The Quality Certification Alliance (QCA), the promotional product industry’s only independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping companies provide safe products, has granted QCA Accreditation to Lenexa, Kansas-based Gill Studios Inc.
To achieve QCA Accreditation, Gill Studios began by endorsing a self-certification and completing a rigorous self-assessment, followed by submitting its headquarters and supply base to multiple third-party audits. The QCA board then used a scorecard representing the performance of the company and its supply chain on the third-party audits as the foundation for granting accreditation.
“Prior to QCA Accreditation, we addressed compliance by designating individuals to become subject experts in areas required by QCA. But no matter how good we thought we were, having a third party validate our assumptions was a tremendous motivator for all of our associates,” said Tom LeTourneau, executive vice president of operations. “Now, implementing QCA is a way of life; it guides us to conduct all business opportunities on a routine basis versus an exception basis. We have embedded the term ‘QCA’ into our daily thought processes, and it has become a point of reference and reflection when considering changes to improve products, processes and procedures. The QCA journey is not ‘one and done;’ it requires sustainability and continuous improvement-and this is a challenge our associates are willing to accept.”
For more information about QCA accreditation and to inquire about the process and benefits received, contact Jeffrey P. Jacobs, QCA executive director, at [email protected] or visit http://qcalliance.org.
