Quality Assurance

ERG's Quality Policy. ERG provides quality technical services that meet or exceed the needs of our clients. Customer satisfaction is how we measure our success as a company. It is our policy to maintain a corporate quality management program (QMP) that is responsive to the requirements of the diverse work we perform, which ranges from planning and process engineering to information management, training, and program management support. ERG is committed to allocating the necessary resources for implementing, maintaining, and improving our quality management system, as well as preventing problems before they occur. Our company-wide pledge to provide services of consistently high quality drives all ERG quality assurance activities.

Corporate Quality Management Plan. ERG's quality management approach is defined and communicated to all staff in the ERG Quality Management Plan, April 2007. ERG's QMP was prepared in accordance with American National Standard: QA Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs (ANSI/ASQ E4-2004), and EPA Requirements for Quality Management Plans (EPA QA/R-2) (dated 03/20/01, reissued May 2006). ERG's president, David Meyers, and ERG's Corporate quality assurance (QA) manager, Dr. Maureen Kaplan, approved the QMP for use.

Quality Approach. Our Quality Management Plan documents roles and responsibilities and management procedures to consistently deliver quality products on every project assignment. Our approach is proven: we have a 24-year history of exceeding client expectations using this method. We use a graded approach to quality assurance, tailoring our specific QA activities to the project scope and requirements. Our approach follows five basic steps:

1. Conceptual Review. At the start of each task order, we carefully plan project activities using an earned-value project management approach and, for each work product, we conduct an independent conceptual review of objectives, concepts, methods, and logic.
2. Interim and Final Product Review. We conduct reviews of interim, draft, and final work products using independent in-house experts and client input. The task order manager determines the level of review based on the scope and use of the particular product to ensure that the product meets all required specifications.
3. Calculation and Software Review. ERG checks and documents all engineering calculations, assumptions, equations, and computer code to ensure accuracy and reproducibility.
4. QA Audits. We conduct QA audits to ensure all QA/QC procedures are properly implemented and immediately take any necessary corrective action. We assign each task order a QA coordinator to independently monitor the implementation of our corporate QA plan and to conduct the audits. A written record of each review is documented.
5. Continuous Improvement. We conduct wrap-up meetings at key milestones to assess project team performance and client feedback and to identify areas for improvement for future work.

The above QA discussion summarizes the system we use. However, in the end, high quality comes not just from systems, but from the people who implement them. We will not be satisfied until you are satisfied. As the customer, you are the ultimate and most important judge of our quality, and we are fully committed to exceeding your expectations.