Garbarino | Rafael Zolezzi, Logistics Manager: “Certification processes help to generate a positive organizational culture.”

Garbarino recently achieved the tri-standard recertification of ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety). We interviewed the company’s Logistics Manager to learn about the tangible and intangible benefits earned.

Garbarino, the Argentine company dedicated to the sale of household goods, appliances, electronics and computers, obtained the recertification of IRAM-ISO 9001 “Quality Management Systems”, IRAM-ISO 14001 “Environmental Management Systems” and IRAM-ISO 45001 “Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems” standards. We interviewed Rafael Zolezzi, the company’s Logistics Manager, about the improvements gained both within the organization and with respect to the end customer.

-You have recently achieved the tri-standard recertification. How would you describe the preliminary stages?

–It is a process we started 4 years ago, with the first ISO 9001 certification, then OSHAS 18001, and we have now completed ISO 45001 and ISO 14001. It is a process that needs planning and leadership, but it can coexist with other projects and can be implemented in a reasonable time, even in a complex context, and with unfavorable conditions for the business such as those experienced last year.

-At the end of this process, what are the main benefits obtained? How has your business perspective been enriched?

-Beyond the classic benefits obtained from a certification, which can be found in any book, in my opinion, certifying implies implementing a project. A project whose objective is clearly defined and has a specific timeframe, actively involves almost all the resources of an organization or sector, and gets results which are recognized and sustained over time. These are the attributes of any well-defined, comprehensive and participatory project, but they are infrequent to see and, even more so, difficult to implement in organizations. I emphasize, then, that the processes of implementation of a certification positively affect the staff of an organization: they collaborate in the generation of a sense of belonging, of pride in what we do; they favor teamwork and the feeling of being able to carry out a common project. This is nothing more and nothing less than generating a positive organizational culture.

-As a result of this international certification, do you notice any commercial benefits for your company? Which ones?

–Last year the group launched a new business unit: Garbarino Soluciones Logísticas (Garbarino Logistics Solutions). Through these certifications, we can participate in tenders that were previously inaccessible and, on the other hand, it allows us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.

–Taking into account that the processes within the certified management systems provide logistic support to the commercialization outlets of your products for the consumer market, what do you consider to be the impact of these certifications on consumers’ purchasing decisions?

–The impact is difficult to measure, but we believe that having a certification is always a plus when deciding between one supplier and another, or between one product and another, in a consumer’s purchasing decision. What we are sure of, is that this path leads us to significantly improve the perception of the service we provide and helps us to be chosen again.

-How do these certifications influence the improvement of your organization’s image on the final customer’s perception?

–At Garbarino we seek to provide an extraordinary shopping experience to our customers every day. We constantly measure user’s perception through the NPS (Net Promoter Score, a tool that measures the loyalty of a company’s customers based on recommendations). The integrated management system with the three standards we use helps us directly in our daily work to achieve this goal. At the same time, the fact that we have already taken the decision to certify and carry it out, follows this path and positions us as a company that is willing to improve, that is concerned about the safety of its employees and the care of the environment.

-Did you need to incorporate new technology throughout the successive implementations? Which one?

–It was not necessary to incorporate major technology or infrastructure investments. We incorporated Legalia, a system that manages the legal matrix applicable to our CDs, and we developed some very simple internal systems to conduct our management system.

-What added value do you consider that the IRAM mark brings to certification? 

–The IRAM mark is a recognized mark and, like ours, it generates trust. We are very pleased to have certified with IRAM and we hope to continue doing so, because it is one of the paths we choose to pursue operational excellence on a daily basis.