McDermott Wins Malaysia International Business Awards for behaviour-based quality programme

The programme establishes expectations and ensures universal acknowledgement of members’ roles in embedding quality in daily actions.

McDermott, an integrated provider of engineering and construction services in the energy sector, took home the win in the Marine and Offshore Engineering category at the recently held Malaysia International Business Awards for its behaviour-based quality programme Effective Quality, Improving Performance (EQuIP) that has supported and guided the company’s execution of complex upstream projects.

EQuiP has been developed and is currently being implemented by McDermott’s Subsea and Floating Facilities business line global team. The team delivers projects that involve complex engineering design, fabrication, and installation of offshore, subsea, and floating structures, and that require close collaboration across different functions.

The team understands that having a behaviour-based quality programme as a focus area within project delivery further strengthens its risk management and planning efforts, and also drives accountability and commitment amongst the team members.

The implementation of EQuIP mirrors McDermott’s safety programmes applicable throughout project lifecycles. It is incorporated into project and operational readiness reviews and risk assessments, ensuring the identification and understanding of quality-related risks, with agreed-upon actions for mitigation.

Quality readiness reviews and risk assessments look at all elements required for the execution of a work scope, such as personnel, materials, equipment and tools, procedures to be used, and any subcontracted services. 

Assessing all elements required for risks to quality whilst executing each project scope is also completed to ensure risks are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable, and actions to be taken for managing these risks are communicated, agreed and implemented.

EQuIP’s success is measured through key performance indicators, including the reduction of non-conformities, quality incidents, and cost of non-quality. It is further gauged by tracking an uptick in both employee and customer satisfaction.

Since its implementation, the team has received suggestions to improve the programme, including the use of QR codes for managing personnel qualifications or even identifying and managing project materials, allowing for more real-time information to be captured on specific items.

“EQuIP serves as our catalyst for a transformative mindset, fostering a culture of ownership and accountability for quality across all levels. Our project and functional quality teams, in collaboration with the business line leadership team, actively lead the integration of EQuIP within their respective scopes,” the company said.

The Malaysia International Business Awards recognises the significant contributions and outstanding achievements of international companies operating in the country.

The Malaysia International Business Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2025 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding contributions in your organisation's growth, please contact Danica Avila at [email protected].