This article was written using contributions provided by Jean-Luc Meunier, Chief Operating Officer, GardaWorld; Kathleen Newport-MacIsaac, National Director, Professional Standards, GardaWorld; and Carl Lacelle, Director, Process Improvement and Innovation.

“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” ~Henry Ford

Henry Ford said it best when he spoke of the quality of his car manufacturing, “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”  
To be recognized and respected as a global leader in the security industry, GardaWorld places an emphasis on quality in its Business Management System, which entails the following guiding principles: 

• Business activities and services are to be performed through effective risk management (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery)
• Operating procedures are to comply with the law, regulations, and industry best practices 
• GardaWorld is to foster a culture promoting service quality, compliance, and responsible management 
• Robust and resilient management processes are to be in place to prevent disruptive events and overcome their consequences
• A documented framework is to be in place as to systematically monitor, measure, and develop service quality

Maintaining the quality of a product or service is not the activity of a single individual who is being monitored by another. No amount of quality control, oversight or micromanagement will ensure consistent service, every time. Maintenance of quality service occurs when the organization has a culture of quality and all members have a systematic understanding of the connectivity between contributors.  

When all personnel understand how their job affects the performance of those around them, are empowered to execute their jobs in a manner which positively contributes to the whole business, are supported, encouraged and held accountable by their leaders, we see organizations that transform, not only themselves, but their clients, neighbours, and the environment around them. To achieve this level of awareness and empowerment among personnel, organizations turn to industry experts who produce standards addressing many facets of business management in general and within specific industries and sectors. 

To capitalize upon the experience of these international professionals, GardaWorld Protective Services Canada turned to the International Standards Organization (ISO) and subsequently selected ISO9001 as the standard to build upon to empower our company, supported by an ISO14001 complimentary standard. Further, to meet the diverse expectations of our client base, we also hold registrations with the Canadian General Standards Board for both guard and supervisor training and pre-board screening operations.

The ISO9001 standard is a Quality Management System, also known as a Business Management System, which outlines the general requirements all businesses who wish to achieve success and longevity eventually adopt. Being from ISO, this standard is internationally-recognized as a foundational standard and has been adopted by thousands of organizations the world over to demonstrate their commitment to excellence and support their business processes.

To be registered to the ISO9001 standard, an organization must undergo strict external audits by an approved registrar. GardaWorld Protective Services Canada partners with SGS Canada, a member of the governing ANAB (ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board).

Building a program around ISO9001, GardaWorld has established and documented fundamental activities within the organization which pertain to service excellence and client satisfaction like:

• Service onboarding, establishing and meeting customer expectations,
• Service maintenance, ensuring continued satisfaction of clients and consistent service levels,
• Operational support, ensuring a full compliment of activities are present to support the client experience,
• Management commitment, ensuring direction, accountability and sustainability of our customer experience, and
• Quality controls, ensuring all facets of the business are working together for optimal client satisfaction and retention, cost controls, continual improvement and marketplace agility.

ISO14001 is a standard that outlines international expectations on environmental stewardship.  A relatively new component to GardaWorld Protective Services Canada’s activities, effective November 24, 2017, we can self declare that we meet all requirements contained within the standard.

The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) maintains Canadian specific standards in much the same fashion as ISO does for international standards. For almost a decade, GardaWorld has been registered to provide accredited services in two different programs applicable to our Protective Services activities.

• Certified Security Officer and Certified Security Supervisor training based upon an in-house developed matrix supported by the CGSB standard (CAN/CGSB-133.1-2008, Phase I) unique to guard training services,
• CGSB security guard provider quality management system (CAN/CGSB-133.1-2008, Phase II) highly comparable to the ISO9001 registration but specifically for security guard suppliers.

In addition to our Protective Services registrations with CGSB, our Aviation Services division also holds a CGSB registration. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) Screening Contractor Management System Standard (2015) is a quality management system that supports the governance, service excellence and continual improvement of our service offerings specifically within the pre-board screening industry.

These processes, adopted throughout the organization at every level of GardaWorld allows us to forge into the future with confidence that we are all working towards a common goal with a corporate culture of quality; where clients can rest assured that their satisfaction and safety is the most important process and activity our staff do every day. Even if no one is looking.