This time in the column I SHARE GGG HISTORY we’ve talked to the head of the quality department Andrius Bacevicius.

Choosing a profession is one of the most important decisions in life. What were the options you consider?

When choosing my profession I considered two directions. It was telecommunications and electronics, or informatics. At the time, telecommunications was close to my heart, so I chose this field. Perhaps at first glance it may seem that the specialty I pursued and the work I do are unrelated. But in reality, in telecommunications, a great deal of attention is given to quality, measurement, and mechanics.

What was your career development path? When did you start working at GGG (Giraites Ginkluotes Gamykla)?

This year in December it will be 15 years that I have been working here.
I started working while I was studying. This is my second job.

The company operates a quality management system that meets the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard. Did you participate in the process of its implementation, or just renewing the certification? How long did the process of implementing take on average? For how long is certification valid?

The quality management system based on the ISO 9001 standard was developed and implemented in 2002. I was not employed at the company during this process. I participated when the quality management standard was updated in 2015. There were significant changes, strengthening the procedural approach and the business environment. According to the new version of the standard, the management system was updated in 2017, and the preparation took 4 months. Certification is performed every three years.

The company applies a three stage quality control system for cartridge production. What are the main stages? Could you tell us more?

In the first stage, the raw materials received from the suppliers are inspected. The raw materials can be used in production only in case of positive inspection results.
The second stage is production control. The product is inspected after each operation and can be transferred to another operation only after the inspection. This stage is also special in that double quality control is applied.
In the third stage the final product is inspected, the safety of cartridges, and certain functional parameters. We must ensure that the customer receives a safe product of high-quality. This stage of the inspection is the longest and the most difficult. After that the GGG cartridges can be released on the market.

You create and maintain lasting relationships with customers, listening to both their expectations and criticism. Do you often receive inquiries about quality? How do you respond to complaints?

We have received some queries. Mostly customers ask for certain cartridge parameters that are not provided on the GGG web page or on the packaging. We have recently received a request for the storage time and safe use of cartridges. In all cases, we respond and seek a solution. And we have very few complaints, the feedback is mostly positive.

In the quality department work test engineers, a metallurgist engineer, inspectors and a gunsmith. What are the main functions of their work?

The main functions are the raw material control and testing, product control and testing, the maintenance of measuring equipment, and cartridges accounting.

You need specific procedures when performing tasks or accept decisions. Which is more acceptable to you – strict planning or flexibility?

Strict planning is more acceptable to me but sometimes not everything goes as planned. We have to adjust to situations. Balancing these circumstances is most paramount and prioritize which is more important. In daily work, there are such situations when you need to be flexible.

How do you spend your free time? Do you choose a more passive or more active way?

Currently, things that have been forgotten are coming back to my horizons. Now I am spending my free time quite passively. I prefer to read a book but fishing is not to my heart. Reading was a forgotten pastime, but it came back again. And when it comes to extreme sports, I would like to try rock climbing. I will probably have to try it.

If you were asked to organize a photography exhibition, what topics would you choose? What would be the title of the exhibition?

I would choose something unique and completely unrelated to work. If we have already talked about extreme sports, we can extend it. It would be a series of photos capturing an image from the edge of a cliff. The name would be Fall.

And finally, if you had to give a short message to a news portal describing the company's activities, how would it sound? 

 GGG is the company that shaped me. It is a very interesting, small, and yet special company, which has remained amongst big companies in the same business for 20 years.