Where quality is concerned, Helipebs Controls are usually sector leaders and this has been recently confirmed by our award of both ISO9001:2015 and ISO14001:2015.
With over 1.1 million certificates issued worldwide, ISO 9001 helps organizations demonstrate to customers that they can offer products and services of consistently good quality. It also acts as a tool to streamline their processes and make them more efficient at what they do. Acting ISO Secretary-General Kevin McKinley explains: "ISO 9001 allows organizations to adapt to a changing world. It enhances an organization's ability to satisfy its customers and provides a coherent foundation for growth and sustained success."
The 2015 edition features important changes, which Nigel Croft, Chair of the ISO subcommittee that developed and revised the standard, refers to as an "evolutionary rather than a revolutionary" process. "We are just bringing ISO 9001 firmly into the 21st century. The earlier versions of ISO 9001 were quite prescriptive, with many requirements for documented procedures and records. In the 2000 and 2008 editions, we focused more on managing processes, and less on documentation.
"We have now gone a step further, and ISO 9001:2015 is even less prescriptive than its predecessor, focusing instead on performance. We have achieved this by combining the process approach with risk-based thinking, and employing the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle at all levels in the organization.
Following the introduction of these new, more demanding standards, it was a challenge to all companies who comply with these standards to make the transition to the new 2015 revision of the standards over a 2 year period. Hydraulic cylinders and system specialist Helipebs Controls Ltd decided to go for the transition at the first opportunity and have been successful in gaining accreditation to ISO 9001 2015 and ISO 14001 2015 within the first 6 months.
Helipebs QHSE Manager Phil Weager said "Helipebs Controls Ltd were making major improvements at all levels within the business and we felt as a management team, that we could take the step to the new standards in our stride, which has proven to be the case. Our BSI Auditor told us during the close off meeting following a 2 day audit that he could count using the fingers of one hand, the number of companies that have tried and succeeded in gaining transition this early in the 2 year period".
Managing Director Andrew Hopcraft concurs. "This is a great step in the right direction for businesses like Helipebs who are looking to continuously improve and who have a long term approach to strategy. We are delighted to be one of the first to achieve this more demanding standard and to hear from our auditor that we were one of the best companies he had ever seen."