Strand | Juan Pizzani, Vice-President: “Being certified means a distinction and a responsibility to continue on the path of excellence.”

Engineer Juan Pizzani, vice-president of the well-known public lighting company Strand S.A., pointed out that certification provides quality and safety to users.

-Strand has had our electrical safety certification on its luminaires and accessories for more than 10 years. What problems did the company have at the beginning? How did the certification help it to solve them?

–Strand developed its line of luminaires focusing on technical quality and complying with the requirements and recommendations of IRAM-AADL standards. This respect for quality has become a standard in the market and, nowadays, users recognize this attribute of street lighting luminaires as “Strand quality, or similar”. This is a source of pride for us and the entire national industry. In 1998, the then Secretariat of Industry and Commerce published Resolution No. 92/98, which brought about improvements in customer service, after-sales service and quality guarantee, among others, but I consider that the main one was the appearance of mandatory certification, since this equalized quality upwards, in defense of customer safety.

For our part, the certification we have, together with the application of a quality assurance system based on ISO 9000 standards, has enabled us to move more enthusiastically along the path of continuous improvement. This process is monitored by an independent external certifying body, in our case IRAM, which represents hundreds of customers through its professionals.

-What are the benefits of this certification internally and externally (with customers and value chain)? To what extent does it contribute to your business objectives?

–Strand has its quality assurance system that allows it to find non-conformities and proposals for continuous improvement. We work for both internal and external customers, which enables us to extend the electrical safety criteria to specific suppliers, requiring certified inputs to be included in our products.

Since our beginnings, we have shown passion and commitment to quality. Therefore, being certified means a distinction and at the same time a responsibility to continue on the path of excellence.

-For us, customers are a priority. We are proud to see them meet their objectives and demonstrate results. Why do you choose us to certify your products?

-Through its representatives, Strand has worked in the standardization committees of the Instituto Argentino de Normalización y Certificación (IRAM) since the very creation of the framework agreement between IRAM and the Asociación Argentina de Luminotecnia (AADL), developing joint standards. Among them, I highlight that in 2016 we developed the IRAM-AADL J 2028-2-3 standard (particular requirements – public lighting luminaires) in Argentina, which incorporates safety through the control of electrical accessibility and the requirement of brand, model and origin engraved on the luminaires.

We chose IRAM because it is a world-renowned standardization body and we value the fact that its standards for public lighting luminaires were pioneers in the continent. Its specialists are committed to the development of the national industry, finding in them the necessary suitability and common sense that good industrial art requires. This is perceived in every interview, every audit received and every work meeting we jointly hold in the process of the standardization and certification.

In order to strengthen electrical quality and safety, it is necessary that IRAM standards are mandatory for all electrical products for domestic or public use. They should be included in the purchase specifications of public, municipal, provincial and national entities. This will allow increasing the quality and safety of the products and the development of the sector.