PARTNER
VLADAN ČOKIĆ, DIRECTOR, BUREAU VERITAS
BUSINESS
Certification Is Key To New Markets Bureau Veritas is a leading company specialised in international certification, verification and testing that was founded in 1828 in Paris and opened its office in Serbia in 2005. It operates today in more than 140 countries, employing 77,000 experts in more than 1,400 offices and 330 laboratories
C
ompanies in Serbia have recognised the value and importance of harmonising with criteria related to quality, safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency and social responsibility, because that is an indicator of their strength. Are all your services designed on the basis of the specific needs of clients, and who are they? - Bureau Veritas provides the following services: certification of management systems, testing, inspection and certification of products, process quality assurance for industrial facilities and equipment, inspections of construction facilities and equipment, as well as inspections and laboratory testing. Services are always tailored to a specific activity and tee specific needs of clients, in terms of the added value that they expect. That’s why we also help clients with training, which is specially created according to the specific characteristics of their business. Our auditors, inspectors and lecturers have extensive knowledge and experience in the field of our clients’ businesses - choosing the right people, professional and experienced, is very important for the successful provision of services. Testifying to how much we care about the needs of our clients is the new service - Restart your business. It was developed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic in order to provide confirmation that a client has taken all preventative measures and thus ensured a safe and healthy business environment.
environmental protection and social responsibility? - The industrial sector is largely harmonised with EU regulations and standards, because Serbia is adopting EU standards in their original form, thus avoiding the creation of “technical ambiguities” during the interpretation of standards. In agriculture and the food industry, standards and guidelines are largely aligned with EU regulations when it comes to the quality and safety of food. Our cereals and food industry products are exported and have their place on EU markets. In addition to them, engineering and software companies have a large presence, as do service activities, but we have long had clients in almost all areas of the economy.
Our clients are both multinational and local companies, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, and we also provide services to state institutions
Which industries are harmonised with EU regulations and standards to the greatest extent? In which industries do you see the most respect for criteria related to quality, safety,
How does the fact that a company has all the necessary certificates and all the envisaged quality standards impact on its competitiveness? - Certification is a way for our clients to show that their management systems are harmonised with internationally recognised standards, i.e. with good business practice. Certification always means a greater competitive advantage, because it demonstrates the willingness of a company to invest in better business, showing the company’s strength and its clear commitment to continuous improvements. There are several important certificates that ensre easier entry into some markets, as well as excellent competitiveness. Here we are primarily referring to certificates from GFSI programmes (IFS, FSSC 22000, BRC, GLOBALG.A.P.), IP Programmes and ISCC certificates, and more recently Danube Soybean certificates. Certification is not only a recognition given by an independent certification house, but also leads to better operational and financial results through the constant improving of processes in an organisation. 15
