2009-10-01 Kiwa Insight nr.3

If you think synergy is one of those buzzwords more often used than seen at work, check out Kiwa’s Expert Centre Glass. Bringing together a mass of expertise from numerous Kiwa offices throughout Europe, the centre is a prime example of the added value of teamwork.

In 2008 the Expert Centre Glass issued some 155 certificates to over 200 client organisations, while performing more than 250 tests and 280 inspections and operating in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Poland with more countries being accessed. 2009 and 2010 will bring further growth, as the centre builds on its position in the construction glass segment and reaches out to new ones, notably solar cell glass – for which the centre is currently developing an Evaluation Guideline in collaboration with Kiwa Gas Technology. Growth figures are not the centre’s most outstanding achievement so far, however. ‘What really makes the expert centre stand out as an example of Kiwa proficiency is, first, the way in which it brings together a huge amount of expertise from very different sources, and second, the fact that the experts involved are fully committed to working together’, says Quality Consultant Construction Products Robbert Boer. ‘This kind of teamwork does not just happen. It calls for a special kind of willingness to listen to local markets, exchange information and rope in colleagues to find new and better solutions. There is a lot of tedious procedural stuff to work through in dealing with contracts across different countries and deciding who should do what, but the overriding sense of added value the centre is creating easily outweighs the hassle.’ What appeals to the growing numbers of clients knocking on the door of the Expert Centre Glass is that it offers international expertise with a local accent. Says Robbert Boer, ‘Having local experts makes it a lot easier for clients as well as for us to communicate. You have the bigger Kiwa network to draw from, while the actual point of contact is local. It’s a perfect combination.’ With the production climate in Germany – one of the Centre’s major markets – suffering from the recession, the Centre now faces the challenge of retaining clients and reaching out into new markets, such as the solar cells industry. ‘Margins are under pressure, but the Centre has proven its added value for the market’, says Robbert Boer. ‘We’re confident about the future.’