechanical Engineering" Kragujevac (in progress),
• PE HPP Djerdap - Kladovo (in progress),
• YUCOND - Banatski Karlovac (in progress),
• ZASTAVA PROMET - Kragujevac (in progress),
• SUCH INSURANCE - Kragujevac (before certification),
• "Zastava cars" - Kragujevac (certified),
• "Zastava dedicated products" - Kragujevac (certified).

Education for Quality

Consultants of the Center for Quality participated in the implementation of a large number of seminars for quality education and QMS. Stand out:

• Quality and management, Kragujevac Chamber of Commerce,
• Quality and management, Kraljevo Chamber of Commerce,
• Quality and management, Uzice Chamber of Commerce,
• New standards for the new millennium - ISO 9000: 2000, Kragujevac,
• Quality management system - ISO 9000: 2000, Chamber of Commerce Leskovac,
• Quality management system - ISO 9000: 2000, Kragujevac Chamber of Commerce,
• Instructional seminars (over two hundred seminars for Zastava Group companies),
• Access seminars ("Zastava - IMB", Batočina, GIK "1. maj", Lapovo, "Zastava Bezbednost", Kragujevac, "22. decembar", Kragujevac, JP "TENT", Obrenovac, "Elvod", Kragujevac, RMHK Trepca, ITI, Ivanjica, Metal Secco, Gornji Milanovac, etc.),
• Seminar for quality engineers (according to the EOQ scheme) - 300 hours (Labor Market Institute - Kragujevac Branch). The seminar was completed by 25 participants, of which 21 are already employed.
• Seminar for quality managers (according to the EOQ scheme) - 315 hours (Labor Market Institute - Kragujevac Branch). The seminar was completed by 23 participants.

Journalistic Activity

In the past period, consultants of the Center for Quality participated in the preparation and publication of a number of publications in the field of quality and quality system:

• Quality and Management (book), JUSK, Belgrade, 1994.
• Fundamentals of Configuration Management (book), Professional, Kragujevac, 1997.
• Quality to Profit (book), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kragujevac, 1998,
• Production systems (book), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kragujevac, 1996,
• Flexible automation (book), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kragujevac, 1996,
• Development of CIM system (book), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kragujevac, 1996,
• Information Systems (book), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kragujevac, 1996,
• Quality Economics Management (book), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Kragujevac, 2002,
• A larger number of brochures for seminar participants,
• Over 200 scientific and professional papers published in journals and proceedings of domestic and international symposia.

International Projects

In the previous period, the Quality Center received projects funded by the European Agency for Reconstruction:

• Training and employment of redundant employees and unemployed in the field of quality management system - EURECNA SRL (2004),
• Improving the quality and protection of the environment - IQE - ENTERPRISE PLC (2005),
• Project "FSP / MAE" for Southeast Europe - France and
• Strengthening Quality Management, Capabilities and Infrastructures in SCG - Denmark.

Head of the Center: Prof. Dr. Miladin Stefanović, full professor