Certifications (Part 1)

One of the leading ways to ensure your company’s competence in the eyes of your customers is to undergo the process of obtaining an official certification. This is done through a governing body or a private institution that has the authority to grant such certifications. At Seaqual, we conform to ISO 9001:2015 codes of practice and in this month’s blog, we are going to talk about the process behind obtaining this certification and why it is considered to be of such a high standard in the industry.  

Coming soon in Part 2 of this blog is our Agrèment South Africa Certification where we take a closer look at why this was such an important step in verifying the high quality and standard of our WetFloor and Full-bore ranges.

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ISO 9001:2015 is an international standard developed to measure, implement and maintain Quality Management Systems (QMS) within a company that provides products or services to the public. It offers a foundation of guidelines to improve the quality of a company’s communication and vocabulary both internally and externally. The goal of such practices is to consistently meet and exceed customer expectations as well as the expectations of industry affiliates or other relevant parties. It also exists to improve the productivity of a company’s employees as well as the flow of operations between departments.

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The QMS is an amalgamation of the various processes, assets, resources and cultural values that assist in the realisation of organizational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

It is important to note here that ISO certification is an ongoing audit that is conducted annually to ensure that the highest standards are maintained within an organisation.

Why get ISO 9001 Certified?

A company that has ISO 9001:2015 certification is one with a solid framework that follows good business practices. When looking at Seaqual and our industry specifically, “good business practices” refer to the following:

- The establishment and implementation of specific parameters and practices for all business activities, processes and functions that enable Seaqual to provide products and services that consistently conform to or exceed customer requirements.
- All Seaqual’s plumbing products conform to customer specifications, whether they are imported or manufactured in our plastic injection moulding machines and sold locally or exported.
- Seaqual continuously strives to achieve excellence and enhanced customer satisfaction at each touch point in their customer journey with us.
- Nurture and improve customer relationships through clear communication as well as addressing and resolving queries and concerns efficiently and in a timely manner.
- Adhering to the 4 benchmarks of quality; We say what we do, we do what we say, we keep records and we improve
- Adopting a “process approach” that incorporates a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to ensure that our operations are always improving.
Ensuring that Seaqual has a Quality Policy in place and that is abided by at all times.

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    Undergoing the ISO 9001:2015 certification process at Seaqual has had a range of benefits for our business. It has enabled the identification of risks and opportunities and through the use of risk-based thinking, such problem areas have been addressed and systems put in place to minimize the negative effects of these issues in our business moving forward.

    As well as facilitating better decision making within our company, this on-going certification is also a clear representation of our promise to adhere to high quality business practices both internally and externally. We’ve seen a noticeable increase in trust and confidence in our company from industry professionals since implementing this QMS which has open doors to new business ventures for Seaqual that were not possible before.

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    Achieving and maintaining this certification is no small task. We have dedicated and hard-working members of our team that ensure that all records are meticulous and up to date when the time comes for our annual audit. They also ensure that all feedback and recommendations providing during this time are noted and implemented into our next cycle.

    Thanks for reading and happy plumbing :)