Bartolini : Certifying itself

Proof of management standards is used as marketing.

The Site

Bartolini, an Italy-based distribution company, provides prominent proof of its compliance with internationally-recognised management standards.

Bartolini’s home page has an animated panel flagging its holding of three management standard certificates. Located at the foot of the central content area, on page launch the panel shows the heading ‘Our 3 certificates’ reversed out on a red background; the words ‘quality’, ‘environment’ and ‘safety’ are then added in quick succession. As each appears, a corresponding image is also added.

Clicking through from the panel leads to a Company profile page with a short explanation of the company’s compliance with management system standards and the independent certification of its systems for quality, environment and worker health and safety. Links are provided to download each of the certificates in PDF. In the English-language version of the site two of the links are mislabelled (the wrong title is matched with the standard’s number); the error is not repeated in the three other languages (Italian, French and German).

The Takeaway

Bartolini handles deliveries across Europe from its Italian base so it makes sense for it to give ready reassurance to potential customers or returning ones visiting its website that it has reliable management systems in place. The certificates are the sort of wall furniture that most companies would hang in their office or factory reception area but are rarely seen online, certainly without a deal of digging. That Bartolini displays them in the online equivalent of its foyer suggests it sees some marketing advantage – and company pride – in doing so in what is a highly competitive and crowded sector.

It’s unfortunate that English-speaking visitors get a practical demonstration of the old quality management maxim that ‘the devil is in the detail’, though it looks to be a case of human error that has evaded the system checks.

First published on 20 January, 2009