The ICMQ Institute for certification and quality branding for products and services for construction is a non-profit association that encompasses numerous sector associations operating in every part of the construction industry.
The group's initial mission to spread a culture of quality in the field of industrial production has expanded over time to services for construction in general, inevitably taking into account the changing legal and market trends and developments, which tend towards improved quality of life, environmental protection and lower consumption of resources. ICMQ believes in the value of sustainability and in advanced, digitalised methods and tools that can help the processes of construction to meet sustainability goals more easily and effectively.
The Institute was founded in 1988 by a group of sector associations, initially with the aim of encouraging and monitoring compliance with standards and recommendations, as well as respect for regulations and correct procedure in the industrial production of goods, components and concrete structures.
ICMQ Institute
President: prof. arch. Enrico Dassori
Honorary President: ing. Giorgio Sabelli
Vice president: ing. Lorenzo Orsenigo
General Secretary: dott.ssa Silvia Rusconi
In 2001 the Institute founded ICMQ Spa, an operational company that offers certification and inspection services.
The Institute is also the sole member of Cersa Srl(www.cersa.com), a certifying body created in 2006 as an initiative by sector associations and major public bodies to meet the needs of service providers. Cersa can meet many of the needs associated with the certification of a wide range of management and compliance evaluation aspects, helping to enhance client companies' ability to monitor and improve their performance in terms of management, customer and market requirements as well as social expectations.
ICMQ aims to be the Italian reference point for certification and inspection in the construction sector.
ICMQ operates in compliance with international, European and Italian standards which regulate the activities of certification bodies, and strives to provide an extremely high quality service. To this end it uses a policy of high specialisation within its own structure, follows regulatory processes, encourages and collaborates with the drafting of guides for application, specific regulations and check lists in the relevant sectors, ensures that its employees are adequately trained, and pursues client satisfaction and continual improvement in its services.
ICMQ's credibility as a leading certification body in the construction industry is the result of the expertise and impartiality it has always displayed. This impartiality is further guaranteed by analysis and management of potential conflicts of interest which may arise in consequence of the firm's activities. This is why ICMQ has created, and maintains, an up-to-date analysis of threats to impartiality, and has established a Committee whose job is to evaluate its behaviour.
ICMQ has also adopted the Organisational Model set down in legislative decree 231/2001, concerning the legal responsibilities of firms: a further guarantee to the market and the authorities of its correct practice.
Moreover, ICMQ is committed to promoting the culture and application of quality systems, product control systems, environmental management systems and health and safety at work; also the certification of professionals, inspection and certification procedures in the field of sustainability through workshops, training courses, conferences and publications.
ICMQ encourages collaboration with other European bodies in order to set up reciprocal arrangements based on effective and homogeneous operational models.
In order to define, measure and progressively improve quality standards in the activity to be certified, ICMQ carries out programmes to:
The management of ICMQ is constantly committed to this policy and to checking its correct application; to this end an annual "plan of quality objectives" is produced to establish tasks and deadlines.
Cersa's purpose is the testing and certification of corporate management systems, products, staff and services for the verification of compliance to national, European and international standards or other applicable criteria.
Drawing on inspectors who are highly qualified and experts in their field, Cersa can meet many of the needs associated with the certification of a wide range of management and compliance evaluation aspects, helping to enhance client companies' ability to monitor and improve their performance in terms of management, customer and market requirements as well as social expectations.
ICMQ is a third-party certification body accredited by Accredia and specialised in the construction sector.