SABBEX

Accreditation

The value of accreditation

The status of Accreditation will be shown in South African Boat Building Export Council’s brochures and web-site, and can be used by the accredited companies in their sales literature.

SABBEX is frequently approached for opinion of companies by purchasers. Ethically they cannot make any positive or adverse comment when they have no yardstick. This reflects badly on them, and hence the South African Industry, to such customers.

However in the event of a company being accredited, SABBEX can respond that company “X” has been accredited by them and meets the national standards of their Code of Conduct, or is in process of attaining it. This will give credibility to that company and the Council.

An answer that the company is “not accredited” by the national Code of Conduct would clearly be seen as a neutral comment by any potential customer who would then make any decisions at their own risk.

Some companies will not think it necessary or worthwhile. They should however be aware that in an increasingly complex information age, purchasers look for such measurers of company stability, in addition to cost and quality, before they make investment decisions.

Warranty

If defects are found, that is a contractual problem between boat builder and client, within the contracted warranty clause. Defects are not part of the accreditation system. If a client wants the absence of defects to be monitored, ie a quality control function, they should employ a qualified surveyor or a knowledgeable person to act as their representative at the yard.

When a problem arises in terms of unresolved defects or warranty claims, the boat building company should be investigated again to see that they have honoured their responsibility which they described in either their contract or at the time of their accreditation.  On clear indication of a problem in the process of dealing with warranties, an accreditation audit surveyor would re-visit the boat builder to check the accreditation (which could be removed), but it cannot be his responsibility to sort out defects or deficiencies.  In the end that is a contractual situation to be resolved between the builder and the client or by arbitration processes.