PHOTO: Samuel Alonge of Artec Practice Ltd (left); Taofik Popoola, Managing Principal of Artec; Mr. Franklyn Nlerum of Yatsar Dev-isory Ltd and Seyi Oni of Artec, holding the ISO 9001:2015 certificate presented to Artec by DQS, a Germany-based international certifying organisation in Abuja

A Nigerian firm of professional architects and project managers,Artec Practice Limited has been awarded the global ISO 9001:2015 Certification in recognition of its operational, management and organisational effectiveness, which aligns with international best practices.

Artec was awarded the certification by the internationally-acclaimed DQS, a Germany-based Management Systems Solutions organisation that certifies organisations and operates through over 80 offices in 60 countries worldwide.

To attain DQS’certification, the certifying organisation will evaluate an organisation’s practices against its internal expectations, with the aim of identifying good practices and possible shortcomings in the organization’s processes. Upon confirmation of high compliance of such an organisation with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) processes, DQS will subsequently certify it.

Mr. Williams, the lead auditor and representative of DQS attributed Artec’s attainment of the global certification to its strong commitment and professionalism as well as operational, management and organisational effectiveness.

Managing Principal of Artec Practice Ltd,Taofik Popoola expressed happiness with the attainment of the global certification. Arc. Popoola added that the firm was determined to undergo the rigorous certification processes so as to boost the professional capability of the staff members, achieve world-class operational standards and improve clients’ satisfaction.

Popoola, who is also a member of the Association of Consulting Architects of Nigeria (ACAN), a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and Certified Management Consultant from the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes, said the consistent demand for the highest quality by the numerous clients of Artec has also challenged the firm to improve on the quality of its service.

He stressed that attainment of quality standards by Artec in the areas of design, administration and coordination underscores the resolve of the firm to operate in a professional way.

In his own response, Shakiru Yekeen, Artec’s management representative on the Quality Management System said, “Since the inception of the Practice, Artec Practice Ltd has strived to fulfil its vision to be an architectural firm of choice with a reputation as an innovative and creative design solutions provider. This certification is a proof that the firm is indeed making its mark.”

It will be recalled that in September 2015, Artec Practice Ltd previously bagged the global ISO 9001:2008 certification. In a bid to facilitate smooth upgrade to the new 2015 standard, Artec constituted a steering committee to drive the Quality Management System, which led to the attainment of the new certification.