ADAPTAFLEX ACHIEVES THE NEW ISO9001-2000 STANDARD ACCEDITATION AT THE FIRST ATTEMPT

Europe's leading designer and manufacturer of flexible conduit systems, Adaptaflex Ltd, has once again set the benchmark by being the first in its sector to achieve the new ISO 9001 - 2000 standard, at the first attempt.

While the new standard incorporates all the existing design, manufacturing and quality issues of the old standard it now includes continuous business improvement and is very much a customer orientated standard, focussing on continual improvement.

Adaptaflex set out its desire for the coveted new standard 12 months ago. “When we saw details of the new standard and its all encompassing nature we realised what it could bring to the business,” explained Adaptaflex's Technical Director
Dr Fatollah Youssefifar. “We embraced it with open arms because it demands the implementation of the most fundamental rules of effective management.”

In essence, what the standard does is defines the organisation as an entity consisting of a management team, given a range of resources and raw materials in order to cost effectively realise products/services to fulfil the requirements of its customers. It requires a closed-loop control of the business, which consists of four sequentially linked elements. These being: the management team monitoring customer requirements and readjusting resources accordingly in order to produce/provide products/service to meet customer requirements in the most cost effective manner.

“Our target was to achieve the standard within a year and if necessary were prepared to have to go for a re-assessment because of the all encompassing nature and demands of the standard. In the event this was not necessary, because the entire organisation was on board with and committed to the new standard from the outset. We were extremely focussed in our aim of achieving the standard.”

As market leader Adaptaflex is always pro-active in implementing company-wide procedures that enable it to maintain its position by providing highest quality products and services to its customers. As required by the standard, the strategic business plans were already inline with those of its customers.

Adaptaflex now has procedures in place whereby customers perceptions of the company's products and services are monitored and recorded by its sales staff. It is that information that the company utilises to make decisions on which aspects of management, resources and raw materials need to change in order to address any shortcomings in meeting the requirements of its customer.

The audit, carried out by BSI, took two full days and apart from spending long hours examining the company's procedures and plans the auditor also met with senior managers, on finance, human resources, marketing and sales as well as the managing director. This was in order to obtain first hand understanding of the senior management's commitment to the implementation of the standard.

“At Adaptaflex, we no longer have a ‘Quality Manual'. Instead we have a ‘Business Management Manual'.


“The standard itself is a tremendous way to improve customer satisfaction levels and business performance and throughout the company underpins everyone's drive to continually improve their performance.

“We were clearly delighted as a business to achieve this standard at the first attempt, but realise that as a standard that evolves with the business the annual assessment will be a continually demanding and changing process, which we as a company welcome wholeheartedly.”


-ENDS-

20 December 2002