adminISO is the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards which give state of the art specifications for products, services and good practice aimed at helping industry become more efficient and effective.
SAZ director general Ms Eve Gadzikwa told New Ziana that the demand for certification is on the rise as local firms recover due to positive economic growth registered in the past three years.
Ms Gadzikwa could not provide figures of applications received so far off hand.
“At the moment, we have started to see an upsurge in companies applying for certification again. During 2008 when the economy was facing problems, we saw a decline in the numbers and even companies struggling to meet the requirements,” she said.
Adoption of multi-currencies in 2009 ushered in economic stability after years of record hyper-inflation crippled most companies.
Ms Gadzikwa said most companies, especially those involved in production of export products, were realising the importance of ISO certification to penetrate foreign markets.
“Companies are realising that to penetrate the regional market and the European Union you must be certified,” she said.
She said most local companies were also realising that self declarations of quality service were not good enough to convince the market.
“There is a realisation that self declaration does not work. You need attestation by a high authority to say you are good at what you do. You need someone who is external, who is a certifier, to deem you to be certified,” Ms Gadzikwa said.
She said SAZ would not compromise its requirements for companies seeking certification.
“We treat our customers whether large or small corporates the same. We do not make concessions, a standard is a standard,” she said.
SAZ, which is a member of the ISO, is also accredited to issue ISO accreditation by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS).
Ms Gadzikwa urged more companies to apply for accreditation as it not only helped them secure new clients and markets, but also improved systems for the continuity of organisations.
Research in developing countries has shown companies that are ISO certified stand a better chance of securing new business as well as achieving superior returns on investment. — New Ziana
Online Reporter