VISIONARCH UPGRADES ISO CERTIFICATION
Visionarch is now ISO 9001:2015 certified. The company had held the ISO 9001:2008 for the past two years. This year, the firm received an updated certification aligned with the latest in ISO’s quality management systems (QMS) standards. The International Organization for Standardization awards the ISO 9001 certification to firms worldwide that adhere to rigorous quality management principles in every aspect of their business.
The international accreditation, while mandatory in some industries abroad, remains voluntary in the Philippines. Visionarch is among a handful of firms that submitted itself to an independent ISO audit and passed. This means our people follow a codified system of doing things for quality control. As is often the case, this kind of bureaucracy can stifle creativity but not for us. What added value does a creative firm like Visionarch stand to gain from an ISO accreditation aside from bragging rights?
Visionarch is a business-to-business design firm that handles large-scale, high-value projects mostly for developers. As important as design prowess, our clients demand consistency and reliability. This is a competitive advantage an ISO certification brings. Compared to small and medium-scale projects, the firm’s portfolio demands more complex requirements, involves more stakeholders, requires higher amounts of investment, and takes longer to build. They also require extensive regulatory compliance with international life safety and local building codes. Because the risks are higher, a simple lapse in the design process can easily escalate to a crisis. Even a day’s delay due to error or miscommunication could cost the client large sums of money. By following international best practices and standards in handling projects, Visionarch is able to limit the risks, command a smooth workflow, and ensure on-time project delivery.
For our people, following ISO standards and working around constraints unique to every project allows them to mature as designers. It tests their creativity as they explore ways to turn challenges into opportunities. After all, true creativity thrives in limitations. They are more able to blend the abstract qualities of design such as visual appeal and spatial experience with the more objective but equally valid qualities our clients look for such as efficiency and constructability. ISO trains our people and gives them greater confidence in handling the business aspects easily overlooked by less matured firms--client relationship building and management. As a company in the creative services industry, we cannot think of a more important business investment that yielded greater returns than an ISO certification.
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