The 2017 Auto Trader Click Awards took place in London at the end of last month, and we were very pleased to hear that our clients Imperial Car Supermarkets had walked away from the ceremony with not one but TWO trophies to show for it.

The Click Awards are held once a year, and they recognise digital excellence within the motor retail industry. ICS scooped the following titles, bringing their grand total to 5 awards in just 3 years:

• Data Driven Retailer of the Year (Franchise & Supermarkets)
• Digital Retailer of the Year (Supermarkets)

As we've mentioned previously here on the NPT blog, Imperial Car Supermarkets are among the many companies whom we have assisted with the planning and implementation of quality management systems. ICS achieved ISO 9001 certification in early 2016, and passed their first surveillance audit early this year with zero non-conformances raised.

Our contribution to Imperial's success was recognised by the company's Operations Director Neil Smith in a note on his LinkedIn profile (posted shortly after the award ceremony): 

We'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Imperial Car Supermarkets on their double win and wish them every success going forward.

If you need assistance with your quality management system, get in touch with the ISO 9001 experts here at NPT Management Systems today.

Achieving ISO 9001 certification can be a huge boon for a business. Not only does this accreditation inspire confidence in potential customers, but it can also open the door to a number of lucrative contracts (in the UK defence industry, for instance) that specify ISO certification as a requirement.

However, many companies that potentially stand to benefit from ISO 9001 certification shy away from pursuing because of the cost. If you're worried that ISO 9001 certification will put too big a dent in your organisation's finances, we at NPT Management Systems may be able to help...

How we can help you to save money

We have been helping businesses to secure ISO 9001 certification for many years, and during our time in this industry, we have forged close ties to a number of independent UKAS-accredited certification bodies. Getting certified via one of these bodies is one of the most costly parts of the ISO 9001 process, but interestingly, not all certification bodies charge the same amount - and that's where we come in.

If you get in touch with NPT Management Systems and explain your certification requirements to a member of our team, we will gather certification quotes from the many UKAS-accredited bodies to whom we have ties. We will then pass the best quotations along to you so that you can make a final decision.

This comparison service is totally free of charge. If you'd like to find out more regarding the cost of iso 9001 certification, please email enquiries@nptmanagementsystems.co.uk today.

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Based in Southampton, NPT Management Systems work with clients across the South of England.

If you are looking for an experienced local consultant who can help you and your company to achieve ISO certification - whether that's ISO 9001, ISO 14001, or a different family of standards - then look no further: NPT Management Systems can help you.

We are a Southampton-based team of ISO consultants specialising in the planning and implementation of:

• Quality management systems (ISO 9001)
  
• Environmental management systems (ISO 14001)
• Information security management systems (ISO 27001)
• Occupational health and safety management systems (OHSAS 18001, also known as ISO 18001)

We work with clients throughout the South of England, helping them to implement robust management systems that are specifically tailored to the unique needs of the organisation in question. We then help our clients to apply for the relevant ISO certification via an independent UKAS-accredited body. We have an outstanding track record - time and again, we have proven ourselves capable of helping clients to achieve ISO certification with zero non-conformances on the first attempt.

Testimonials from our clients >

Areas we cover

We work with businesses all over Southern England, including (but not limited to) the following locations:

• Southampton
• London
• Brighton
• Portsmouth

• Bristol
• Reading
• Oxford
• Bournemouth

We work closely with each and every client to ensure the best possible outcome for their organisation. We do not believe in the one-size-fits-all approach ISO certification; rather, we endeavour to understand the specific requirements and idiosyncrasies of each client's operation, then provide a management system that takes these into account.

NPT Management Systems are your local ISO consultants - contact us today to discuss your requirements >

We've been having some very hot weather here in Britain over the last few days, and while it's a great excuse for a barbecue or a trip to the seaside, this heatwave does potentially pose a few problems for businesses - and not just because it's unpleasant to be cooped up in an office when the temperature's soaring.

Many companies deal with temperature-sensitive materials such as:

• Chemicals, paints, glues etc.
• Plastic and rubber mouldings
• Electrical components
• Medical products
• Ink cartridges

For those who deal in these and other goods, periods of unusually hot or cold weather can be very challenging. It may become difficult to regulate the temperatures at which goods are stored and transported, and overheating can be catastrophic in certain cases.

The proper management of temperature-sensitive materials is one of the many concerns that should be addressed as part of a comprehensive, ISO 9001-compliant quality management system (QMS). A well-designed and properly-implemented QMS should take every aspect of your business into account, safeguarding quality and customer satisfaction at every stage of every process across every part of the organisation.

The experienced quality consultants here at NPT Management Systems can help you to plan and implement a highly effective quality management system that meets the requirements for ISO 9001 certification and the unique, specific needs of your business. Contact us today to discuss your needs.

British Airways found themselves in hot water last month when an IT systems failure forced the airline to cancel hundreds of flights, leaving approximately 75,000 passengers stranded at Heathrow and Gatwick airports during the bank holiday weekend. The company issued a statement blaming the outage on a 'power surge', but a number of data centre experts have disputed that claim, and this calamitous disruption has drawn yet more attention to numerous IT failings throughout the industry at large.

For example, here's a quote from a Guardian article published on the 30th of May 2017 (a few days on from the IT failure):

"The airline industry is notorious for running outdated infrastructure long after standards have improved. In December, for instance, it was revealed that passenger booking systems used by multiple airlines were easy prey for hackers."

The fallout from this incident is still causing problems for British Airways, and their parent company IAG has reportedly lost £170 million in value since the bank holiday weekend, making this whole mess a particularly severe illustration of the importance of ensuring the smooth and secure operation of your company's IT systems.

Whether you run a huge corporation like BA or a small business serving a small, local customer base, you need to make sure your computer systems are safeguarded from attacks and outages. As part of this effort, we strongly recommend planning and implementing an information security management system (ISMS) that conforms to ISO 27001 standards.

Need help putting an ISMS in place and achieving ISO 27001 certification? Contact NPT Management Systems today to discuss your requirements with our ISO experts.