New Accreditation Programmes Will Help Boost Consumer Trust in Businesses
How can a consumer trust a brand to deliver top-quality standard products? Most renowned brands put their products and services through rigorous tests and certification. Hence, accreditation helps both brands and consumers by ensuring that products and services in the market meet the required quality and standards.
Sectors in Accreditation
Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Accreditation Council have developed new accreditation programmes in food, infrastructure, information and communications technology, and sustainability practices. These are sectors where products and services are currently in demand, and the accreditation programmes were developed to cater to business growth.
Sustainability
Sustainability has been a buzzword for some time, but in reality, many businesses are still struggling with sustainability and how to implement such practices in their operations. The accreditation programme on sustainability practices will address this on multiple fronts. It will help the aviation industry reduce carbon emissions and become more sustainable. Flights coming in or leaving Singapore will be expected to conform to carbon emission requirements within a specified timeframe. Food security is a concern for cities like Singapore, where fresh and organic produce are commonly harvested from large farms from other parts of the world. Ensuring that the produce is tested and certified as natural and meet qualifying standards will alleviate consumer concerns. Reducing carbon emissions and growing organic food are just two examples of sustainability practices.
Industry 4.0
As Industry 4.0 looms on the horizon, manufacturers are jumping into the bandwagon of automation and control systems with data security being a key concern. The accreditation programme on cybersecurity of industrial automation and control systems will address this. With the advent of cyber threats and the prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT), the accreditation programme will certify the adequacy of processes in information security management. A smart city is an attractive global hub place to live, work and play. Hence, an accreditation programmes for structural steelworks fabrication has been developed. Building and construction is a potential public hazard and ensuring necessary testing and certification at each stage of development is essential in maintaining public trust and confidence in Singapore as a safe and secure city.
Quality Products, Global Standards
Companies with products or services that are certified by the Singapore Accreditation Council stand a better chance of penetrating the global market. This is because the Council has mutual recognition arrangements with 90 economies worldwide. Hence, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who want to enter the export market need only to have their products tested and certified locally, saving both time and costs. The Singapore accreditation conveys to consumers all over the world buying products or services from Singapore the assurance that these products have met quality standards.
