TRUST AND CHECK

It's no big deal for us to build a house. We will paint it and live! - No-one is likely to share the opinion of a cheerful cartoon character, especially when a frivolous approach to one's job, or extreme economy on construction materials, can have consequences far from cheerful for hundreds of people.

Our dialogue with the director-general of the construction-investment company Altes Construction, Samil Suleymanli, rests upon the opposite point of view. This is the only construction company in Azerbaijan and the Caspian region to provide houses with a quality guarantee confirmed by a recognised international company

- It is a commonplace that everyone praises what they do. The main emphasis in the construction industry is placed upon quality, but the statements made are not always convincing. What do you have to say to that?

-  So, what should be the most important consideration for someone buying a flat? In the experience of the Altes Construction company I have more than once witnessed the role of the good reputation, earned over 12 years, due to which our first houses were sold. People know us, trust us and come to us. At the same time, I would like to say that, in order to move ahead in the modern, fast-changing world, it is necessary to constantly improve. Thus, in 2006 our company moved to a new level of activity, by undertaking projects in the south of the Russian Federation and in the economic centre of Kazakhstan. This entry into the international market required international guarantees in order to support the credit of trust. Thus, Altes Construction concluded a contract with the Swiss SGS company, whose history of operations goes back more than 100 years. SGS is an acknowledged leader in the area of inspection, supervision, testing and certification in various areas. We cooperate closely with SGS, which supervises the implementation of our projects. At the same time, I would like to add that SGS provides a wide range of services, one of which is ISO-9001:2000. This is a certificate confirming conformity of the level of company management with international standards. It is not a quality guarantee. Some people confuse this kind of service with an audit of the quality of the entire construction process, including the development of working projects, supply and the implementation of the project. This is the so-called Full Project Management which also includes ISO-9001:2000, 14000, OHSAS 18000 (checks of safety rules), etc. Conceptually, quality control is conducted in five areas of the implementation of a construction project: - architecture, structure, mechanics, electrics and fire safety. In particular, in our projects Academy House and Caspian Terrace, control of fire safety is carried out, in Emerald Palace - control of mechanics, electrics and fire safety. As for the projects Altes Plaza and Altes Park, they are supervised in terms of all five parameters, because they were launched after the conclusion of the agreement with SGS.

- How are quality control mechanisms operated?

-   The first stage is the endorsement of a project which, upon completion of development, is sent to the Prague office of SGS where specialists in various areas carry out an analysis and, if need be, make additions and changes to conform to the various requirements of world standards. This is done according to the European code and American standards. Then the working project is confirmed by an audit company and is sent for implementation. 

The second stage is supply control. The company conducts an audit among the suppliers of construction materials which results in the identification of three main suppliers meeting the requirements of standards within several parameters (equipment, production technology, personnel, storage of raw materials, laboratory, etc). Upon delivery, the materials, equipment and works themselves are tested. For example, when choosing a concrete factory, not only its quality, but also its storage and transportation conditions are checked. But a good concrete factory does not necessarily mean that you will get good quality concrete. One should remember that there is always the human factor. It is for this reason that control of the quality of material takes place directly on the site itself. This applies not only to concrete but also to reinforcement bars and other construction materials. In case of non-conformity, the component is returned and the factory that supplied the poor-quality output is fined. As a developer company, Altes Construction aspires to maximally avoid conflict of interests and therefore we do not manufacture construction materials. It is not very good practice when, e.g., a construction company has its own concrete factory. Why not? The point is that should a brand of concrete not conform to the required standard, the machinery needs to be dismantled; not every company with its own concrete factory will go this far, as it involves major expense.

In our case, all responsibility, including financial expense, lies precisely with the supplier company. It is for this reason that, in order to avoid various force majeure circumstances, the supplier factory reinsures itself and does not economize on quality. The final stage is the implementation stage, which includes construction of the house, its submission and certification. The entire process continues under the immediate supervision of SGS specialists who are present on site and check the conformity of works carried out with the requirements of standards. All payments to sub-contractors and suppliers are made only after written confirmation by the auditing company.

-   As a construction and investment company, you implement projects outside Azerbaijan too. Why exactly did the choice fall upon Kazakhstan and Russia? 

- Firstly, they are large markets and this is why we are interested in them. Secondly, we took into account the intensiveness of development of the construction sectors in neighbouring countries. And certainly, both in Kazakhstan and Russia, there is sufficiently high demand for the housing that our company offers. As for the conditions for business in these regions, they are quite liberal. For the future we have plans for construction in Sochi and a number of other resort towns outside Azerbaijan.

- What do you think are the particularities of "elite housing" within and outside our country?

- That is a relative concept. What is considered elite today may become commonplace some time later. Elite means, first of all, comfortable. Infrastructure and service are the necessary components of elite housing. Today Altes Construction is building business, premium and de luxe class houses that include 33, 44 and 55 features provided by the Altes Group. I mean that this figure may grow; it all depends on the buyer's desire.

- Which housing enjoys the most demand and what is your company's role in the formation of consumer demand?

- To each his own. Our company does not forge "boxes" for customers who are only interested in the price per square metre. Therefore, in the formation of consumer demand, our work is limited to communication with a certain circle of people wishing to buy specific, good quality and comfortable housing that meets their demands. For its part, our company offers fine, unique house designs that fit organically into the architectural style of our capital.