Quality & Safety
The Zumtobel Group guarantees that its products are of high quality. This is ensured by well organised, highly efficient working procedures and by thorough material and product inspection. The Zumtobel Group ensures the highest possible quality at all stages of the product life cycle.
Certified quality of all processes
Verification of manufacturing processes and ongoing monitoring ensure stable processing quality throughout manufacture. So in addition to absolute customer focus, the quality management system concentrates on the continuous improvement of maximally defect-free processes using the Lean Six Sigma approach. In the Six Sigma method, excellent process quality is equivalent to 3.4 errors per million possible cases. In order to maintain and communicate this high standard, all of the Zumtobel Group's worldwide production sites, with the exception of two small plants in the USA, are certified to the ISO 9001 international standard for quality management systems. The first certification was obtained back in 1987 by the Dornbirn component plant, followed by the Dornbirn luminaire plant in 1991. A plant is only certified if it can demonstrate that it is continuously improving all processes in such a way that not only customer expectations but also local and statutory requirements are constantly met.
At Tridonic, the risks involved in product manufacture and design are additionally analysed and the results used as the basis for measures at all the relevant plants. The method used is Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. At Tridonic, the Total Quality Management approach will in future provide an overarching framework for quality management and the Lean Six Sigma approach.
At Tridonic, the risks involved in product manufacture and design are additionally analysed and the results used as the basis for measures at all the relevant plants. The method used is Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. At Tridonic, the Total Quality Management approach will in future provide an overarching framework for quality management and the Lean Six Sigma approach.
Quality-assured products
In order to guarantee the highest possible product quality and safety, the materials used are selected according to strict criteria and subjected to thorough product testing. In the course of production, products undergo constant inspection to ensure optimum quality. After each manufacturing step, quality is checked at "quality gates", for example in terms of function, dimensions and completeness. All products (100%) are subjected to – in most cases – automated safety and functional testing. A more detailed product audit is also carried out on a random sampling basis.
Guaranteed compliance with all regulations
The product quality of all the Zumtobel Group's brands guarantees that all statutory standards and regulations are met or, in some cases, exceeded. This applies in particular to lighting quality and energy efficiency and to mandatory marking requirements. Statutory regulations include CE marking, REACh, RoHS and WEEE. Thorn and Zumtobel also take indoor lighting standards into account in developing their products. These include EN 12464 (Lighting of workplaces: indoor and outdoor workplaces), EN 12193 (Sports lighting) and EN 1838 (emergency/safety lighting). The outdoor lighting standard EN 13201 also applies to Thorn. Consumption values for lighting systems are based on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Many products are voluntarily included in the ENEC Mark scheme. The Thorn and Zumtobel brands are in a position to mark more than 90% of their products, especially their standard products. The same applies to around 90% of Tridonic's lighting components and electronic control gear. Special-purpose products are not marked. Since ENEC does not cover light sources, LEDs cannot be included.
Many products are voluntarily included in the ENEC Mark scheme. The Thorn and Zumtobel brands are in a position to mark more than 90% of their products, especially their standard products. The same applies to around 90% of Tridonic's lighting components and electronic control gear. Special-purpose products are not marked. Since ENEC does not cover light sources, LEDs cannot be included.
Zumtobel brand's voluntary 5-year warranty
In order to provide its customers with the reassurance they expect when buying new technologies, with effect from 1 April 2010, the Zumtobel brand is voluntarily extending the two-year warranty required by EU legislation by a further three years for the entire lighting system including ballasts or control gear. Only wear parts such as conventional light sources or emergency lighting batteries are excluded. The LEDs in LED luminaires are also included in the warranty.
Promoting quality in the supply chain
The Zumtobel Group is renowned as a supplier of quality products. It expects the same from its own suppliers. Selecting new suppliers involves the supplier going through a process in which their performance is systematically assessed by questionnaires and audits. Professional communication and cooperation with suppliers allows both parties to identify and eliminate possible risks in good time.
Complaints are an opportunity, customer satisfaction is the goal
A product's quality is defined by the customer's requirements. Complaints are accordingly seen as an opportunity to further enhance product quality. This is achieved by analysing the reason for the complaint and, where relevant, implementing corrective and preventive measures on the product or process in addition to immediate action, with the aim of avoiding future defects.
Surveys also help to measure customer brand satisfaction. Thorn and Zumtobel regularly carry out surveys of architects, dealers, electricians and lighting designers across Europe. On average, between 1,000 and 1,500 customers are contacted annually and questioned by telephone or online about strengths and weaknesses and also about issues such as energy efficiency. In the most recent survey, the Zumtobel brand scored particularly well in terms of product quality. Thorn excels in its price/performance ratio. The brands use the feedback from the survey to step up the pace of improvements.
Surveys also help to measure customer brand satisfaction. Thorn and Zumtobel regularly carry out surveys of architects, dealers, electricians and lighting designers across Europe. On average, between 1,000 and 1,500 customers are contacted annually and questioned by telephone or online about strengths and weaknesses and also about issues such as energy efficiency. In the most recent survey, the Zumtobel brand scored particularly well in terms of product quality. Thorn excels in its price/performance ratio. The brands use the feedback from the survey to step up the pace of improvements.
Reliable take-back system
Another feature of a quality product is that it is as simple as possible to dispose of. On the one hand, this is already taken into account during product development: on recycling the products should be easy to dismantle and, if possible, contain no hazardous substances. On the other hand, the Group is obliged to maintain collection points to which customers can return their WEEE-marked products. Instead of setting up its own collection points, the Zumtobel Group relies on external organisations which charge appropriate fees for the service.
