Steelman Engineering Ltd achieves ISO9001:2008 certification with SGS United Kingdom Ltd

Oct. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- The standard supplies the requirements for customer satisfaction through consistent products and services and for continual improvement of a Quality Management System.

Steelman designs and manufactures general steel products and conveyor systems for local manufacturing industries, many with a global presence. The company delivers a complete end-to-end, bespoke service, from design, to manufacture, to installation and support.
“The customer supplies the problem, and we develop the solution,” says Steelman Engineering General Manager, Larry McGibbon.
‘’The ability to design and develop bespoke solutions is the key strength of our business’’.
“That’s why we chose to implement ISO9001:2008. We wanted to exert complete control over the process, confirm our quality systems were fully implemented and be able to demonstrate this to our customers.”

Steelman started working towards ISO9001:2008 in December 2010, reviewing existing systems, bringing the company’s quality manual up to date, and drawing up the processes. Staff were involved at all stages of the process.
“We quickly began to see how having the ISO9001 System in place would help us move forward when dealing with our customers,” says Larry McGibbon.

Following a pre-audit in April 2011, the company chose SGS United Kingdom Ltd for the certification process.
“The competition offered us a generic auditor to work with. But SGS talked our language. The auditor that was appointed to us came from an engineering background,” says Larry McGibbon.
SGS discussed timelines and the auditor visited to conduct an onsite review of documentation and workshop processes. Following a final audit in August 2011, Steelman achieved certification to ISO9001:2008.

Now, with the new standard in place, Steelman is realising the benefits and evolving its procedures to align them with its plans for continual improvement and growth.
“Having ISO9001 certification has raised our standards to the next level. Everything is documented, and we now have a controlled procedure in place that everyone can rely on,” says Larry McGibbon.
For example, Steelman can now better document its customer satisfaction levels.

“Customers now have more peace of mind and control over what we do in-house. We’re much better placed to adapt to their demands. When customers return with repeat orders, our staff in the workshop can respond better to their feedback and ensure product quality before it leaves the factory.”

By achieving the new standard, Steelman also gains greater credibility in the market, whilst improving its own efficiencies.
“It will save us time in completing contractor pre-qualifying questionnaires and having to prove our credentials against new customer’s regulations. By saying we’ve got ISO9001, they know we’re already working with their regulations.”
Going forward, Steelman can now compete for government work. Local council tenders require ISO in place, and Steelman will now take its place on Public Procurement lists, and price for the work.
“With ISO9001, all we have to do is follow the procedures. The system runs itself,” says Larry McGibbon.
Steelman Engineering are keen to speak to new customers. By visiting Steelman Engineering’s website you can find the latest company news and all of the contact details needed.

Ends

The SGS Group is the global leader and innovator in inspection, verification, testing and certification services. Founded in 1878, SGS is recognised as the global benchmark in quality and integrity. With more than 67’000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1’250 offices and laboratories around the world.

http://www.uk.sgs.com/ssc

For more information, contact Susan Nattrass, PR on 01276 697 999.

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SGS helps organisations improve their performance through the delivery of services related to management systems and provides training to build capability and certify their systems against the chosen standard.