Case Study: Achieving ISO certification

Beginning in September 2021, Masula Compliance started the journey with Power On Australia (POA) to develop a tailored Integrated management system (IMS) to meet the requirements of these international standards.

AS/NZS ISO 9001 Quality management systems–Requirements
AS/NZS ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems–Specification with guidance for use
AS/NZS ISO 14001 Environmental management systems–Requirements with guidance for use

Power On Australia

POA is a highly successful business that specialises in end-to-end power quality and protection solutions and they provide their products and services Australia-wide primarily to the health, mining, engineering, construction, electrical, transport and security sectors.

Being market leaders for over 14 years, Director, Boyd Lockett and Business Manager, Kylie Lockett are always looking for ways to improve their business, so decided their next step was to take the leap to achieve certification to the three standards. Not having experience with developing management systems or achieving certification, they looked for a partner to guide them through these processes. They found Masula and we subsequently worked side by side with Kylie throughout the entire process. To achieve their goal of certification, we took a deep dive into the operations of POA and developed a tailored integrated management system (IMS) that captured how the business operates. The IMS is now the blueprint for the operations going forward and provides peace of mind to Kylie and Boyd that the business is on the right course. They may even get to have some time away from the business for a well-deserved break.

In June 2022, the POA team achieved their goal of certification with ZERO non-conformances.

Masula recently sat down with Kylie to reflect on the overall certification process, including the development and implementation of their Integrated management system.

Q: What was your biggest fear before committing to certification?

A: Our biggest fear before committing to certification was the unknown outcome. We have never done this before so I was not sure what to expect. I am a perfectionist and I was a little concerned about not having everything prepared perfectly but as we got further into the process, we found that we already had the backbone in place and it was not going to be as daunting as we had initially thought.

Q: What solutions were you looking for in developing and implementing an Integrated management system?

A: The main solution we were looking for was becoming certified to the three standards. This would allow us to tender for bigger projects for major, big-league companies. We also knew that a tailored Integrated management system would provide a framework around our business and help us to define and address any gaps.

Q: What made the Masula IMS solution stand out from the other companies that you approached to work with you on this project?

A: I will not lie when I say that Masula’s solution was not the cheapest solution on the market but after receiving several proposals and reviewing each one extensively we found reassurance that Masula’s approach was very thorough and the right one for us.

By initially sitting down with Susie, we could see that she and her team had good attention to detail and valued working side by side with us to develop and implement our Integrated management system. Masula offers on-site face-to-face meetings throughout the whole process and a “handholding approach” that made us feel comfortable and confident during the entire project.

Q: Did you face any challenges during the project? How did you overcome these?

A: We did not come across any significant challenges throughout this project.

Q: Business systems, if they fully reflect how the business operates, become a blueprint for future management. It is a way of standardizing business practices. Do you think that the IMS project achieved this?

A: Absolutely! We now have a standardised framework for reporting, business improvement and change management that we and our team find easy to follow and implement.

Q: Masula Compliance focuses on a hands-on approach to deep dive into the business to ensure that the IMS very accurately reflects how you operate. The strategy workshop was a tool that we used to thresh out the detail. What benefits did you see in this approach?

A: The SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis in the initial assessment meeting highlighted a lot of things that cemented what we already knew about our business. I think it is a great tool to have and revisit down the line to see how things have changed and improved in our business.

Q: What benefits do you see from now being certified to international standards AS/NZS ISO 45001, AS/NZS ISO 14001 and AS/NZS ISO 9001?

A: Being certified gives us the extra notch in our belt to help us confidently respond to tender questions. It also gives us good business practices in all three areas, quality, environment and health and safety. The certification process and having to be audited annually to maintain this, allows us to ongoingly measure our compliance and processes, giving us more confidence that we are operating at our best.

Q: Was there anything about the IMS development, implementation and certification process that positively surprised you?

A: I was a little worried that the implementation process would be a little overwhelming for our team and that the staff wouldn’t have a full understanding of why this certification process was so valuable to the growth of our business. However, the staff had a very positive approach towards adopting the process and they too now value the system.

Q: What advice would you give to other businesses wishing to develop an Integrated Management System and achieve certification to the three standards?

Take the leap and just do it! Certification to international standards gives you creditability and the system gives you strong processes to continually develop and grow as a business. Everyone needs to get on top of this and I encourage you to use Masula to guide you along the way!

Taking the first steps towards integrated systems and certification.

Could your business benefit from international certification and reap the benefits of implementing an integrated system? The experienced and qualified team at Masula Compliance can get you there.

Our wealth of knowledge and expertise has been gained through supporting businesses in developing practical management systems, monitoring the implementation process, and achieving the recognition of external certification since 1997.

Our Integrated Management System focuses on the needs of the whole organisation and enables compliance and certification to:

AS/NZS ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems – Requirements.
AS/NZS 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems – Specification with guidance for use.
AS/NZS ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems – Requirements with guidance for use.

Contact us for a complimentary assessment.

By supporting our clients through each step, we ensure the process adds value, minimises disruption to business operations and can be effectively implemented to result in real change for the organisation.

Call Masula Compliance today on 07 3348 3666 or send us an email with your enquiry at info@masulacompliance.com.au.

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