Leading certification body JC Auditors (JCA) is again expanding its service offering, as part of an ongoing value-adding strategy.

Renowned for its pioneering work in the Road Transport Management System (RTMS) field, the company has built a solid track record over almost two decades as leading experts in risk management systems, especially in the logistics sector. Today, JCA boasts a host of leading companies in various industries as clients, including all the leading road transport giants.

“We are proud of our work and reputation in the transport sector,” says JCA Managing Director Oliver Naidoo. “Over the past 15 years, we have played an active role in promoting RTMS in the country and, as risk management experts, our client portfolio includes South Africa’s biggest corporates, right through to one-man truck operations. Although we are strongest in road transport, we operate right across all sectors, with a steadily growing client base in manufacturing, mining, healthcare, medical devices, engineering and other niche industries,” adds Naidoo.

According to Naidoo, demand for broader and more holistic risk management solutions has been increasing, resulting in the SANAS-accredited certification body expanding its service offering.  “The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent global challenges have highlighted the need for robust business continuity plans like never before, placing risk management as a key business consideration,” he explains. “With clients driving our innovation, we are committed to growing our expertise and introducing new programmes that keep abreast of new risks that our clients are faced with.”

JCA is the only body in Africa to offer accredited certifications for RTMS, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO 3834 and ISO 13485 under one umbrella. It has now added ISO 14083 to this ever-growing list of certifications. This new standard for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is aimed specifically at the freight transport sector, an industry that accounts for about 11% of the world’s GHG emissions. This is an important development for the sector, says Naidoo, and enables transport operators to accurately track their performance in the quest for reduced emissions in the drive to address climate change.

“Environmental management is a growing concern around the world with increasing emphasis placed on these certifications,” continues Naidoo. “Considering the challenges the freight sector faces in calculating its GHG emissions, due to the complexities of interwoven supply chains that use multiple transport modes, we believe this standard will deliver many success stories, as it is intended to enable transporters to minimise emissions through accurate quantification and subsequent actions.”

Transporting medical devices safely

Another standard now certified by JCA is ISO 13485, Quality Management Systems for Medical Devices. This standard will be mandatory for any company manufacturing, storing or transporting medical devices from 17 January 2025.

Currently, more than 1400 companies in South Africa are involved in this sector and are granted Medical Device Licences by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). Naidoo says the introduction of ISO 13485 will be a game-changer in the country, improving efficiency significantly in the warehousing and movement of medical devices, but also delivering a safer and more secure supply chain.

JCA in talks with some of the biggest players in this field, as the company starts issuing certifications for this standard. Naidoo urges companies not to wait until 2024 to get certified. “Certification is a two-step process, typically with a three-to-six-month gap between the two. A key determinant of how long this process takes is dependent on the current level of performance. Should a company, however, have to take corrective measures after the initial assessment, it is essential they give themselves enough time to do so before the 2025 deadline, as this could take several months.”

Delivering cyber security

As accelerated technology innovation continues to change the face of business, cyber risk has become an increasing concern, says Naidoo. “One is confronted daily with hapless businesses falling prey to this new breed of unrelenting cyber criminals. We see many businesses crippled, once their information systems have been hacked. We know from global trends that it is often a single employee that inadvertently allows these unscrupulous criminals access to company data, often because they have not been trained, and just don’t know any better.” With this in mind, JCA has launched a cyber security online training centre, which is aimed at empowering a business’ first line of defence. “Our cyber security training directly addresses the South African context, speaking directly to the needs of local companies. Through this training centre, companies proactively manage this new threat by empowering every employee in the organisation with the necessary knowledge to protect data and reduce risk,” concludes Naidoo.