We recently encouraged roadside assistance companies to join REAC. Today we want to focus on what joining together means in terms of quality certification.
If Iker Arbelaiz recently explained that joining REAC meant “a seal of quality” for Grúas Olalde… there was a reason. So much so that we are entering the final stretch of 2020, a year marked by a health emergency unprecedented this century, with some excellent news: the alliance between our Network and AENOR certification which, as is well known, is synonymous with quality and independence.
During the last quarter, at least three AENOR audits have been carried out with member companies. The roadside assistance and tow truck companies in REAC, given the demanding and delicate work they do, will benefit from this initiative. The project means that all member companies, as proposed by the REAC Board of Governors, will progressively obtain AENOR certification over the course of 2021.
The effort that member companies make by joining REAC is rewarded with entry into a process of continuous improvement, based on consistent criteria. In this way, each business generates internal processes that translate into cost reduction, internal prestige, market positioning and innovation (among other benefits).
And why does certification matter?
Certification is important as a proven means for an organisation, since quality control and quality management are assessed together as a whole. Moreover, these are matters that cannot be based solely on REAC’s judgement, even though it is REAC’s technical team that oversees these processes.
The effectiveness and efficiency of the member company are assessed in depth, but always in comparison with best practice and current regulations. This certification is, so to speak, an independent judgement; hence it must be issued by experts who guarantee full transparency throughout the assessment.
In this way, a competent organisation externally verifies compliance with the requirements we—REAC—set, and does so through an audit process with the company being assessed. Certification is nothing more than the opinion issued by this organisation.
Does it bring any improvement for member companies?
Of course. AENOR certification also comes with a report that sets out a series of recommendations for the company. All kinds of improvements that can be implemented through a corrective action plan.
Naturally, this has an impact on the company’s excellence: on its efficiency and effectiveness, as well as on its adherence to professional standards and the satisfaction of its various interest groups (stakeholders).
A little about AENOR
The Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification (AENOR) was founded in 1986 to develop standardisation and certification in all industrial and service sectors. Establishing a differentiating competitive value in certified companies and spreading a culture of quality and excellence are two of its fundamental commitments.
Today, more than 80,000 workplaces around the world hold one of AENOR’s certificates. It is, in fact, one of the 10 most important certification bodies in the world.