Anchor Systems wanted a winning quality management system that would support their daily operations and integrate with the business as a whole. Here's how we helped them...

Anchor Systems (International) Ltd supply high-quality ground anchoring systems across the UK and in many countries throughout Europe. They first implemented a QMS (Quality Management System) back in 2007; this system met the requirements of ISO 9001 certification, but the company's management identified that, if the QMS was improved, it could be used to help them achieve their business objectives.

We were initially contacted by Hadley Smith, Operations Director at Anchor Systems. He tasked us with helping to design and implement a new, simpler to use QMS that would be embraced by the whole company and integrated with day-to-day operations.

Now, we're pleased to announce that we successfully achieved Anchor Systems' goal. Here's an excerpt from the five-star review we recently received from Hadley:

"We would 100% recommend NPT Management Systems. Neil's knowledge, enthusiasm, and ability to help implement our new QMS were quite frankly amazing.

"We have successfully been recommended for on-going ISO 9001 registration at our recent recertification audit, but more than that, we now have a QMS on our company server that is used by the whole company on a day-to-day basis.

"Our staff now have the system, tools, and training necessary to help us deliver the right products on time to our customers. Great job NPT."

Click here for more reviews from our previous clients, or contact us if you need help with your own quality management system.

Neil Peattie is the Principal Consultant here at NPT Management Systems. Neil's professional journey started in the 1990s, when he worked as a Trainee Engineer at Airdri Ltd; this role gave him the unique opportunity to learn core business skills from experienced professionals. Now, Neil is highly qualified and experienced in the profession of quality management and ISO 9001/ISO 14001 management system implementation.

Neil's journey to date could be seen as a reflection of his driven commitment to personal and business improvement. His background in the medical device and defence industry (combined with his manufacturing and business leadership experience) gives him a real advantage when leading process and product improvement programmes forward. Neil was trained as a Six Sigma Green Belt by Air Academy Associates in the USA, and his rapid problem solving skills and change management techniques help him to enable those around him to achieve their goals.

Today, as a Chartered Quality professional with a Master's Degree in Strategic Quality Management, Neil can be found helping a variety of businesses to achieve their quality goals.

Have a look at our recent customer reviews to learn more about the work Neil has done recently. Typical services include:

• Implementing and maintaining quality management systems to meet ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards
• Quality management system audits
• Vendor appraisal
• Source inspection
• Writing quality plans
• Programme auditing
• Assuring product quality
• Documentation design
• Change management
• Working to allied quality assurance procedures (AQAPs)
• Teaching, lecturing and holding seminars
• Problem solving training
• Improving product first pass yield
• Environmental site audits

If you need our assistance with any of the things listed above, please contact NPT Management Systems today.

We helped Fish Guidance Systems to develop a QMS and achieve ISO 9001 certification.

From time to time, we at NPT Management Systems enjoy sharing our success stories, and that's exactly what we'd like to do today. Fish Guidance Systems are based in Lower Swanwick, Southampton, and they specialise in behavioural systems that deflect or guide fish away from water intakes, usually through the use of acoustic equipment or lighting. The company boasts a global network of local agents and representatives, and achieving ISO 9001 certification was a key part of their overall business strategy.

In order to demonstrate the company's continuing commitment to quality and reliability, Dr David Lambert - the Managing Director of Fish Guidance Systems - approached NPT Management Systems to request our assistance with pursuing ISO 9001 certification. Fish Guidance Systems already had a number of quality assurance procedures in place, but the ISO 9001 standard sets out some very specific guidelines, and so our Principal Consultant Neil Peattie worked with Dr Lambert and his team of engineers and scientists to ensure that these standards were met in a single, all-encompassing quality management system.

Once this had been accomplished, we helped the company to apply to a UKAS-accredited body for certification. Happily,the UKAS assessment went swimmingly, and Fish Guidance Systems achieved ISO 9001 certification.

Here's what Dr Lambert had to say about the services we provided:

"Achieving ISO 9001 certification was made considerably easier with the invaluable help of NPT Management Systems.The assessor from our UKAS-accredited certification body summarised the audit by saying, 'This is a very well-written quality management system, with excellent documentation and good traceability throughout.' We wouldn't have achieved this without Neil's constant enthusiasm, commitment, and support."

Would you like to achieve ISO 9001 certification for your business? Click here to get in touch with NPT Management Systems.

For less experienced individuals, implementing an ISO-compliant quality management system and applying for ISO 9001 certification can be a complex and involved process. It can often be time-consuming, requiring numerous changes to behaviours and processes with an organisation, and the best approach is usually to collaborate with an experienced ISO consultant. A chartered quality professional will be able to make sure that your QMS is set up efficiently, supporting the strategic direction of your company; they will also ensure that your application for ISO certification is properly submitted and provide additional support during your ISO 9001 certification audit.

However, if all you need for now is a general idea of the ISO 9001 requirements, here's a rough list of what's needed:

• A Quality Policy. A well-written Quality Policy, in alignment with strategic direction of the company, helps to set the scene for interested stakeholders and communicates a strong message of intent.
  
  
• Although it is not a requirement of ISO 9001:2015, we still recommend the use of a Quality Manual. The Quality Manual (or equivalent document) should set out the aims and scope of your quality management system and provide general guidance on the structure of the QMS.
  
  
• Documented quality management procedures. To quality for ISO 9001 certification, you must be able to demonstrate that you not only have a quality management system in place, but that it also supports the business. This is quite often done via careful documentation, which must meet the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard. Documented procedures also make great training documents, which brings us to the next requirement...
  
  
• Staff training. Part of implementing a successful quality management system is identifying and delivering any training that may be required by the people involved. This can mean anything from an informal training session that brings all staff up to date with the company's quality management processes to accredited ISO training that helps employees to take active involvement in the procedures of the QMS.

If you would like to achieve ISO 9001 certification for your business, please contact NPT Management Systems now - our experienced ISO 9001 consultants will help you to meet all the necessary requirements and get certified first time.

The family of standards known as ISO 9001 was recently revised for the first time since 2008 (read our blog about it here). The new version, dubbed ISO 9001:2015, is now in effect, meaning that your quality management system will need to meet the updated standards for your business to retain its ISO 9001 certification.

As of ISO 9001:2015's introduction three weeks ago, ISO 9001-certified businesses have three years to update their practices and migrate their quality management systems to ensure that they are in full compliance with the new set of standards. Failure to do this within the allotted time period will result in the expiration of your business's ISO-certified status, so it's a good idea to make any necessary changes and get re-certified sooner rather than later (just to be on the safe side!)

If you're ready to review your quality management system and bring it into line with ISO 9001:2015 standards, we at NPT Management Systems are the people to call. Our qualified ISO 9001 consultants will help you to identify and implement any necessary changes; we will also assist with the re-certification process, ensuring that your business retains its ISO certification for the forseeable future.

Click here to get in touch with NPT Management Systems, or visit our ISO 9001:2015 page to learn more about the new set of standards.