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Differentiate Your Products & Your PeopleCertifications, Credentials Make Your Business More Credible

B Y D E A N L E W I S

Manufacturers can differenti-ate themselves from com-petitors by their products

and by their personnel—the formerthrough in-depth quality control andmulti-level third-party verification;the latter by providing them with asuperior technical knowledge thatmakes them experts in meeting spe-cific project requirements. All of thiscan be accomplished through prod-uct and professional certification andcredentialing programs, such as thesort that the American ArchitecturalManufacturers Association (AAMA)offers.

Why Certify?Certification differentiates a man-

ufacturer’s products by demonstrat-ing that they meet stringent perform-ance standards. The InternationalBuilding Code (IBC), InternationalResidential Code (IRC), and severalstate codes and federal agencies (e.g., the U.S. Department of Housingand Urban Development) mandatecompliance with the compre-hensive, performance-based andmaterial-neutral North AmericanFenestration Standard (NAFS)(AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440).

Product certification has becomea staple for enabling meaningful,objective appraisal of performanceand code and regulatory compliancefor differing levels of applicationfrom single-story residential to high-rise commercial buildings, throughindependent laboratory testing.

Any manufacturer may haveproduct prototypes or samples oftheir choosing independently testedfor conformance with the underly-ing standard, and may claim suchconformance based on the test

results. However, unless the manu-facturer participates as a licensee ina bona fide certification programwith third-party testing and assess-ment by accredited laboratories,along with unannounced plantinspections, there is no independentverification of test results and no fol-low-up to verify actual production.

Effective certification also goesbeyond basic testing of a completedwindow unit by recognizing that awindow is a complex, interacting sys-tem of components that must per-form properly over a long service life.

Accordingly, the AAMA Certifi-cation Program is the only programin the door and window industryrequiring components used in thefinished window and door assem-bly to meet its own procedures forperformance testing to the require-ments referenced in NAFS.Qualified components are recog-nized by being published in theAAMA Verified Component List.

In addition, fenestration madewith polymeric frame and sash pro-files must demonstrate independentcertification to specifications forthose materials.

All-important energy-saving ther-mal performance can also be certi-fied. As a National FenestrationRating Council (NFRC) InspectionAgency, AAMA offers manufacturersthe opportunity to certify productthermal performance to NFRCrequirements.

Once all tests and conformance torequirements are verified, manufac-turers are approved to apply AAMACertification Labels to productionline units that conform to the designthat was tested. But how do we knowsuch conformance is ongoing? Just

because a product was made rightonce for a test doesn’t mean it’smade that way every time.

Trust, But VerifyIn the AAMA program, a mini-

mum of two unannounced inspec-tions of the certifying manufactur-er’s factory are conducted eachyear. This provides assurance toend users that production lineunits are equivalent to the testedprototype and that an effectivequality control system is in place tokeep it that way. The requiredQuality Management System,including record keeping, incom-ing material checks, productionquality checks and ongoing testingof critical product assembly points,has been escalated since theexpanded certification terms wereput in place in December 2014.

AAMA-labeled products andtheir manufacturers are then listedin the AAMA Certified ProductsDirectory, the industry’s ultimatesourcebook for certified qualityproducts. Available as a searchabledatabase from the AAMA website,the directory is widely recognizedby specifiers as the definitive guideto purchasing performance-certi-fied windows, doors and skylights.

Certification thus adds value to aproduct. Other key benefits includeincreasing market potential and effi-ciency, and assuring compliancewith building code requirements.

In our next column, we’ll look atpart two of the differentiationequation: your people. �

Dean Lewis is technical manager,training and education, for the AmericanArchitectural Manufacturers Association.

A AM A A N A L Y S I S

dlewis@aamanet.org

Door & Window Market www.dwmmag.com

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