CERTIFICATION SERVICE SPREADS ITS WINGS

The Concrete Manufacturers Association Certification Services (CMACS) continues to lead the way for the certification of concrete, limestone and cement related products in South Africa with a raft of new offerings covering most usage cases.

Being SANAS accredited and providing certification applicable to product quality and system certification (ISO 9001), CS currently have the ability to certify precast concrete related products like concrete pavers, pressure pipes, lintels and culverts among others. The business of certifying systems is also well established. CMACS is in the process of planning and introducing a range of new offerings that will soon include environmental management systems (ISO 14001), as well as occupational health and safety (ISO 45001) standards. These additions will help cement and precast concrete manufacturers meet stringent regulatory requirements and adopt best practices that promote sustainability and safety. Moreso CMACS will supply a convenient one-stop certification service to the industry!

According to CMACS director, Christo van Zyl, this year will be an important milestone for the company as it hopes, with the accreditation from SANAS, to introduce new certifications for cement and promises to provide faster turnarounds for producers and blenders. As with all certifications, CMACS is already well known for providing quick and efficient results and the new certifications for cement will be no different. Across the board, the introduction of new digitalised services will further speed the process and provide customers with uncomplicated processes to further hasten the process.

Christo says the introduction of new software-based services incorporating data management, workflows, electronic document management and real-time tracking systems, aims to enhance operational efficiency and provide customers with greater visibility into their certification status.
The new web-based software will revolutionise the system management and auditing process by providing comprehensive plans for both the customer and the auditor, as well as monitoring, guiding and providing constant communication to all parties to ensure that everyone remains in the loop at all times throughout the certification process, as well as throughout the period during which the certification remains valid.

“The move to digitise certification processes is not just about speed, it is also about continuous improvement of every aspect of certification. Our main focus is to improve and to bring the certification into the digital era and improve on everything that we do. By leveraging digital tools and technologies we aim to enhance the accuracy, reliability and accessibility of certification services, to provide greater value to stakeholders.”

It is interesting to note that CMACS has not had a single complaint about its services in the past year which speaks volumes about its service offerings thus far. The new digitised platforms will steadily move it beyond being the preferred certification provider in South Africa to becoming the preferred provider throughout Africa and globally in future.

“Looking ahead to 2025, we also plan to introduce the certification of cement in order to address evolving industry needs. This is a much-needed requirement in the industry, to speed up service delivery in terms of certification and to avoid monopolising this sector of the certification market, which is currently apparent. We hope to ensure cement manufacturers and blenders comply with the highest industry standards and are offered service based on good and fair auditing practices. Additionally, we will focus on enhancing ready-mix concrete certification to support companies in achieving compliance with performance-based specifications on site. Our services will also extend to certain raw materials and processes that are pivotal to the manufacture of concrete in future.”

“No manufactured product is manufactured in a bubble and it is important that we include the “ingredients” of concrete and cement into the offering. We are eager to work with other industry bodies and offer certification services to the members of the industry association to advance the goal and service offering of each entity. The recent certification of our first ready-mix client is a typical example of how the advantage can be passed on to other associations.”