SOFAME is at the leading edge in the field of certification of its products and processes.
Thus, it was the first company in its sector to obtain NF Technical Furniture certification for its products in 1998.
SOFAME further accentuated its differentiation on the market by becoming the first to obtain NF Environment certification in 2007.
This double certification guarantees SOFAME’s customers a high level of quality for the products manufactured by the company together with design, manufacture, use and end-of-life recycling that provide utilization in optimum conditions with respect to functionality, ergonomics, safety and strength in the framework of sustainable development.
As part of the same approach, the wood panels used by SOFAME are sourced from sustainably managed forests. The PEFC label, obtained in 2010, certifies the traceability of the processing chain of the wood employed. Finally, our products comply with the REACH standard in their entirety.
Desirous of going even further to guarantee its customers a high-quality product and service offer, SOFAME has undertaken a process of continual improvement which was recognized in 2015 with the award of ISO 9001 certification in accordance with the new 2015 baseline. Once again, SOFAME was the first company in its sector to obtain this certification. It was renewed in December 2018.
In its day-to-day business, SOFAME also makes every endeavour to implement a policy of Corporate Social Responsibility to take into account the interests of its partners and its environment in the broadest sense.
NF TECHNICAL FURNITURE
The NF Technical Professional Furniture quality mark attests that the certified furniture complies with French and European standards and the regulations in force.
AFNOR official certification, issued by the FCBA: its application is the subject of a precise reference system adapted to the constraints and risks normally foreseeable in technical environments such as production or maintenance shops, laboratories, etc.
The eligibility criteria cover safety, hygiene and the strength and durability of the furniture.
Strength, stability under load, pinching of fingers, sharp edges, impacts and distortion, overturning, fire resistance, ease of cleaning and maintenance are subjected to stringent tests. Ergonomic, ecological and health aspects complete the analysis.
NF ENVIRONMENT
This is the only official French environmental quality label whose objective is to guarantee the limitation of the environmental impact of the furniture through its entire life cycle. It is managed by AFNOR Certification and recognized by the Ministry for the Environment.
The mission of awarding this certification to companies is entrusted to the laboratories of the FCBA, and a baseline of 20 criteria is adopted: description of the product and its constituent materials, origin and traceability of the wood, non-use of prohibited woods and GMO wood, limitation of formaldehyde emissions to low levels, use of marked recyclable plastics, textiles in compliance with ecological criteria, certified foam padding, flame retardants and phthalates free of controlled substances, finishing products free of nano-materials, glass and mirrors with limited volatile pollutants and lead levels, use of recyclable or reusable packaging, optimization of compactness to limit CO2 emissions due to transport, compliance with the product certification reference base, electricity consumption of light fittings equivalent to class A or better, marking of products and user information on collection and treatment of furniture waste, undertaking to continue to supply parts for 5 years after cessation of production, components separable at end of product life, respect of specific energy thresholds of processing of the raw materials.
Respect of these criteria is subject to a verification audit. These criteria are regularly modified as the technologies evolve.
PEFC
PEFC certification defines the rules for sustainable forestry in conformity with international PEFC requirements, which are more demanding than national regulatory constraints. This set of rules is laid down by PEFC France and revised every 5 years, in a framework of continuous improvement.
The strength of the PEFC system lies in two complementary certifications: forestry certification (owners and persons who exploit woodland by logging) and certification of the chain of custody (enterprises in the forestry/timber/paper industry that process and market wood).
Woodland owners, exploiters and enterprises in the forestry/timber/paper industry are checked to verify that they respect their undertakings regarding sustainable management of the forest.
In the processing enterprises, the method consists in distinguishing certified from uncertified wood all along the processing and marketing chain. At each stage, the certified wood used must be clearly identifiable in the stock and the commercial documents. Thus, purchases and sales are checked and tracked to give the consumer maximum dependability.
Each enterprise is checked every year. Respect of the rules regulating the chain of custody (tracking of input flows and outgoing raw materials and wood-based products) and the use of the PEFC mark are checked on this occasion.
RECYCLING AT END OF PRODUCT LIFE
SOFAME subscribes to the professional furniture recycling industry via the VALDELIA eco-organization. At the end of use of these products, the latter takes charge of the recycling and recovery of constituents of the furniture in the most convenient possible conditions for the user.
ISO 9001 VERSION 2015
Certification according to Standard ISO 9001 involves demonstrating the capacity to regularly supply a product that meets the customer’s requirements and the applicable regulations, to seek to improve customer satisfaction and to implement a process of continuous improvement.
It assesses customer orientation (internal and external), leadership, staff commitment, the process approach, systems approach to management, continuous improvement, the factual approach to decision-making and mutually beneficial relations with the company’s partners.
