ISO 9001 Quality Management

Case Study Mead Engineering Services Limited

Embedding a platform for business growth using ISO 9001

Customer needs
Effective internal systems through which to improve and grow its business A market differentiator to help with customer acquisition and retention

Customer benefits
Mead Engineering is now differentiated from its competitors by a well-recognised and respected ISO 9001 certificate from BSI Process improvements are yielding cost savings already Continuous improvement is embedded Both planning and risk management have been improved

We wanted a simple and effective management system that would add value to our business without being too demanding to maintain. With ISO 9001 certification from BSI we have definitely achieved our aim and are already seeing market and process improvement benefits. Richard Wigmore Owner and MD Mead Engineering Services Limited

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ISO 9001 Quality Management

Customer background
Mead Engineering Services Limited is based in West Sussex in the south of England. The company which was set up in 2004 designs, manufactures and supplies pneumatic products, including valves, cylinders and ancillary equipment. Its clients are in the process, transport, medical and machine control industries. A true SME, Mead Engineering aims to steadily grow its product range and customer base through providing exceptional customer service and product quality.

Implementation
The company began by hiring Dove Management Solutions to manage the implementation. Its principal, Michael Dove, is an experienced and qualified lead auditor. Dove helped Mead Engineering Services with auditor training and identified the work to be done to create a straightforward but efficient management system in compliance with ISO 9001. Mead Engineering Services was clear from the start that it wanted a system that it could manage, not something that would manage the organisation, says Michael Dove. The consultancy also helped write a quality manual and operating procedures that were minimal but effective. The biggest challenge Mead Engineering Services had to overcome was devising a means to document updates to engineering drawings using solid modelling software. This difficulty was solved by looking at other approaches, such as using pdfs instead. The standard never asks you to do things that dont make sense for your business, notes Michael Dove. This solution also brought the environmental benefit of reducing paper. Mead Engineering Services then requested a gap analysis from BSI, prior to the certification audit. BSIs assessor made some useful suggestions and the management system was subsequently audited successfully. From start to finish, Mead Engineering Services implementation of the ISO 9001 standard took just over three months.

Benefits of working with BSI

In the short term, Mead Engineering Services has already noticed that it is saving time and cost from having a more efficient sales order processing procedure. The companys documentation is also more streamlined and accessible so information is more easily found; processing is more efficient; and planning is better than it was before. The accessibility of information also leads to risk reduction because more information is at hand to make better informed decisions. Mead Engineering Services stakeholders also feel that the business has become more solid and secure as a result of implementing ISO 9001. In the longer term Mead Engineering Services expects that the certification will lead to future savings and increased market access. Its documented procedures will continue to show areas where improvements can be made, so product quality and customer satisfaction will be improved continuously. The implementation and certification to ISO 9001 is already achieving the companys initial objectives. Moreover the certification was achieved in a short period of time without too much cost or difficulty. Most importantly, the companys BSI certified ISO 9001 management system provides Mead Engineering Services with an important market differentiator and greater credibility with customers. This is expected to lead to more orders and new customers in the future.

Why certification
Mead Engineering Services identified that the ISO 9001 quality management standard would give it a structure of effective internal systems. This would create a platform for excellent products and improved customer satisfaction. Certification to the standard would also differentiate Mead Engineering Services from its competitors and reassure its customers that they were buying a quality product, especially as the standard is well-known and highly regarded in the engineering sector. Certification would give Mead Engineering Services a further boost towards achieving its growth objectives.

Why work with BSI

Mead Engineering Services chose to seek certification from BSI on the recommendation of the management consultancy that was brought in to help implement ISO 9001. My long experience, says Michael Dove of Dove Management Solutions, is that BSI people are practical and helpful. Richard Wigmore, the owner and MD of Mead Engineering Services notes, We were happy to work with BSI its reputation is well respected in the engineering sector.

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