Case Study: Omega Lettings
Omega Lettings was founded in 1998 as a family business. From small beginnings, they have become one of the leading private sector providers of residential lettings and management services, as well as social housing services to local authorities.
Omega Lettings has held ISO 9001 certification with the British
Assessment Bureau (BAB) since September 2009, demonstrating
their commitment to understanding and meeting customer
requirements and guaranteeing the quality of their products and
services.
Why ISO certification?
Mario Theodosiou, Operations Manager, responsible for compliance and policies at Omega Lettings, explains the importance of maintaining a certified quality system in his industry. “We identified that ISO 9001 would enable us to structure communication throughout the organisation, therefore improving efficiency. Certification would also satisfy our customer’s requirement for high quality products and services. We also felt that implementing the ISO 9001 standard would have a positive influence on our personnel - by re-structuring our departments and ways of working to operate more productively."
Why BAB?
BAB has over 40 years experience in the assessment industry and the BAB brand is revered as a hallmark for quality and rigour. From Government agencies to owner-managed businesses, clients depend on BAB’s systems and services to measure, test and monitor the competence and performance of their people and processes. Mario tells us of his experience, “I initially investigated many other certification bodies and spoke to them in depth. I read many reviews and spoke to people that had achieved certification with other providers. BAB was prompt with all information requested and I felt comfortable asking questions during my enquiries - I never felt the experience was pressured. I also had very good feedback from another organisation that experienced the same service that I did from BAB on enquiry. Based on this, we decided that BAB would be our choice in gaining ISO 9001 certification.”
The certification process
Once an organisation decides to go-ahead, they are assigned a Lead Assessor who remains the principal contact throughout the registration process and beyond. Prior to a formal Audit, the Lead Assessor visits to explain the standard and undertakes a conformity assessment of the organisation’s current arrangements for quality management. The organisation then receives
a detailed report including all required actions and together, with their Lead Assessor, determine an appropriate timetable for the Audit Assessment. Mario says of this process, “From the beginning I asked many questions, I was assigned a Lead Assessor who always made time for me and returned my calls. I also had on-going support via email, and received useful pointers. I felt that once I started to manage the document on my own, and started to compile the manual, I felt very comfortable. However, I still received feedback on my work at every completed stage.”
Once an organisation is ready for a formal Audit Assessment, an assigned Lead Assessor makes the required arrangements for an Audit to take place. Mario says, “The Audit process was very structured - the Auditor explained in detail how the meeting would be conducted and the requirements to be reviewed. I felt that I was very much a part of the audit and felt comfortable throughout the process.”
“The feeling when told that our
organisation had been certified was greeted with the biggest
smile by all in the meeting. The feeling of achievement and
recognition was quite overwhelming and we felt very proud of our
accomplishment. This feeling was renewed as the framed
certificate took pride of place in the Managing Director’s
office.”
Benefits of implementation
BAB is committed to helping their clients progress and achieve outstanding results through the application of effective standards and management best practice. The benefits of this include a more motivated workforce, less re-work and increased client satisfaction. Clients tell BAB that gaining certification can also help access external finance, qualify for tenders and set them apart from competitors. Mario says, “We have become better structured and more organised - resulting in improved reporting. Our personnel have adapted to the changes very well and the Audits have become a disciplined means of improving business. We have received recognition from business partners on the quality of our products and services and feel our reputation has been enhanced as a result."
Contact
Clare Tiley
The British Assessment Bureau
Research and Analysis Manager