Artikel Industrial services sector is becoming an industry in its own – Association introduces quality seal

The industrial services sector is steadily establishing itself as a fully fledged industry with further growth potential, noted Ludger Kramer, Chairman of the Trade Association for Industrial Services (Wirtschaftsverbandes für Industrieservice – WVIS) and CEO of MCE AG, at the Maintain trade show held at Munich in October. Kramer sees a positive outlook for the comparatively young industrial services sector in spite of market difficulties: “Whatever economic fluctuations and structural changes may occur, the industrial services sector contributes significantly to safeguarding production and securing employment in industrialised countries. Intelligent outsourcing models with solution-oriented industrial maintenance are gaining further prominence because they make a major contribution to cost optimisation and efficiency enhancement in a wide variety of industries.“ Outsourcing models correspond to the general trend towards division of labour concentration of companies.


In order to establish comparability of services offered in the industrial services sector and to assure greater transparency in the marketplace, the association has decided to introduce a quality seal for industrial plant services. To this end a quality association has been founded, and Martin Hennerici, Chairman of DIW AG, appointed as its Chairman. The quality association awards a quality seal belonging to the German RAL quality seal system and monitors adherence to quality specifications.


Companies which have been awarded the quality seal are subject to strict rules: They are judged by the intrinsic value of the service, customer satisfaction, how well a service fulfils its purpose, and how well ecological and social needs are reconciled with economic demands. The Quality Seal should allow industrial clients to simplify the selection procedure and make sure of service quality and compliance with general quality and environmental standards. Industrial services companies benefit from this form of quality assurance in tendering procedures and in positioning themselves in a competitive market, because it provides independent confirmation that generally recognised quality criteria are observed and management systems have been implemented.


“The initiative of WVIS in introducing the quality seal for industrial plant services has the goal of establishing market standards on the basis of common definitions. That creates clarity for the customer and in the competitive arena, focuses the innovative strengths of the companies involved, and promotes sustainability of the industry“, Hennerici summarised.


Even in times of crisis, outsourcing models are booming in the industrial plant services sector


Photo MCE


“The industrial services sector is steadily establishing itself as a fully fledged industry with further growth potential”


Ludger Kramer is Chairman of the Trade Association
for Industrial Services WVIS and CEO of MCE AG


The new quality
seal for industrial plant services aims to create greater transparency





Photo: WVIS