On 11th Jan 2007, Vietnam officially became the 150th member of WTO. Participation in the WTO not only opens up many opportunities for Vietnam to expand the market and mobilize resources for development but also challenges the Vietnam enterprises in taking advantage of these opportunities. The development level of the Vietnam enterprises is still low. The implimentation of the non-discrimination principle, particularly national treatment principle for all WTO member countries will put the Vietnam enterprises before the very tough challenges. To be able to compete fairly with foreign companies, one of the things to do is reform operation, apply an advandced and scientific quality management system that is ISO standards.
In fact, ISO standards contribute to change leadership and management of enterprises, change management thinking of many business owners, help them getting strategic vision for their business, doing business in basic…
Capturing the trends and demands from the market, on 30th Jan 2007, VinaCert Certification Body Ltd., was established with business activities in the field of conformity assessment of quality management system, training quality management system and auditors with an initial capital of 1,5 billion VND. Once in operation, realized the development potential of these activities and limit of business types, to gather more intellectual resources and the capital, leadership of the company has decided to change type of enterprise to a joint stock company. On 25th July 2007, VinaCert JSC was granted business registration certificates with a charter capital of VND 5 billion with business scopes:
- Conformity assessment of products and quality management systems
- Training: quality management system, auditors of quality management systems
- Inspection
Even in the first year, with 02 leaders and 10 passionate employees, the company focused on building management system according to ISO / IEC 17021 (this is the management system applied for certification bodies), associating with ABS certification body in U.S to open traning courses of lead auditors (IRCA certificates) assessment of QMS (ISO 9000), FSMS (ISO 22000) aiming at creating a team of high qualified lead auditors which are equivalent to auditors all over the world.
VinaCert used to be accrediated by Bureau of Accreditation (BoA) as an competent body of assesment and certification of quality management system QMS, FSMS base on certificates No. VICAS 008-QMS and No. VICAS 008-FSMS dated 1st August 2008.
VinaCert has been having the registration No.66/TDC-DGPH dated 1/21/2008 issued by Directorate for Standards Metrology and Quality for assessment of ISO 9001:2000 quality management system, ISO 22000:2005 food safety management system. VinaCert was confirmed by STAMEQ on eligibility to certificate and assess the quality management system according to national standards TCVN ISO 9001:2000 for state administrative agencies.
At the end of 2009, VinaCert has provided certification services of management system for 300 customers. During operating period, knowing the competence and demands of the market for product certification in accordance with the standards, VinaCert has invested resources to build the management system of products certification according to ISO / IEC Guide 65:1996 and had the certificate issued by BoA with codes No. VICAS 008-PRODUCT on 13rd Dec 2009; the business registration No.1910/TĐC-ĐGPH dated 17th Dec 2009 issued by Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality for certification of products; certification to accrediating VinaCert ability for ISO 9001 (TCVN) quality management system assessment.
For proactive and reliable conformity assessment activities; VinaCert’s BOD approved projects to establish testing laboratory. With the mission that the laboratory’s operation should met requirements of international standards, VinaCer recruited 08 engineers in such fields: food, biology, chemistry, … and invested in equipment: laboratory of microbiology experiments, HPLC, gas chromatography (GC), ... For reliable test operation, meeting international standards, VinaCert has builded a management systems of laboratory according to ISO / IEC 17025:2005 standard. VinaCert by itself efforts, were accredited by Board of Accredition (BoA) for laboratory dated 1st Oct 2010 with its code No.407 01/10/2010 VILAS, had the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality issued certificate of business registration No.280/TDC-DGPH on 15th March 2010 for testing activities.
With gain competence and icredibility in the market, VinaCert was designated by The Department of Cultivation (under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) as conformity certification body of plant products (Decision No.343/QD-TT-TTPC on 11th Sep 2009), fertilizer certification body (Decision No.342/QD-TT-TTPC 11th Sep 2009), certificate of VietGAP (Decision No. 60/QD-TT-QLCL dated 20th Feb 2013) and was assigned as fertilizer testing laboratory at Decision No. 291/QD-TT-QLCL on 18th Aug 2010). Be designated by The Department of Livestock Husbandry that the laboratory to conduct tests of animal feeds at Decision No. 312/QD-CN-TTPC dated 27th Dec 2010, specify laboratory of animal feeds with Decision No. 150/QD-CN-TTPC on 12th Jul 2011.
On 27th Jun 2012 after 5 years of operation, with the efforts of VinaCert’s entire staff and reputation in the market-place, VinaCert was honored to be authorized by Department of Livestock to test and confirm the quality of imported feedings following Decision 161/QD-CN-TACN. This is the assertion of state agencies trust to private enterprises in the state management activities , confirming services quality of VinaCert.
VinaCert often organize trainning courses as well as send expert and staff to train in the courses to enhance technicality and serve legal requirements such as training sample taker (fertilizer, feedings…), QM , FSMS , VietGAP , MSC , ASC auditors...
In May 2013, VinaCert moved headquarters from 47 Lot 5 Den Lu II to Building 130 Nguyen Duc Canh , Hoang Mai district, Ha Noi with 520 m2 area and renamed to VinaCert Certification and Inspection Joint Stock Company ( VinaCert) with a capital increase from 5 billion to 20 billion . Currently, the company has expanded its range with 4 branches and representative offices in 4 big cities: Ho Chi Minh, Hai Phong, Can Tho; the total of labor is 88 employees . Employees of the company are highly qualified ( 01 doctors, 05 masters, the rest: universities and colleges ) , inquisitive , creative and hard-working with assignment.
After 6 years of development , VinaCert had 1120 customers ( including 990 customers in the field of assessment and certification of QMS and 130 customers in the field of product standards ) , tested more than 2.5 million tons of imports (from 7/2013 to 6/2013 ) . We are proud to be the independent assessment and certification body which offers the biggest number of assessment and certification services in conformity and inspection for the best quality service, maximum benefit for customers.
6 years along with the development of VinaCert, social-political organizatiosn in the company were established: Company Union (on 30th January 2010), Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (on 19th May 2012) and Communist Party (on 19th May 2012) with 07 members and created emulation movement to work , take care of the interests of workers , build VinaCert culture of work and activities.
In spite of achievements to be proud , VinaCert doesn’t have smug satisfaction. Today, VinaCert is investing in Testing Laboratory in Can Tho with a total of 29 billion. The goal of the laboratory is to be accredited by the Russian Federation and the United States, to be designated as qualified laboratory for testing quality of seafood export to the Russian Federation and the United States . With seafood export value today( 6.09 billion dollars in 2012) , this is a potential market for the development of VinaCert in the near term. VinaCert will contribute to fair competition of Vietnam enterprises with foreign one which are members of WTO.