QSC – your route to ISO Certification

More often than not companies that require accredited certification do so because one of their clients demand it but actually, we are being asked more and more to implement a Management System for the benefits they actually provide to a business. We aim to make the implementation of your bespoke system as simple and cost effective as possible, working with your existing policies, systems and procedures where possible and will also assist you in sourcing accreditation.

Thereafter, we can continue to work with you on an internal audit basis should you wish.

Let’s take a simple ISO 9001 Quality Management System for example, it’s not as difficult as you might think.

As a rule of thumb, you need to have at least 3 months’ worth of records to support a new Quality System. Some people would argue that it is possible to achieve registration with less than 3 months records, but as auditors as well as consultants, here at QSC we consider 3 months to be a minimum. If you are fully committed to achieving ISO 9001 in a short space of time and you have the infrastructure and drive, it is possible to achieve ISO 9001 in 3 months from start to finish. It can take  longer depending on the nature of the business, the complexity, the determination of the business and commitment.

The key benefits of implementing an ISO 9001 Quality Management System in smaller companies is that it instils disciplines and controls. The system helps businesses identify weaknesses and drives continual improvement. The system however does not have to be over bureaucratic. There are hundreds of small companies who are ISO 9001 registered but do not have mountains of files or documents to complete. While there are certain requirements that have to be completed, such as a Quality Policy, other documents are no more than would normally be expected in any professionally operated company.

As well as the disciplines that ISO 9001 brings, your potential clients know that your company is committed to continual improvement and if they do have a problem they know that it will be investigated and corrected with actions implemented to stop re-occurrence.

We can give you the option of UKAS or non-UKAS accreditation and establish what is the best option for your business. If you are simply looking to implement a Quality, Environmental or Health and Safety Management System and would like it certified to the requirements of the ISO Standards, QSC can arrange for an independent assessment by a Third-Party Auditor to audit your system and recommend certification.

Once you have passed your audit, QSC will issue you with a certificate detailing your compliance to the relevant ISO Standard.

Certification to the ISO Standards helps businesses:

• Gain access to tendering opportunities
• Adds credibility to your organisation
• Recognition that your products and services meet the expectations of customers and that your processes and procedures meet international standards of best-practice
• Drives improvement throughout the business
• Reduces costs by addressing wastes, improving Health and Safety systems and customer confidence

From time to time we understand that clients may be required to move towards UKAS accredited certification. We can assist with the complete transition from the non-accredited certification that we provide to a UKAS accredited certification by another provider.        

It is important to remember that if you opt to choose us as your set-up to certification provider initially, the systems are the same – it’s who certificates you that would be different.

If you would like an informal discussion with us to establish how we can assist you, we would suggest a remote introductory meeting which gives both party a feel for what is involved and what should be considered as well as what we consider to be one of the most important pieces of criteria… that your consultant/auditor is the right fit for your business.

For more information regarding ISO Management Systems and Certification, call us on 01889 881887 or email info@qscconsultancy.co.uk.