Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Government's arms procurement agency, Armscor, yesterday became an ISO 9001 certified organisation after being presented with a registration certificate by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

Receiving the certificate, Armscor chief executive officer SiphoThomo said the ISO certification was yet another step the company had taken to ensure that products and services of the highest quality were provided to its clients.

'This is indeed a proud day for Armscor because we have always believed that quality is the backbone of effective management and client satisfaction. This certification demonstrates our commitment to quality,' Mr Thomo said.

He said the certification would ensure that the company's key processes were understood, documented, implemented, improved and followed by everyone within the organisation.

'This is probably not surprising as throughout the world the defence and aeronautical institutions lead the drive for quality and reliability,' said the CEO.

Mr Thomo said the company was playing a crucial role on the South African Quality and Excellence scene, through leadership in the SA Excellence Foundation (SAEM), the SA Society for Quality (SASQ) and the SA Auditors, training and certification association (SAATCA).

'Our belief that it was our responsibility to make our knowledge and experience available to the rest of South Africa, led Armscor to play a leading role in the establishment of the Chair of Quality at Stellenbosch University and the Pretoria Technikon.

'Many of our staff regularly lecture on quality at various institutions,' he added.

Armscor, the Armaments Corporation of South Africa, was established to meet South Africa's needs for armaments and related products and services.

The company has roots going back to 1948 and dates from 1977, when the South African Armaments Board and the Armaments Development Corporation were amalgamated.

Five years later, the company began to market South African products abroad, having proved that many were unique and provided superior solutions for a wide range of needs.

Its services include acquisition management, foreign trade facilitation, technology and product development, research, product test and evaluation, assistance with the arrangement and management of industrial participation programmes and the sale of surplus equipment on behalf of the SANDF and other government departments.

It also conducts third-party quality assurance and renders this service to its client base should it be required.