Case Study

Accreditation fuels global market expansion for manufacturing

 

Summary

A Zhejiang valve manufacturer’s China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS)-accredited lab facilitated global market access. With international mutual recognition, its export orders rose from 40% to 50% in three years, securing contracts with leading global energy firms.

Background

To promote the specialised, refined, distinctive, and innovative development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are also known as “Specialized and New” enterprises, since early 2024, the Chinese government has been encouraging SMEs to obtain quality management system certification accredited by CNAS as an important measure to strengthen quality management and enhance production management capabilities.

Strategy

A Zhejiang-based enterprise, recognised as a national high-tech valve manufacturer and a Specialized, Refined, Unique and Innovative (SRDI) “Little Giant” Enterprise, integrates research and development (R&D), production, sales, and cloud services. After obtaining CNAS laboratory accreditation, the enterprise achieved comprehensive improvements in brand reputation, technological capabilities, and quality control, injecting robust momentum for high-quality development. Leveraging the advantages of international mutual recognition facilitated by accreditation, stringent quality management systems, and technical R&D support, the enterprise has achieved remarkable results in market expansion, production control, and technological innovation.

Accreditation empowers enterprises to expand into global markets. The international mutual recognition of CNAS laboratory accreditation enables the company’s product test reports to be accepted by internationally authoritative institutions. Within three years, the proportion of foreign trade orders surged from 40% to 50%, successfully entering procurement systems for domestic and international petroleum energy giants.

Accreditation enhances enterprises’ quality management efficiency. The rigorous quality management system established based on CNAS accreditation, supported by enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing execution system (MES), and other systems, enables digitalised whole-process control. Production efficiency increased by 30%, product qualification rates were stably maintained above 99.5%, and product processing error rates dropped to zero.

Accreditation assists enterprises in overcoming technological innovation barriers. CNAS accreditation solidifies the foundation for R&D. The enterprise consistently invests over 4% of its revenue in R&D, securing 28 invention patents within a three-year period. Multiple products have reached internationally advanced levels, filling domestic gaps. Intelligent systems empower the enterprise to seize initiative in the “new quality productive forces” sector.

Accreditation fosters synergy within industrial clusters. Leveraging CNAS accreditation achievements, the enterprise has built an intelligent cloud platform, opening core resources such as laboratory test data and technical standards to upstream and downstream partners. This enhances industrial cluster efficiency and promotes collaborative supply chain development.

Results and impact

With international mutual recognition, its export orders rose from 40% to 50% in three years, securing contracts with leading global energy firms.

Production efficiency increased by 30%, product qualification rates were stably maintained above 99.5%, and product processing error rates dropped to zero.

The enterprise consistently invests over 4% of its revenue in R&D, securing 28 invention patents within three years. Multiple products have reached internationally advanced levels, filling domestic gaps.

Contact

Organisation: Compiled by China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS)