ISO Certification Made Simple

We always strive to help our customers obtain the most cost-effective route to achieving and maintaining certification. To support the effective implementation and maintenance of your management system’s compliance with a range of standards, Equas offers a number of products and services.

The ISO in a Box™ management system can be used to achieve certification to the most popular ISO standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001 and ISO 45001. Our ISO consultants, all IRCA qualified, are also able to provide help and support to implement the system.

However simple and straightforward ISO in a Box™ makes achieving ISO certification, we understand that for our customers undertaking the process is a significant commitment. That is why any support package we agree to provide has a specified fixed-price and comes with a guarantee of achieving ISO certification once the agreed programme of work is completed.

We can provide these assurances because our consultants are highly experienced in providing customers with hands-on support through the certification process. The many commendations the ISO in a Box™ system has received, from major UKAS-accredited certification bodies, are a testament to our success.

Depending upon the nature of your organisation and the type of support you need, you may qualify for grant funding to support some of the investment you need to make. Contact us now to find out what funding support is available.

1. Review of existing management system against the relevant standard (Gap Analysis).
   Our IRCA qualified consultant will complete a detailed review of your existing documentation and management processes and make an assessment of them against three criteria:
   • Their compliance with the relevant ISO standard
   • Their effectiveness in achieving the organisation’s objectives
   • The potential for unnecessary complication or duplication

   Following discussion with you, the results of the analysis will be documented into a concise action list.

2. Enhancement of the existing system using appropriate ISO in a Box™ template documents to achieve compliance with the relevant standard(s).
   Relevant documents from our extensive library will be selected and modified to fit the style of your organisation and achieve compliance, improve effectiveness and eliminate any potential areas of duplicated work.
3. Implement any new processes required, with supporting employee training.
   Face-to-face guidance and awareness training is provided in how to implement new processes required to maintain documentation, achieve compliance and deliver continual improvement.
4. Complete a formal check that any new processes have been implemented correctly.
   Our consultant will conduct a full internal audit of your system prior to certification. There is a requirement for this to be done before you can achieve certification and it ensures that no issues arise during the certification audit that could potentially delay you achieving certification.
5. Undergo a certification audit by a UKAS-accredited certification body.
   Only by undergoing an audit by a UKAS-accredited certification body can you be assured that your certification will be recognised by your customers as having genuine substance. Our consultants will provide whatever on or off-site support you require during this audit to ensure that the process is completed smoothly and with minimal stress and disruption. The time required to complete these steps will depend on the size and complexity of your organisation and the status of your existing management system. Our consultant will always work to achieve your target time frame.

ISO in a Box™ is a simple yet comprehensive solution to achieving ISO certification that eliminates unnecessary paperwork and improves the effectiveness of existing work processes. Its proven benefits are at work in hundreds of organisations, of all sizes, operating in all types of industry sectors, and it has received many commendations for its effectiveness from major UKAS-accredited certification bodies.

Key features of ISO in a Box™

• Simple to implement and use
• Hands-on support from experienced, professional consultants that guarantees UKAS-accredited certification
• Requires no previous knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 or other ISO standards
• Can be delivered via standalone computer, intranet or our recommended ISO software solution “Activ”
• Range of implementation options available to suit varying budgets and operational requirements
• Designed as an integrated management system that reduces the cost of certification to multiple standards

ISO certification can significantly increase your organisation’s credibility and enable you to win more business. It can also reduce your operating risk, minimise waste and improve the satisfaction of your customers.

Customers are becoming increasingly demanding of the suppliers they work with. They need to be confident that the organisations they are dealing with have a robust management system in place to deliver on their commitments. UKAS ISO certification is your route to giving your customers the confidence to place their trust and business with you.

The legislation that organisations need to comply with is increasing every day. The regulators who enforce it are exacting heavier punishments on organisations and individuals who break the law. Having a UKAS ISO certified system in place will enable you to keep abreast of your legal requirements and implement effective measures to minimise the risk of business interruption or loss of reputation.

We want to ensure that our customers achieve the key benefits of investing in becoming ISO certified, particularly with respect to:

• Winning tenders with government bodies and blue-chip organisations
• Reducing their risk status with regulatory bodies
• Lowering insurance premiums and improving productivity

For this reason, we strongly recommend that organisations achieve certification with a UKAS-accredited body. Whilst we remain impartial on the certification body our customers use, we always strongly advise them against using a non-accredited body. Non-accredited certification or “self-certification” is highly likely to be rejected by potential customers.

For more details on the potential consequences of not selecting the UKAS-accredited route to certification, click on the links to the articles below.

• Government Policy on using UKAS accredited certification bodies
• Accreditation and conformity assessment – gov.uk
• Why risk it?
• The CQI position – accredited certification