If you haven't considered the impact of remote working on your quality management system, now is the time to take action.
Many people across the UK are currently working from home in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. At time of writing (5th November 2020), the governments of all four nations of the United Kingdom are telling businesses to switch to remote working if they can:
- From gov.uk: "Everyone who can work from home must do so."
- From gov.scot: "Organisations should make every reasonable effort to make working from home the default position."
- From gov.wales: "The most effective way of minimising the risk of exposure to coronavirus in workplaces is to enable some or all staff to work from home, as often as possible."
- From nidirect.gov.uk: "Carefully follow the strict physical distancing measures put in place by your employer. This includes working from home where possible, using phone, email and teleconferencing to stay in touch."
As a company director, it is your responsibility to keep your employees safe. But you must also consider the implications of some or all staff working from home; it may be necessary to take action in order to keep the business running smoothly.
Don't forget about your quality management system!
If you have a quality management system (QMS) in place, its requirements still apply even when your entire workforce is working from home.
When you switch to remote working, it's important to review your QMS and make sure that you will still be able to achieve continuous improvement regardless of this change. This is especially true if you are ISO 9001 certified, as your organisation will need to pass annual surveillance audits in order to maintain this certification.
If you need help with your QMS during this challenging time, call NPT Management Systems on 02380 659 867 or email enquiries@nptmanagementsystems.co.uk. Our experienced quality consultants have helped countless companies to achieve ISO 9001 certification and pass their surveillance audits.
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We can help you to catch up!
2020 has been full of stress and uncertainty, so it's quite understandable if your business has fallen behind on its internal audits this year.
However, it's a bad idea to neglect your audits for too long. Regular internal quality audits are a requirement if you wish to maintain your ISO 9001 certification - so while you may have had more pressing matters to worry about in recent months, you must get back on top of your internal audit schedule before it's too late.
How we can help you
NPT Management Systems are among the UK's leading quality management experts. If you're overdue for an internal quality audit, we can help you to meet the requirements of your QMS and retain your ISO 9001 certification.
If you cannot afford to employ your own in-house quality specialist, we provide a comprehensive suite of services (available on a one-off or contract basis) to help you keep up with your obligations.
Call NPT on 02380 659 867 and we'll help you to get caught up.
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A quality audit involves reviewing an existing quality management system (QMS) with a view to improving that system. The audit can be carried out by qualified personnel within the organisation - this is called an internal quality audit - or by an external auditor.
Quality audits should be carried out on a regular basis in order to ensure that the QMS in question is meeting its goals and operating as intended.
Why are quality audits important?
You can't know whether or not your company's quality management system is working without conducting periodic reviews. This is why frequent quality audits are necessary - they give you repeated opportunities to optimise and refine your QMS in order to get better results.
Employing a full-time quality expert to conduct regular quality audits is an expense that many businesses cannot afford right now. Here at NPT Management Systems, we offer a specialist QMS consultancy service on a flexible contract basis - give us a call on 02380 659 867 to find out how we can help you.
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Delivering a quality service isn't a task that's ever finished. Once you've implemented a quality management system (QMS) and gained ISO 9001 certification, you must keep working hard to meet the requirements of your QMS and achieve continuous improvement.
However, many businesses - especially in the current economic climate - find that they cannot afford to employ a permanent in-house quality manager. If this is the case for you, your organisation may benefit more from working with an external QMS consultant who can provide expert advice and assistance as and when you need it.
What a QMS consultant can do for your company:
- Work with you to use quality management to support the strategic direction of your business
- Use Lean and Six Sigma tools to achieve process objectives
- Provide training in internal auditing and continuous improvement to help your staff manage and improve the quality management system
READ MORE: What Does a Quality Consultant Do?
Neil Peattie from NPT Management Systems is a qualified QMS consultant with many years of experience across a variety of industries. Contract and consultancy work welcome - call 02380 659 867 to discuss your requirements.
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Businesses all over the world are in an unstable position right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many insurers are bringing in extra requirements for their policyholders - it was already common for insurers to request a business continuity plan, but in these unprecedented times, additional measures are necessary to safeguard your organisation's future and put insurers at ease.
Infection Prevention & Control Management System
Implementing an Infection Prevention & Control Management System will help you to minimise the risk of coronavirus transmission within your organisation.
Many insurers now require an Infection Prevention & Control Management System. NPT Management Systems can provide an infection control policy for your company and assist with the implementation of your new system.
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Return-to-Work Risk Assessments
In addition to keeping your insurer happy, the law requires you to protect your employees (and other people) from harm while they're on your premises.
In order to provide a safe working environment for your staff, we recommend that you carry out a return-to-work risk assessment before asking your team to return to the office. NPT Management Systems can provide this service as well, helping you to identify possible risks and areas of concern.
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Contact NPT Management Systems today to discuss your requirements and learn how we can help your business to keep going during this difficult time.
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