Bureau Veritas: Case Studies

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Case Studies

We are committed to help our clients develop their businesses in many different industries across the world, from local companies to the largest multinational corporations. In the client case studies below, read how we have teamed with our customers, leveraging our deep industry expertise, worldwide network and customised solutions to create long-term value together.

This list represents just part of the wide range of the Bureau Veritas solutions. For our 280.000 customers worldwide, we are constantly developing new ideas and we serve as a guide and a partner for our clients. To discuss how we can help your organisation, please contact us via the Case Study Contact form.

07/08/07 Royal Mail

In 2003, Bureau Veritas was selected to undertake one of the largest Type 2 asbestos survey contracts to be let in the UK. The commission involved an initial desk study to determine which of the 3000 buildings within the Royal Mail’s property portfolio were to be prioritised for inspection. A key part in this project was a property index of all relevant buildings and rooms. This is gradually updated as the surveys are completed, and information is coded onto forms, which is then inputted to the Asbestos Register.

09/05/07 Toba - Reliable power reinforcement in China

According to the International Energy Agency, by 2030, China will account for one-fifth of the world’s total energy demand. To meet this growing need and resolve peak load glitches, the Zhejiang Provincial Electric Power Company (ZPEC) launched the Tongbai Pumped Storage Project. ZPEC turned to Bureau Veritas for its proven expertise in the power industry and its global network.

26/04/07 Starwood Capital - Ensuring real estate investments through due diligence

In September 2005, Starwood Capital reached an important phase in its acquisition of Société du Louvre, Europe’s second-largest hotel network. The company had one month to assess 260 hotels in 10 European countries. With extensive experience leading large, specialised projects, Bureau Veritas rose to the occasion.

26/04/07 Mc Donald's - Winning confidence across the food supply chain

In order to boost the level of assurance in its food safety program, McDonald’s Europe decided to outsource its supply chain auditing. McDonald’s Europe approved and added Bureau Veritas to its European third party auditor short-list. Bureau Veritas serves as an independent certification body that offers management system audits against certification standards.

26/04/07 Glaverbel Czech - Building excellence in Czech glass production plants

Glaverbel Czech manufactures high quality glass for the construction and automotive industries, while at the same time making a point to respect its employees and the environment. Glaverbel Czech began implementing single quality, work safety, and environmental management systems at various company locations in 1994. To help start the project, Glaverbel Czech selected Bureau Veritas Certification because of its international network and expertise in combined management systems.

26/04/07 uThungulu District Municipality - Providing efficient testing for safer water in South African villages

South Africa’s uThungulu District Municipality (UMD) is home to some 850,000 citizens. Until recently many of the population, often living in small villages, had to travel significant distances to access water. The uThungulu District Municipality selected Bureau Veritas to design and execute an efficient water sampling and testing program.

26/04/07 Roquette - Initiating a new standard for food safety excellence

Roquette is one of Europe’s largest starch and starch derivatives businesses. Roquette needs to supply safe, high quality goods to its clients, as they use them to create and market their own products. Instead of using two certification bodies to perform a lot of audits per year in a non-coordinated way for his French plants, Roquette selected Bureau Veritas to conduct them simultaneously.

26/04/07 Technip - Ensuring the integrity of deep-sea pipelines

In May 2003, Technip was awarded a major contract by Total E&P to construct a pipeline for the deepwater Dalia oil field, discovered in 1997, 135 km off the Angolan coast. To ensure the integrity required of such deep-sea pipelines, Technip sought a third-party monitor who would oversee quality inspections during the welding and coating processes, and provide quality control for both documentation and materials. Bureau Veritas provided eight experts to oversee quality control.

26/04/07 VT Plus Training - Boosting performance with certification

Depending to some extent on government funding from the UK's Learning Skills Council, VT Plus Training had performance targets to meet to continue to qualify for funding. BVQI implemented a risk based auditing tool for VT Plus Training. Risk Based Auditing (or RBA) is an innovative sector-specific certification approach based on ISO 9001:2000.

26/04/07 Scapeche - Responsible Fishing & a Secure Future for the toothfish Industry

The Patagonian toothfish, is a deep-water species caught in southern ocean waters near and around Antarctica. In order to assure that its toothfish fishing practices are ethical and legal, Scapêche decided to build and execute a concrete sustainable development plan specific to the industry. Bureau Veritas, used the FAO Code of conduct for responsible fishing.

25/04/07 Cote d'Ivoire - X-ray scanning containers for better customs control

After periods of civil disturbance, the Côte d'Ivoire government needed to reinforce the country’s economy. One way was to modernise customs control. The government decided to implement a scanner for inspecting imported goods inside containers at the port of Abidjan. To install and operate the scanner, Bureau Veritas (through its subsidiary dedicated to facilitating trade, Bivac) was chosen because of its strong technical expertise.

25/04/07 Grosfillex - A certificate for factory processes in Russia

Grosfillex was renting a factory in the Moscow region. The company wanted to modernise the factory with imported equipment. But to import equipment, Grosfillex needed certificates from Russian government authorities to show that Russian standards were respected. Bureau Veritas was chosen for its success in dealing with Russian authorities.

25/04/07 General Motors - Managing damage done to vehicles during transport

General Motors sells vehicles all over South America. Every time a vehicle is transported, there is a risk of damage. In 2001, Bureau Veritas created a new service for GM called Vehicle Damage Tracking (VDT). The concept is simple but effective: every time a vehicle is moved, it is inspected.

25/04/07 Sony - SONY proves its global commitment to the environment

When cadmium was detected in the cable of a Playstation 2, Sony withdrew the product from sale in Europe. The incident meant that Sony lost significant Christmas sales in Europe that year. Sony chose BVQI because of its proven track record with global contracts and for the ability to offer a comprehensive range of services.

25/04/07 Hospital in Bratislava - Reinforcing a hospital's quality image with certification

The finest hospital in the Slovak Republic, the Hospital of the Ministry of Defence in Bratislava had the potential to significantly increase its revenues by treating foreign patients. Bratislava's proximity to the Austrian border immediately offered one possibility. In order to prove its high standards and reassure the international community, the Hospital sought ISO 9001:2000 certification with BVQI Slovakia.

25/04/07 Definox - A certificate for simpler trade with Russia

Dairy products company Danone was setting up its first Russian factory in Chekhov, 40 km from Moscow. However, all products imported into Russia, including manufacturing equipment, need to meet Russian norms. Bureau Veritas was chosen because it can help at every stage of the import certificate process.

20/04/07 Port Talbot - Local government checks its performance

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is one of the largest councils in Wales, UK. The council was not satisfied with its previous ISO certification body. It complained that the standard of auditors was inconsistent and back office support was often poor. ISO certification is important for the council. The Council was attracted to BVQI because of its strong experience and reputation with local authorities. BVQI was able to provide a solid auditing platform to help the Council achieve its ISO certification goals.

20/04/07 Port of Cork Company - Leading the way in port safety and environmental protection

The Port of Cork has a long-term commitment to maintaining a thriving port business with modern and efficient systems and facilities. The Harbour Master was keen to have his port's commitment to safety and the environment verified by an independent body. To help the Port of Cork achieve its leadership goals, a new Bureau Veritas Code was developed called the IPSEM Code (International Port Safety & Environmental Protection Management).

20/04/07 Hutchinson Worldwide - Reaching for constantly higher safety standards

With 95 factories around the world, Hutchinson faces a permanent challenge to maintain safety standards and protect its personnel from the risks of industrial accidents. Since 2000, Bureau Veritas has been performing optimised safety audits for Hutchinson factory sites, first in France, then Europewide, and worldwide since 2005.

20/04/07 Hilton International - Meeting Hilton's high standards

Hilton International has 76 hotels in the UK and Ireland, as well as a chain of 26 LivingWell health clubs, with four more currently under construction. The hotel group employs a dedicated safety team of seven people to manage the safety and security of its wide portfolio of properties. To preserve its reputation and high client satisfaction, Hilton wants to maintain its high health, quality and safety standards.

20/04/07 EDF Group - Demonstrating Responsible Performance

EDF (Electricité De France) is a leader in electricity generation and distribution. EDF is responsible for 19 nuclear power plants in France incorporating a total of 58 reactors, a massive task with little margin for error. It calls upon Bureau Veritas to constantly fine-tune and improve its performance in the areas of Quality, Health, Safety, Environment and Social Accountability (QHSE&SA).

20/04/07 C.P. Intertrade - Guaranteeing the quality and integrity of rice shipments

C.P. Intertrade is part of C.P. Thai Rice. It exports rice to almost 50 countries in every region of the world. Not having local offices in all its destinations, the company needs to manage uncertainty of goods delivery en route as well as during offloading. Since 2000, C.P. Intertrade has chosen to work with Bureau Veritas to control and manage its cargoes of rice being exported around the world.

20/04/07 Danisco Sugar - A world premiere in food safety management

Hygiene and food safety are top priorities for Danisco Sugar. In 2001, the International Organisation for Standardisation formed a working group to develop a new food safety standard that would be recognised worldwide. BVQI Denmark’s Jacob Faergemand headed the team of specialists from 23 countries chosen to bring together the best of all existing national and regional food safety guidelines.

20/04/07 Volvic - Dramatically improving workplace safety

There were concerns at the Volvic site that the number of staff accidents was higher than at other food sites in the Danone Group. The accident ratio recorded at the Volvic site had reached 30 on the accepted accident rating scale used in France. In late 2001, Bureau Veritas was called upon to help the Volvic site achieve its ambitious goal – to lower the accident ratio to below 10 (reflecting very good workplace safety), in just 2 years.

20/04/07 SFR - Ensuring quality and safety in a fast-growth market

To stay competitive in the fast-paced mobile telecom market, SFR must continually expand and improve its network. The company is committed to the ongoing installation and upgrades of radio base stations across the French territory. SFR has trusted Bureau Veritas since 2001 to provide critical support in the expansion of the mobile company’s coverage in France.

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