Case Study: Nicoll Curtin Technology
Nicoll Curtin Technology is a City based IT Recruitment
Consultancy. Working predominantly for the banking industry, the
company places contract and permanent technology professionals
in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. They also
cover Commerce and Industry and the Public Sector.
Why ISO certification?
Nicoll Curtin Technology is currently enjoying a period of growth, and wanted to ensure that structurally, the company was well equipped to expand rapidly. Lawrence Hargreaves, Managing Director, recognised that certification to the internationally recognised ISO 9001 quality and ISO 14001 environmental management standards would help.
"We’re looking to grow quite substantially over the next few years and we wanted to ensure that our organisation could cope with that growth, by ensuring the right processes were in place."
Lawrence also wanted to ensure that Nicoll Curtin Technology was able to consistently deliver the high quality service that its nclients expect.
"Banks and large companies require huge amounts of compliance,
so we’ve had to organise our business structurally to meet these
stringent requirements. The ISO framework has helped us to
develop a process driven approach to move our business forward.
Our clients put great value on ISO certifications - in all of
our tenders now there is a requirement for ISO certification and
some quite specifically ask for ISO 9001."
With mounting pressure on both the private and public sector to
show responsibility towards the environment, ISO 14001 offers a
process based solution that focuses on establishing internal
policies, procedures, objectives and targets. Here’s why Nicoll
Curtin Technology chose to implement ISO 14001 alongside their
ISO 9001 certification.
"“As an SME it’s easy for your
environmental responsibilities to slip down the priority list
even if you want to improve. Implementing ISO 14001 provides a
framework for us to measure our environmental impact and develop
greener practices going forward,.”
“We were confident in BAB’s ability help us achieve ISO 9001 and
14001 first time around, in the shortest possible time. When we
discussed the step-by-step detail of how to achieve the
certifications, BAB’s methods seemed to be the most
comprehensive – it came down to a confidence factor.”
Why BAB?
BAB has over 40 years experience in the assessment industry. Their reputation was established in 1969 as a specialist in certification scheme management. In 1997, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry approved the use of the word 'British' in the corporate title in recognition of their pre-eminent status. After an initial search, Lawrence short listed a number of certification bodies to present to the management team. Lawrence tells us why he favoured BAB over the competition.
"It really came down to a ‘gut feeling’; we were confident in BAB’s ability to take us through ISO 9001 and 14001 and to achieve these first time around, in the shortest possible time. When we discussed the step-by-step detail of how to achieve the certifications, BAB’s methods seemed to be the most comprehensive - it came down to a confidence factor."
The certification process
Once an organisation decides to go ahead with their certification, 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. The organisation then receives a detailed report including all required actions and together with their Lead Assessor, determines an appropriate timetable for the Audit Assessment.
Lisa Collins, Group Operations Manager, responsible for managing the implementation process of both ISO 9001 and 14001, ensured that Nicoll Curtin Technology was compliant with the two standards, by setting aside around an hour each day. Here Lisa tells us of her experience.
"My role was to collate and write the Quality Manual. I started by reviewing current practices, breaking these down into separate processes for each area. It was hard going, but it worked and having the processes in place is a great advantage for us now."
"The support from my Lead Assessor was invaluable. I spoke to Nick about any queries as I went along, and he clarified any areas I was unsure about. In our initial meeting he was able to demystify the Standards and apply them to our business, and he was available by phone or email throughout the process.
"There is a great sense of achievement
when you pass - especially on the first go. The excellent
feedback from the Auditor on our forms and general high
standards was fantastic - it made all the hard work worthwhile.
When I got the email to say we had passed there were a lot of
'high fives' going on!"
Benefits of implementation
Successful organisations recognise that their quality and its
assurance are most credible when validated by a respected third
party. The benefits include a more motivated workforce, less
costly re-work and increased client satisfaction. Being
certified can also help you to gain external finance, qualify
for tenders and set you apart from your competitors. In fact, 1
in 5 of BAB’s clients see an increase in new orders as a
direct result of achieving ISO certification; according to
findings from
the 2010 client satisfaction survey. Lawrence and Lisa tell us
of the benefits they have seen so far, 4 months after successful
implementation, Lawrence says:
"We have only been certified for a short while, so the real benefits are still to come. As we grow, it will be crucial for us to remain process-orientated so that the service to our client and candidate base remains consistent. This was the main reason why we sought certification. Although we’d had quality systems in place, there is always room for improvement. ISO 9001 has allowed us to really develop our existing processes and as a result we are much more organised and ready for our planned growth.”
"ISO certification has also helped us to secure our place on the public sector’s national procurement portal - Buying Solutions. We wouldn’t have been considered without it."
Lisa comments on improvements:
"Achieving the certifications has definitely helped us improve supplier processes and increase efficiency across our business."
And finally...
Lawrence gives some sage advice for those about to embark on the ISO journey.
“Just do it… regardless of the time you think it will take. Although it is a lot of hard work, it really will improve your business and ways of working. If your business is in a period of growth it will make that growth much easier to navigate because you have a solid, process driven foundation to build on.”
Contact
Clare Tiley
The British Assessment Bureau
Research and Analysis Manager
clare.tiley@british-assessment.co.uk
Jo Wilcox
Nicoll Curtin Technology
Marketing Manager
jo.wilcox@nicollcurtin.co.uk