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ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for an
organisation's internal Quality Management. The term 'quality' refers to
all those features of a product or service which are required by the
customer. An organisation's 'Quality Management' refers to an organisation's
actions to ensure that its products or services satisfy its customers'
quality requirements and complies with any regulations applicable to those
products or services.
This page covers information regarding our ISO 9001 certification
service as well as the history of the standard itself. Use the links below
to jump to a particular section of the page.
Formalised quality assurance originally came from the Defence
Industry's need for standards. For example, to supply the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) a company had to write up its procedure for making its
product, have the procedure inspected by the MoD and then ensure that its
workers followed the published procedures. The idea of quality assurance
spread beyond the military and in 1966, the UK Government led the first
national campaign for quality and reliability with the slogan "Quality is
everyone's business." However, by this time, suppliers were being
assessed by any number of their customers and it was widely recognised
that such duplication of effort was a chronic waste of time and money.
Progress was finally made in 1969, when a UK Government committee report
on the subject recommended that suppliers' methods should be assessed
against a generic standard of quality assurance. In 1971, the British
Standards Institute (BSI) published the first UK standard for quality
assurance (BS 9000), which was developed for the electronics industry.
Then, in 1974, the BSI published BS 5179; Guidelines for Quality
Assurance. This led to a shift in the burden of inspection from the
customer to the supplier, as quality assurance could be guaranteed by the
supplier to the customer through third-party inspection. Through the
1970's, the BSI organised meetings with industry to set a common standard,
which culminated in the BS5750 standard in 1979. Key industry bodies
agreed to drop their own standards and use BS5750 instead. The purpose of
BS5750 was to provide a common contractual document, demonstrating that
industrial production was controlled. The ISO 9000 certification standard
has evolved over several revisions. The initial 1987 version (ISO
9000:1987) had the same structure as the UK Standard BS 5750, with three
'models' for quality management systems, the selection of which was based
on the scope of activities of the organisation. The language of this first
version of the Standard was influenced by existing US and other Defence
Military Standards, so it was more accessible to manufacturing and was
well suited to the demands of a rigorous, stable, factory-floor
manufacturing process. With its structure of twenty 'elements' or
requirements, the emphasis tended to be overly placed on conformance with
procedures rather than the overall process of management; which was the
original intent. The 1994 version (ISO 9000:1994) was an attempt to break
from the practices which had somewhat corrupted the use of the 1987
standard. It also emphasised quality assurance via preventive actions and
continued to require evidence of compliance with documented procedures.
Unfortunately, as with the first edition, companies tended to implement
its requirements by creating shelf-loads of procedure manuals and becoming
burdened with ISO bureaucracy. Adapting and improving processes could be
particularly difficult in such an environment. The 2000
version of the standard (ISO 9001:2000) sought to make a radical change in
thinking. It placed the concept of process management at the
heart of the standard, making it clear that the essential goals of the
standard - which had always been about 'a documented system' not a 'system
of documents' - were reinforced. The goal was always to have management
system effectiveness via process performance measures. This third edition
makes this more visible and so reduced the emphasis on having documented
procedures if clear evidence could be presented to show that the process
was working well. Expectations of continual process improvement and
tracking customer satisfaction were also made explicit in this revision. A new
set of eight core quality management principles, designed to act as a
common foundation for all standards relating to quality management, were
also introduced; namely: 1. Improved consistency with
traceability
2. Enhanced customer focus
3. Focused leadership
4. The involvement of people
5. A system approach to management
6. Continual improvement
7. A factual approach to decision making
8. Mutually beneficial supplier relationships The fourth and
latest edition of the standard (ISO 9001:2008) was published on November
14th 2008. This revision contains minor amendments only. The aim of this
revision is to clarify existing requirements and to improve consistency of
approach with other management standards, like
ISO 14001:2004.
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Most organisations want
ISO 9001 certification to qualify for a tender
or to achieve preferred supplier status: typically for a Local Authority.
However, there are many other benefits that can be added to these,
including: 1. Improved internal working leading to less errors
and re-work
2. Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty
3. Improved morale and motivation
4. Preferential insurance premiums
5. Competitive advantage
6. Increased profitability
7. Enhanced status In addition,
ISO 9001 is designed to be compatible
with other management system standards such as
ISO 14001 (Environmental),
OHSAS 18001 (Health and Safety) and ISO 27001 (Information Security). All
or any combination of these complementary standards can be integrated
seamlessly. They share many principles, so choosing an integrated
management system can provide you with outstanding value for money. If
you would like an integrated management system, comprising all or a
combination of ISO management standards, simply let us know your requirements and we will
work with you to develop the right solution for your needs.
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STEP 1: Preparation
Realistically, if you are new to the ISO 9001 standard, then you are
going to need some guidance. Once contact is made, we'll discuss your
requirements with you and suggest the solution that best suits your needs.
After assessing your needs we will give you a fixed price quotation so
that you know exactly how much your registration will cost. Your quotation
will be based upon your company profile and an assessment of your needs.
To get the ball rolling, simply call us on 0800 404 7007 or email us an
enquiry.
STEP 2: Application
Once you decide to go-ahead, we'll assign a Lead Assessor to you. He or
she will be your principal contact throughout the registration process and
beyond. They will build-up detailed knowledge of your business and will be
able to answer any question you may have.
STEP 3: Pre-Audit Assessment (known as Stage 1)
Your Lead Assessor will visit you to explain the standard and undertake
a gap-analysis of your current arrangements for quality management. You
will then receive a detailed report including any required actions.
Together, you will then determine the appropriate timetable for your Audit
Assessment. Many organisations benefit from a pre-assessment ‘dry run’ and
your Lead Assessor will be able to discuss this with you.
STEP 4: Audit Assessment (known as Stage 2)
Once you are ready for your formal Audit Assessment, your Lead Assessor
will make the required arrangements for you. On completion, you will be
informed of the Auditor's recommendation before he or she leaves your
premises.
STEP 5: Registration & Certificate
Following the independent Auditor's recommendation, your registration
will be formally confirmed. Soon after, your certificate of conformity to
the ISO 9001 standard will be issued and sent to you.
STEP 6: Continual Assessment
Having achieved certification, you will want to maintain your
registration and your Lead Assessor will remain on hand to undertake the
required annual reviews to ensure you continue to meet the requirements of
the ISO 9001 standard.
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OUR CREDENTIALS
Our reputation was established in 1965 as a division of Salford
University Business Services. In 1997 the Secretary of State for Trade
and Industry approved use of the word 'British' in our corporate title
in recognition of our pre-eminent
status. Our current status is that we have been recommended for UKAS
accreditation, subject to approval by UKAS senior management. All of our assessors and auditors are professionally trained and
have a business background, so you can count on their practical and
business-friendly approach. Our client portfolio is a good mix of public
and private sector organisations, as well as institutes, charities and trade bodies.
Our pre-eminent status is your guarantee of quality and we have been a
recognised Investor in People since 1999. Please visit the
References page
to view past and existing clients.
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We like to provide our clients with a fixed price because we know that
day rates have a habit of going over budget! We will calculate the cost
of your pre-assessment based on the size of your organisation; e.g. annual
turnover, the number of sites you have and the number of employees, etc.
In all cases, we will provide you with a fixed price quotation. To
obtain your fixed price ISO 9001 quotation, please call us Monday to Friday between the hours of 09:00 to
17:30 or use the Quotation Form using the link below.
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