ISO 9001

[Greenie]

We are at a stage when we need to get ISO 9001 as a company. The reason being we are not getting through most pre-qualification questionnaires for tenders as we can't tick the ISO box. We are an electrical contractor going for tenders upto £300,000.00.

Personally I hate the system but we have no choice now. The main question is whether to go for a UKAS or non-UKAS option and there appear to be lots of debate about this. We have selected one of each making sure the non-UKAS option isn't one of the less scrupulous operators.

The UKAS cost is nearly double.

We have looked over previous PPQs and they do not ask if the ISO certification is UKAS in the PPQ. So is it worth going for the UKAS option.

[christmc]

Hello, We have recently completed the UKAS iso9001 and it is only real approved version, hence the price.

We actually started doing the QMS version until Bovis one of our big clients told us they would not recognise anything other than the UKAS version,

We were sort of ushered through it , we used BTAL as the agents who helped us, and it was BSI who send their adjudicator when you are ready for assesment.

it takes about 4-5 months start to finish and eventually if you pass you will get your UKAS 9001

Hope this helps, dont waste your time with other versions

[Adam T]

+1

We have our assesment in two weeks time. We have made the system fit our current systems, ad where we needed to have created systems to meet the criterior.

I cannot beleive how more tidy the office is now that everyone has got their files upto date, had a tidy around (as "uncontrolled documentation" was a possible fail at stage 2 assesment)

I think looking forward it will be a benefit to how we work as it will make us more efficient in the way we work etc.

Good Luck

[CR0X]

we started the process yesterday ...

outside consultants, if you don't have internal knowledge, aren't cheap, but get the right one, and it makes it easier.

We went with BSI as all others in industry use them ...

[Greenie]

christmc said:

Hello, We have recently completed the UKAS iso9001 and it is only real approved version, hence the price.

We actually started doing the QMS version until Bovis one of our big clients told us they would not recognise anything other than the UKAS version,

We were sort of ushered through it , we used BTAL as the agents who helped us, and it was BSI who send their adjudicator when you are ready for assesment.

it takes about 4-5 months start to finish and eventually if you pass you will get your UKAS 9001

Hope this helps, dont waste your time with other versions

I know enough not to use a company like QMS but I think there are some good non-UKAS companies. The main point is that no PPQ or tender we have done has specified UKAS. So is it worth the extra cost?

[poj]

We have used QMS for 8 years,firstly to attain ISO9001 we then decided to obtain ISO14001 and finally ISO18001.We have never failed a tender pre qual. because they(QMS) are not UKAS accredited.

[Redarress]

If any of your prospective customers' Quality or Purchasing Managers accept non UKAS certification bodies like QMS they are incompetent. No tick and crown on the logo means their certificate is not worth the paper it’s written on