Arivia.kom awarded ISO 9001 rating

Arivia.kom has been awarded the SABS ISO 9001:2000 quality management systems certificate by Global Conformity Services, a South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)-affiliated company.

Arivia.kom`s quality management system certification covers the provision of IT solutions with the focus on service implementation, maintenance, support and consulting. ISO 9000 is an international reference for quality management requirements in business-to-business dealings and is based on standards set by industry experts.

The registration followed physical audits conducted by Global Conformity Services at arivia.kom`s Midrand office and its regional offices: Mpumalanga, Western Cape, PC Shop, Inland, Eastern Cape, Wits, Central Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Northern Region.

"The accreditation is important as it gives our customers the confidence and assurance that we have the discipline to manage their environments and that we are continuously measured regarding the maintenance and improvement of standards," says Pieter Taljaard, senior manager, support services in arivia.kom`s Infrastructure Business division.

"Achieving this registration also means that we have successfully consolidated the support services divisions of Denel, Transnet and Eskom around the country into a cohesive, standardised unit."

Arivia.kom manages more than 90 000 desktop devices for clients such as Spoornet and Eskom, including 50 000 PCs and notebooks. Regional offices support this customer base countrywide.

"The ISO registration is really about continuous improvement," says Susan van Loggerenberg, a manager from arivia.kom Infrastructure Business division. "It allows you to establish a base from which to work. Customers, however, demand continuous improvement of processes and ISO 9001 is all about improvement."

"Quality is embedded in all business processes and it is everyone`s responsibility to maintain and to act as a quality assurance agent. This certification shows we have achieved this," notes Philip Olckers, arivia.kom Infrastructure Business quality assurance manager. "Teamwork from the entire division across the country made it possible. This is particularly noteworthy given the culture and operations integration needed after the merger of three entities to form arivia.kom."

Arivia.kom has appointed an internal business process specialist responsible for the implementation of quality management in each of its regions. "Appointing a specialist at each centre helps ensure that our customers, irrespective of where they are in SA, receive services that are consistent with good management practices," says Olckers.