Cinecolor Chile and Cinecolor Mexico have successfully met Kodak ImageCare Program requirements for the camera negative processing aspects of their operations. The addition of these two laboratories takes the worldwide program membership to 47 in 27 countries and a total of five facilities for the Cinecolor group. Cinecolor Chile is the first laboratory in that country to attain these standards. The aim of the ImageCare Program was so clear that our board of directors understood its benefits immediately says Juan Carlos Arriagada project manager for Cinecolor Chile. It forced us to review our whole lab flow and to standardize all aspects of handling processing and delivering film negatives - our customers' most important assets. Diego Balestra general director of Cinecolor Mexico finds the program equally helpful and practical. The program makes it clear who is responsible for what area in our lab he says. Just in the process of charting everything into a spreadsheet we have substantially improved response time for our customers. That's exactly why Kodak established the Program: to help our customers improve the quality of their operations in ways that attract business says Wendy Elms worldwide manager of the Kodak ImageCare Program. It provides the industry with superior standards of quality that have raised the bar on laboratory services and customer expectations. And that's good for everyone. Laboratories in countries where the Kodak ImageCare Program is offered can become members through an assessment process. A Kodak technician assists and certifies lab personnel in standardizing and documenting procedures monitoring and controlling processes and in demonstrating an ability to follow quality control checklists. The Program has given us more credibility with our customers Balestra says. The fact that the Kodak name is associated with it gives customers a greater confidence to entrust their work to us. Laboratories are independently audited every 12 months with frequent assessments by local Kodak representatives throughout the year. Kodak also provides training for personnel with the aim of achieving optimum and consistent performance. Our customers don't want to break their heads trying to understand laboratory operations but they do understand quality. Being part of the ImageCare Program family is a step ahead on improving services to them says Arriagada. Being a member of this select Kodak group is an honor and an award for our laboratory team. Kodak ImageCare Program www.kodak.com/go/imagecare
