Picture Caption: Drilcorp's Ian Turnbull and IMS Northern's Dorothea Layfield add the Finishing Touches to the Drilcorp Quality Manual
Drilcorp Achieve ISO 9001 Accreditation
Drilcorp's commitment to a programme of continuous investment into training and to making sure that the company's services are fully compliant with the highest levels of Health & Safety, Quality and Environmental requirements is reflected in their latest accreditation - ISO 9001
Following their recent 'Achilles Verify' accreditation, which involved a demanding audit of Health and Safety, Environmental and Quality Management Systems and their implementation), Drilcorp has now achieved yet another accreditation, ISO 9001, which will enable the company to become even more competitive when applying for tenders or preferred supplier status.
ISO 9001 is designed to be compatible with other management system standards such as ISO 14001 (Environmental), OHSAS 18001 (Health and Safety) and ISO 27001 (Information Security).
Many companies are deterred from applying for ISO 9001 because the process can be confusing and time consuming, which is why Drilcorp decided to use the services of Durham-based Integrated Management Systems (Northern) Ltd. IMS Northern was chosen by Drilcorp as they provide a bespoke service that enables companies to develop and implement quality management systems within a sensible timescale, and without taking up valuable employee time in dealing with unnecessary additional documentation. The level and type of documentation will vary depending on the nature of the business and IMS Northern is experienced in assessing what is required and what is surplus to requirements. ISO 9001 does require a documented Quality Manual so it is important to use a company who can interact with employees at all levels in your organisation.
The IMS Northern consultant engaged in the process with Drilcorp's HSEQ manager Ian Turnbull was Dorothea Layfield, who commented "It was a pleasure to work with such a professional organisation where all personnel are dedicated to ensuring quality and the concept of continual improvement. I am sure that Drilcorp will benefit from ISO 9001 because they take it seriously and implement the system fully, for the benefit of the business and client satisfaction."
ISO 9001 is becoming a mandatory requirement for many tender applications but it can also bring other benefits to a business regardless of its size or function. A well planned quality management system can help make your business more effective, efficient, and economical and it can help encourage a culture of continual improvement. Recent surveys of companies that have gained ISO 9001 certification indicate an increase in profits due to lower levels of wastage, better use of management's time and an increase in export opportunities as ISO 9001 is an internationally recognised quality standard.
Drilcorp CEO Dave Gowans said "We are delighted to have achieved the ISO 9001 certification, which shows our commitment to constantly raising the standards of our corporate working practices. I would certainly recommend IMS Northern to any business wishing to improve their business processes, even if they don't want to apply for formal ISO 9001certification. IMS Northern's approach was professional, friendly and thorough. Although they needed to access a lot of data they kept employee disruption to a minimum. Acquiring the standard does require investment both in time and money, but I am sure you will find that the benefits to your business will soon show a positive return on your investment".
