The Role of an Integrated Quality Management System in Improving Performance in the Port Organization

The scientific paper aims to present the performance evaluation methods in ports and port organizations and the contributions that an integrated quality management system can bring. Water transport is the most reliable mode of transport, both in terms of transport capacity and in terms of consumption and environmental aspects, compared to other modes of transport. But it cannot function at an optimal level without complex and permanent on-shore management. The port organizations have an important contribution in the global performance of the port and thus in the economy of a country that is open to the sea. By approaching an integrated quality management system, port organizations can achieve the expected performance in a planned and systemic way in terms of quality, environment, logistics supply chain security, etc. The paper analyzes the performance assess in ports and port organizations, the most common applied regulations and management systems in port organizations and the advantages an integrated quality management system brings in increasing organizational performance by preventing losses and improving processes using known methodologies globally promoted such as Lean. It also highlights the relationship of mutual dependence that the port performance and the port organizations performance have on each other.