Even if you've already put a QMS (Quality Management System) in place and achieved ISO accreditation, it's important to undergo regular ISO 9001 audits to ensure that your QMS is still being followed throughout the organisation and that it's still delivering continuous improvement for your business.

Rather than being a chore or an encumbrance, an ISO 9001 audit should provide real value to the business being audited. With the help of the ISO experts here at NPT Management Systems, your audit will benefit you in a number of ways:

• Ensuring that your QMS is effective
• Making your system more efficient and more integrated with your day-to-day operations
• Saving you money and reducing wastage within your organisation
• Highlighting possible risk areas and opportunities for future improvement

If you're used to dreading your ISO 9001 audit, we strongly recommend that you contact NPT Management Systems today to find out how we can help you.

Read more: Value-Added ISO Audits >

We at NPT Management Systems have helped businesses in all sorts of different industries to implement highly compliant quality management systems and achieve ISO 9001 certification. One such industry is the engineering sector - engineering firms from all over the South of England have come to us for assistance with their QMS requirements.

Putting an effective quality management system into place and gaining ISO 9001 accreditation is a step that many engineering companies feel it necessary to take. ISO 9001 certification is a requirement for many contracts, and the benefits of a QMS (e.g. reduced wastage, improved efficiency and customer satisfaction) can be enormous.

If you need help implementing a quality management system within your organisation, please contact NPT Management Systems now to discuss your requirements.

Case Study: GT Tooling

Based in Fareham, near Portsmouth, GT Tooling are a precision mechanical engineering firm who specialise in designing and manufacturing injection mould tools. They contacted NPT Management Systems some time ago because they needed to achieve ISO 9001 certification - here's what Managing Director Greg Simmonds had to say about working with us:

"We initial used NPT Management Systems to help us implement a quality management system and achieve ISO 9001 registration. We now continue to use them to help maintain our QMS. We would recommend NPT to any company looking for a professional quality consultant!"

View more testimonials // Visit GT Tooling website

Broadly speaking, a management system is simply a set of processes and company policies that is designed to help an organisation achieve a particular goal. That goal could be anything from improving customer satisfaction to reducing waste and being more environmentally-friendly.

There are many different types of management systems, and companies all over the world use them in various combinations to drive consistent improvement and ensure maximise efficiency. Here are some of the most common management system types:

• Quality Management System - Focuses on meeting customer requirements and maintaining high quality across all products/services. The international standard for quality management systems is ISO 9001.
  
  
• Environmental Management System - Focuses on minimising the environmental impact of the company's operations (making the organisation greener, in other words). The international standard for environmental management systems is ISO 14001.
  
  
• Information Security Management System - Focuses on keeping information (e.g. financial information, passwords, personal details) secure. The international standard for information security management systems is ISO 27001.
  
  
• Energy Management System - Focuses on reducing energy usage within the organisation. The international standard for energy management systems is ISO 50001.
  
  
• Occupational Health & Safety Management System - Focuses on protecting the health and safety of everyone within the organisation, as well as members of the public who may be affected by the company's operations. The current standard for health and safety management systems is OHSAS 18001 (also known as ISO 18001), although ISO are currently developing a new standard called ISO 45001.

If your organisation needs help implementing any combination of the above management systems, please contact ISO experts NPT Management Systems today.

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If you thought that ISO 9001 certification was exclusively a matter for large companies with hundreds of employees, think again. Even very small businesses can benefit from implementing a quality management system (QMS) and gaining ISO accreditation - here are just a few reasons why:

• Stand out from the competition - One of the biggest challenges for any small startup (but especially those in crowded, competitive markets) is establishing a firm industry presence and convincing customers that they will get something from your business that they won't get elsewhere. Working to attain 'ISO 9001 certified' status or small businesses is a great way to stand out from the crowd and demonstrate your exceptional quality to your target audience.
  
  
• Win more business - ISO 9001 certification won't just make you a more attractive prospect to potential clients - it will also open up new opportunities that would not have been available to you otherwise. ISO 9001 is a mandatory requirement for many contracts in many different sectors, and if you want those contracts to go to your company, implementing an ISO-compliant QMS is the only way to make it happen.
  
  
• Work more efficiently - You might think that a small business with few employees would not need a special management system to get every part of the organisation singing in harmony, but a good QMS can have a big impact regardless of business size. Implementing a QMS that meets ISO 9001 requirements will reduce waste, improve communication, and ultimately boost overall customer satisfaction - all key concerns for a business that's looking to grow.

Contact NPT Management Systems today to find out how our expert ISO consultants can help you to put together a winning QMS and get certified. Be sure to read our Testimonials to find out how we've helped other small businesses to achieve their goals through ISO 9001 status.

Photograph courtesy of pixabay.com

Recognised in all industry sectors all over the world, ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management systems. It serves as a framework that allows any organisation of any size in any field to implement an effective quality management system (QMS) and consistently improve quality over time.

Planning and implementing an ISO 9001-compliant QMS is a smart move for any business owner because of the following benefits:

• It focuses efforts on delivering high-quality products/services and ensuring customer satisfaction
• It ensures that every part of your organisation is working towards the same goal
• It helps to eliminate waste throughout your operations
• It establishes a system for continuous improvement within your business

Once your QMS is in place, you will need to apply for ISO 9001 certification by using an independent UKAS-accredited body. Of course, you will still benefit from the implementation of a well-planned QMS even if you choose not to get certified, but gaining ISO 9001 certification is useful because:

• It is a requirement for winning work in certain sectors
• It forces you to maintain your QMS in order to pass surveillance audits
• Most importantly, it demonstrates to potential customers/clients that you are a high-quality business

If you are interested in implementing a quality management system and getting your company ISO-certified, contact NPT Management Systems today - we work with businesses throughout the South of England, and we specialise in ISO 9001 certification.

Testimonials from our clients

Still wondering why it's so important to get certified? Here are some quotes from business owners who achieved ISO 9001 certification with the help of NPT Management Systems:

"We now provide maximum value to our customers, as we are able to see where waste occurs and have been trained to eliminate it quickly." - Rule Twenty Six

"We have seen an increase in repeat business and recommendations." - Racing Snake Yacht Charters

"We now have the systems to monitor quality and delivery issues, and the tools and skills to fix them." - Baker Trayte Marine Ltd

"The cost of implementing our quality management system will be repaid by the savings it has created within a very short period." - Level Developments

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Related: What Are The Benefits of ISO Certification?