The importance of certifications as an indicator of the quality of our services
Certifications are indispensable for meeting society’s increasingly pressing demands in terms of quality, health, environment and safety. In addition, they are a strategic element that allows a company to differentiate itself from its competitors and stand out in its market.
Just 2 years after its birth, in 2018 Vactis projected itself into Industry 4.0, applying IoT to its systems. In the same year, it obtained the “4.0 Declaration of Conformity” certification from Warrant Hub, which allows its customers access to the hyper-amortisation.
Going into detail, the Industry 4.0 Plan, included in the 2017 Budget Law to incentivise private investment in technology, provides for:
– The introduction of a 150% increase (hyper depreciation) on the purchase cost of capital goods functional to the technological and digital transformation of companies in terms of Industry 4.0;
– the introduction of a 40% mark-up on the purchase cost of intangible capital goods (certain software, IT systems and system integration activities) for persons benefiting from hyper-amortisation.
The aim, therefore, is to support and incentivise companies that invest in new capital goods and in tangible and intangible assets (software and IT systems) functional to the technological and digital transformation of production processes.
ISO certifications
Then there are the other certifications obtained by Vactis in recent years, the famous ISO certifications.
ISO stands for “International Organization for Standardization”, an organisation that defines the technical standards that a company must comply with in order to meet specific assessment parameters. It is the most authoritative organisation in the world on this subject, and its certifications are among the most valid on the international scene.
The guidelines dictated by ISO certifications are voluntary: adherence to them is not compulsory by law, but is necessary to obtain them.
ISO 9001
One of the most accredited is the ISO 9001 certification (to be more specific, “9001:2015”, since the last significant change was made in 2015). This is the international standard certification that defines the requirements for a quality management system in a company.
Vactis obtained this certification in August 2018 with regard to the “Development and production of technologically innovative cooling equipment”.
As an international standard, ISO 9001 is recognised as the basis for creating a system that ensures customer satisfaction and company improvement and, therefore, many companies include it as a minimum requirement for their suppliers.
It is a system that also aims to ensure customer satisfaction. By having the company’s processes audited by a certification body, customers do not need to carry out additional audits. This is why ISO 9001 has become a necessity for many companies to be competitive on the market.
In addition, customers will be reassured that the company has implemented a Quality Management System based on the seven quality management principles of ISO 9001, which form the foundation of the standard (as last amended in 2015).
Let’s take a look, just briefly, at these principles:
- Customer focus
- Leadership
- Active participation of people
- The process approach (PDCA AND RBT)
- Improvement
- Evidence-based decision making
- Relationship management
ISO 14001
Vactis did not stop at ISO 9001; as of June 2019 it has also obtained another important certification: ISO 14001.
The latter is the certification that defines the requirements of an environmental management system for a company. It describes a management system that involves carrying out an in-depth environmental analysis, followed by specific policies, responsibilities and activities relating to the subject, and set out in the requirements of the standards.
In order to define the ISO 14001-compliant management system, some key points had to be followed. One of these is to carry out an environmental analysis, i.e. to achieve a thorough understanding of the environmental aspects (emissions, use of resources, etc.) that our company actually has to manage.
Secondly, understand the legislative framework and requirements applicable to the company and assess the significance of the impacts. Finally, to define a company policy and specific responsibilities in environmental matters, in order to be able to apply and comply with the procedures and records required by the 14001 requirements.
The advantages of having an environmental management system certified by this ISO standard are numerous and allow:
- A control and maintenance of legislative compliance and monitoring of environmental performance.
- The reduction of waste (water consumption, energy saving, etc.).
- Facilitation of financing procedures and bureaucratic/administrative simplification.
- Support in investment decisions or technological change. But also in creating and maintaining company value, as well as safeguarding assets and transparency in acquisitions/mergers (risk management).
- The guarantee of a systematic approach to environmental emergencies and the implementation of defined methods for the prevention of environmental crimes.
Finally, another important aspect should not be forgotten, namely better relations and communication with the authorities and an improvement in the company’s image and reputation.
If you have any questions or would like more information about our solutions, please contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
