Annual Report 2020
Annual Report 2020
We were ready to perform remote audits within just a couple of weeks and made use of webinars and other remote tools to adapt to a world in lockdown.
RINA’s certification business showed both
resilience and agility in our response to an unprecedented situation in 2020,
meeting our margin target and growing in several areas with the introduction of
new services.
In some areas of certification, we gained authorisation
to carry out work remotely and, with the support of RINA corporate functions,
we were able to restart some on-site activities and keep our colleagues safe
through safety procedures and PPE.
2020 was still a year with many highlights
Even with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,
there were many highlights to 2020. We were ready to perform remote audits
within just a couple of weeks and made use of webinars and other remote tools
to adapt to a world in lockdown. During 2020 we carried out remote audits for a
total of 12,000 man days, equal to 24% of the total audits, thus assuring the business
continuity of our customers. We also showed flexibility as we
adapted
business processes to overcome
the challenges we faced.
During the year, we had the opportunity to launch
new services including, in direct response to the pandemic, offering the very
first Biosafety Trust Certification to mitigate the risk of infection. This new
service was made available in under 20 days, showing the capability of our
business to be extremely agile. We also applied our competencies and
capabilities to review documentation for PPE masks coming from various
countries to ensure they met the applicable standards.
In 2020, we obtained the accreditation extension
for the ISO 13485:2016 "Medical Devices - Quality Management Systems -
Requirements For Regulatory Purposes" certification scheme for components,
subassemblies and other services.
Despite difficult conditions, we had good
development of safety assessment activities for railway and metro system and
products on the international market. We also extended our International
business through specialised local offices in Denmark, Russia, China and a
newly established Indian office. We are now working in 37 countries, with main
growth in China and Denmark.
Digitalisation is a fundamental part of
our
business – today and for the future.
We recognise the importance of digital tools to
increase efficiency and help with customer retention.
In 2020 we launched a new IT platform for the
control of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wines, enabling increased
efficiency and improved performance in terms of control and service delivery.
The platform provides the ability to upload and manage all necessary production data for the
control and certification of wine lots in real time. A PDO Italian
tomato supply chain was also digitized, which facilitated the certification
process with the upload of traceability data directly into the platform.
Within the field of sustainable procurement, RINA
has introduced a specific platform (SAFE, Smart audit for enterprises) that
manages the performance evaluation process of suppliers in real time. The tool
allows RINA to set up and send tailored self-assessment questionnaires online,
plan and execute second party audits and store business documentation, allowing
clients to access real-time configurable reporting based on client’s needs.
At the end of 2020, we began work to re-focus the
certification business from a ‘checking’ activity into a business assurance
service. Our aim is to use technology to provide confidence and assurance to
businesses. At the very end of the year, we launched our new Data Integrity
Assurance Service (DIAS), which verifies data to confirm its consistency and
accuracy before it enters other areas such as blockchain.
Certifying
a sustainable future
RINA has the advantage of a complete service
offering for ESG, including environmental, carbon reduction, social
accountability, and governance. To boost revenues in a growing market, we have
implemented a specific strategic centre for ESG, aimed at creating new and
innovative services and reshaping our value proposition.
During 2020 we were highly active in ISCC PLUS
sustainability certification in both food and industrial sectors. In the
industrial sector, we certified the sustainability of products based on bio
and/or recycled content of plastics and rubber, packaging film and labels, raw materials and
intermediate products used in production. We also certified 13
organisations for biomethane sustainability and issued the second ship
recycling certification, for the safe and environmentally
sound recycling of
ships.
Other examples of ESG activity include
certification of vegetable agri-food products with synthetic pesticide residues
less than 100% of the maximum permissible residue and our national sustainable
aquaculture quality system.
2021
In the coming year we will be focusing on new
services, our value proposition and reinforcing our international network. ESG
will be a critical part of our objectives and we will be releasing new and
innovative services in this area.
The role of certification is to create confidence –
both for producers and for the people who benefit from products or services. We
will continue to position ourselves as a true value-add business assurance
service. ESG, the food sector and our digital ecosystem are our three pillars
for the future.
RINA will reinforce its ESG services in the
sustainable finance sector by introducing personalised business assurance
services for banks and credit institutions. In 2021 we will be committed to
strengthening our support for key clients to introduce sustainable procurement
practices through the introduction of a digital platform, enabling the monitoring
and measurement of the ESG performance of supply chains.
Food certification is another pillar of RINA’s
growth strategy, our goal is to give confidence along and across the food value
chain, from seed to fork, by putting food traceability and safety at the
center.
The development of organic certification is a
crucial step due to its increasing importance in the European Union's agri-food
policies. Our leverage in the first steps of food value chain is represented by
RINA’s position in the certification of geographical indication of wines and
products. We will be focusing on increasing the number of certifications in
this area in 2021 as well as addressing voluntary certification in each phase
of the value chain with accreditation extension and commercial improvements.
The commercial and technical structure will also be strengthened to continue to
intercept the constant growth of certification services defined by the large
international food distribution chains.
Our growth strategy in the food sector will be
supported by digital platforms, to ensure the production traceability and
correct information for consumers, and by the development of technical
specifications linked products with claims for enhanced health benefits.