“Quality is not just an inherent feature in the packaging we produce, it is fundamentally at the core of our manufacturing processes,” says Ray Tolmay, Executive Safety, Quality and New Product Development, Ardagh Glass Packaging-South Africa. “An organisation that consistently supplies quality products to its customers will be competitive, profitable and sustainable.”

World Quality Week from 11-15 November 2024 serves as a strong reminder of how firmly embedded quality principles drive organisations from mere compliance to outstanding performance.

Over the past 80 years, Ardagh Glass Packaging-Africa (Ardagh, formerly Consol Glass) has consistently produced fit-for-purpose products, aligned with industry standards, which has helped the company build a reputation as the leading glass supplier in Africa.

“Good quality is what has differentiated our products from those of our competitors, ensuring that we maintain excellent relationships with our customers because they trust us to deliver products that meet and exceed their expectations,” adds Tolmay.

It is this same quality which has positioned glass as a premium packaging choice. Quality has long been one of the benefits of glass, which is appreciated by consumers for adding a sense of style which highlights the quality of its contents.

Achieving and sustaining this level of quality is all about continuous learning and ongoing improvement, and this quality culture must be at the very heart of the business.

Tolmay emphasises that while procedures and equipment make quality production possible, it is the ongoing commitment to quality and employees’ skills and knowledge that differentiate Ardagh from its competitors. Employees are taught – through formal training and on-the-job coaching - to adhere to tried and tested standard operating procedures and never to ignore a situation on the production line that could pose a quality or food safety concern.

“Our primary goal is to provide packaging that assists our customers to uplift the quality of their own products. This means we must be proactive in addressing challenges as they arise on the filling lines and provide appropriate solutions. We take accountability when there are any quality concerns and work hard as a team to ensure that our corrective actions are sustainable so that quality issues do not recur,” explains Tolmay.

Innovation and technology play a key role in the business, not only because the manufacturing environment is forever evolving but also because customer demands are growing. On the list of demands, customers want innovative designs which will differentiate them from their competitors and lightweight options that are more desirable for various reasons but must be just as durable.

This requires significant investment in technology such as predictive glass temperature control (furnace and forehearth), loading equipment and loading monitoring systems, automatic swabbing, inspection equipment (hot end and cold end), with the latest software systems (including AI) to ensure the business can meet evolving customer and consumer demands.

These demands now also include an ever-increasing focus, by both customers and consumers, on sustainability, adding another level of complexity when considering quality management principles and methods.

“Our processes and products must align with the social and environmental pillars of our sustainability strategy,” adds Tolmay. “One of the ways we are doing this is to consistently improve the levels of recycled glass content in our manufacturing processes while maintaining the quality of our products.

“By doing this we are reducing the amount of raw materials needed for glass manufacturing, the energy needed for production and the emissions released from our manufacturing plants. We are also reducing glass waste going to landfill and, importantly, helping to create an inclusive circular economy in South Africa.”