Certification

[Cory Smith]

 

[fiatlux]

How timely. How true!

FL

 

[BillJ]

I've always wondered what the ROI is on all the certifications.

 

[fiatlux]

I've always wondered what the ROI is on all the certifications.

The ROI is excellent...for the companies that do the certifications!

Best, FL

 

[BillJ]

My point exactly.

 

[Mstuff]

It is important to have in place the process controls that are required to help quality and productivity, however as far as certification goes, it's more of a marketing tool. Maybe at some point larger clients may insist on it but I don't know of any requiring this yet. The costs for certification are high and recurring, so right now no thanks!

 

[chevalier]

Why G7 Process Control? | IDEAlliance

Being completely serious here. This is possibly the best certificate I've seen yet.

 

[gordo]

Being completely serious here. This is possibly the best certificate I've seen yet.

And who certifies them?

gordo

 

[chevalier]

Not sure I understand. Who certifies the certifiers?

 

[BillJ]

Certifications like these are first and foremost a marketing and sales tool. By being certified, you can eliminate your competition that are not as long as you convince your customer that it is an important standard.

That being said, the technical standards behind a certification may be worthwhile and help drive innovation and change. Manufacturers of software and hardware sell the new standards as the must have to keep up.

The real question is how many of your customers really care. How many times have you worked on a job and have it perfect and the customer hates it versus something that you are embarrassed by and the customer loves it?

 

[gordo]

Not sure I understand. Who certifies the certifiers?

Well, how do you know that the certificating company has the skills, knowledge, and qualifications to certify you in a meaningful way. I.e. other than selling you a very expensive piece of paper.

Best, gordo

 

[chevalier]

While I have experienced my fair share of (relatively) pointless certifications mandated by customers, there is almost always a grain of improvement in them. It is your duty to properly vet the certification company or personnel before signing a contract. I've seen that first-hand with ISO9001 certifications.
If you don't understand what/why/how they are certifying by the explanatory literature you probably don't need to be the one making such decisions or it's likely smoke and mirrors.

 

[gordo]

If you are able to vet the company doing the certification then you likely don't need it.

I wonder how a print buyer requiring certification would answer the question: "If the quote was 5% lower from the company that wasn't certified would you go with the more expensive certified printer?"

Most of the printers that I've asked have said that they tell their customers that they adhere to the industry standards and specifications represented by ISO, GRACoL etc. and their customers seem to be satisfied by that.

best, gordo

 

[chevalier]

Many of my customers are big multinationals and you have to have certain certifications just to get on the bid-list.

 

[Deleted member 16349]

Many of my customers are big multinationals and you have to have certain certifications just to get on the bid-list.

This is an interesting point. I tend to think that some of the certification or similar organizations sometimes seem to be selling their ideas to buyers of print just as much as to the producers of print.

To me this seems like an unfair approach, since they seem to be taking advantage of the lack of knowledge of details in the manufacturing process on the part of the buyers to push their certification concepts onto the producers by having the buyers demand a certain certification or method used.

It is also a road block to improving the process because the buyers insist on one method over any others. This is the biggest danger to the industry.

Buyers should not be concerned about manufacturing methods but in consistent and predictable results of the final product and its timely delivery.

My view is that much of the certification concepts are mostly marketing driven. If a certification organization can not make as many sales directly to the producers, then what an advantage it is to get the buyers to insist on certification. The most efficient sales method is to sell the concepts to buyers and they will do the work for you.

 

[chevalier]

This is an interesting point. I tend to think that some of the certification or similar organizations sometimes seem to be selling their ideas to buyers of print just as much as to the producers of print.

A large color matching company (starts with a P ends with an E) is the king of this kind of crap. I honestly believe they have the best intentions but their standards so far are a complete joke and marketing scheme. When they approached me for 'certification' I asked for detailed documentation about it. When they couldn't show me anything near real standards I shooed them way to be warned "we're already talking to your customers, you won't have a choice about this."

Buyers should not be concerned about manufacturing methods but in consistent and predictable results of the final product and its timely delivery.

I just had this conversation with the senior art director with one of my big customers. He said he'd never thought of it from this angle.