The company embarked on the process after discussing with clients what key properties would provide assurances to them regarding working with businesses in the future. It became apparent from this research that a growing number of clients from the private and public sectors, based in the UK as well as the other international markets served by ESS, that the ISO QA standard provides an acceptable objective measure of how a business deploys its services. As with all ISO-accredited businesses, ESS will undergo regular audits by an external assessor to monitor that the ISO standard is being upheld.
Preparing the business for the accreditation involved a substantial investment by ESS. The sustained involvement of internal employees over one year, the introduction of new management procedures and software, and the inclusion of external consultants to advise the company formed a major part of the process that ESS followed to gain the ISO 9001:2000 status. Tim Norman, managing director for ESS, told us: "We had spoken to many clients during the past three years about the things that concern them when selecting partners and suppliers. The ISO accreditation was not only mentioned as a preferred criterion on many occasions, but to an increasing number of clients it has become almost mandatory in their selection process. The ISO standard is internationally recognized by private and public sector organizations and therefore it not only serves to make our processes better, but by attaining the standard it allows us to market the way we work as a potential benefit."
(Lee Baldock)
