Tunisia Celebrates World Quality Day
Tunisia recently celebrated World Quality Day during a seminar organized in Tunis in partnership with "Forum Quality and Maghreb Iso-certification". This event was more than just a commemoration, as it took place at a time when companies are being called upon to rethink their management models, strengthen their management systems, and integrate responsible practices to meet the new challenges of the market.
The Importance of Quality Culture
The World Quality Day, organized in Tunis in partnership with "Forum Quality and Maghreb Iso-certification", under the theme "Quality: Think Differently", highlighted the growing importance of quality culture within organizations. This day is an international celebration dedicated to quality and those who defend it daily within organizations and teams.
Convergence of Quality and CSR
Zouhaier Marrakchi, General Manager at "ZMC Qhse Services", explained in his speech that the convergence between the notion of "quality" and "CSR" (Corporate Social Responsibility) is now a major strategic challenge for companies. "Long focused on internal performance and customer satisfaction, quality management systems are now evolving towards a broader vision that integrates the expectations of all stakeholders," he noted.
Societal, Environmental, and Ethical Dimensions
Marrakchi emphasized that CSR complements existing tools by opening the field of analysis to societal, environmental, and ethical dimensions, imposing a finer understanding of the company's impacts and emerging risks, particularly those related to climate change. He also indicated that this evolution cannot succeed without the direct involvement of management, which must give meaning, federate, and anchor the approach in the organizational culture.
Governance and CSR
According to Marrakchi, "governance must redefine the company's mission, vision, and values in light of the principles of ISO 26,000, while demonstrating that social responsibility is not just a discourse, but a true lever for creating value, attractiveness, and sustainability."
Integrating CSR into Operational Processes
On the ground, Marrakchi affirmed that organizations already have solid bases: the PDCA cycle, risk analysis, dashboards, or management reviews. "The challenge is not to invent new tools, but to broaden these practices to integrate CSR challenges: responsible resource management, circular economy, skills development, cybersecurity, or quality of dialogue with stakeholders," he said.
Transformation and CSR
The integration of CSR into operational processes becomes a vector of global transformation, obliging the company to review its practices, rethink its model, and affirm its commitments. In the end, Marrakchi summarized that CSR is not a supplement to the quality system: it is its natural extension. By merging these two approaches, the company strengthens its overall performance, gains credibility, and inscribes itself durably in a trajectory of responsible progress.
International Requirements
In the same perspective, Ben Daoud Djenidi, an expert with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and a consultant in integrated management systems, emphasizes that this seminar is part of a awareness-raising and valorization of good practices.
Celebrating World Quality Day
The objective of this meeting is, as every year, to celebrate World Quality Day, instituted in 1990 by the UN, to promote the culture of excellence, performance, and responsibility within public and private organizations. This day is also an opportunity to evaluate the evolution of international standards and their impact on the competitiveness of companies.
Conformity to International Standards
According to Djenidi, the requirements of international markets are increasingly pushing organizations to conform to quality, safety, environmental, and social responsibility standards. Many large global companies now require their future partners to be certified in integrated management systems, particularly in environmental matters.
Carbon Footprint and Supply Chain
The carbon footprint, for example, has become a determining criterion in global value chains, influencing supply and investment choices. Companies that align with these requirements not only strengthen their compliance but also improve their credibility and access to markets.
Integrating CSR into Business Activities
To gradually integrate social responsibility into their activities, companies must first identify all applicable laws and ensure their respect. This regulatory basis constitutes the indispensable foundation of a structured CSR approach. They must also rigorously monitor their consumption of electricity, gas, and water to reduce their environmental impact while controlling their costs.
Essential Axes of CSR
The well-being of personnel remains another essential axis: ensuring safe working conditions, promoting equity, and prioritizing local skills during recruitment to support employment in their area of implementation. Depending on the context, other measures can be adopted, notably in terms of innovation, circular economy, transparency, or community engagement.
CSR as a Process
The essential thing, Djenidi concluded, is to consider CSR as an evolving process, anchored in the reality of the company and adapted to its ambitions of sustainable development.
