Company Profile. The Approachable Certification Body

Transcription

1 Company Profile The Approachable Certification Body

2 Contents 1. Introduction of the Certification Body ISOQAR Ltd 3 2. ISOQAR Ltd History 4 3. ISOQAR in Cyprus and Greece 5 4. The ISOQAR' Approach 6 5. Accredited Audit and Certification Services Professional Training Services 9 7. List of Clients for Certification and/or Training Services Contact Details 11 Page: 2

3 Introduction of the Certification Body ISOQAR Ltd ISOQAR Ltd is a British Certification Body having its Head Quarters at Manchester UK. In UK, the operation of ISOQAR Ltd is assessed and monitored from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). In European Countries which are subject to the Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 Setting out the Requirements for Accreditation and Market Surveillance Relating to the Marketing of Products and Repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 as well as to the Multilateral Agreement (MLA), the operations of ISOQAR Ltd overseas offices are assessed and monitored by the respective National Accreditation Bodies on behalf of UKAS. ISOQAR Ltd is an independent, third- party certification body without affiliation to any other company or organisation. It audits a wide range of Governmental, manufacturing and service organisations, both throughout the UK and across most parts of the world. ISOQAR Ltd is an accredited certification body. This means that ISOQAR is authorized to audit organisations and issue certificates against a variety of management systems (such as ISO 9001 & 14001etc). In the UK, this work is regulated by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)- the sole National Accreditation Body recognised by UK government. ISOQAR Ltd is also an approved Training Organisation of IRCA (International Register of Certified Auditors). This means that it has the official approval to deliver certified training courses as well as to issue recognised training certificates to a wide range of Quality, Environmental, Health & Safety and Information Security Management Systems standards. In effect of the European Accreditation ΕΑ, the Accreditation from UKAS is recognised and accepted in all the countries of the European Union. In addition, through the International Accreditation Forum - IAF, the accreditation from UKAS is recognised and accepted at International Level. In result, the Accredited Certificates issued by ISOQAR Ltd enjoy worldwide recognition. Page: 3

4 ISOQAR Ltd History Conceived in the late eighties, ISOQAR became a limited company in August It was founded by David Crompton and George Maxwell using their extensive knowledge of all aspects of the 'quality world'. Knowledge gained through working as Quality Managers in industry, Lead Auditors/Managers with other certification bodies and freelance consultants. Today, ISOQAR Ltd has a significantly wide and active customer base. The Company has certified more than 10,000 customers in more than 40 countries in the world (with the majority being in the UK), and has establish itself with having worldwide physical presence overseas (in form of regional offices) in countries such as (but not limited to) Cyprus, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, Singapore, South Africa USA etc. Up until 2003, ISOQAR Ltd had focused its efforts and activities within the national market of the UK serving overseas on a project management basis. Within a very short period of time, the successful operation of ISOQAR Ltd had established the company within the major and more reliable Certification Bodies of the United Kingdom. In 2003 and having established itself in the national market, ISOQAR Ltd had decided to offer its Certification Services and be involved in a more active manner worldwide. It is this that ISOQAR Ltd is doing ever since. ISOQAR Ltd now enjoys one of the most professional names as well as one of the broadest scopes of accreditation in its industry. Through the regional offices in the aforementioned countries, ISOQAR Ltd operates in most other countries of the world in many of which it has local associate offices. ISOQAR has certified thousands of organisations working to the various ISO standards. And the number is growing daily. More and more companies are not only realising the benefits of having their Management Systems certified, but also the benefits of using ISOQAR in particular. Its dislike of bureaucracy and its philosophy of being approachable mean that nearly all ISOQAR's contracts stem from recommendations by management consultants or other registered businesses. In October 2010 ISOQAR Ltd was acquired by the Alcumus Group, a multi- disciplinary provider of risk management, compliance and certification services Page: 4 This has resulted in the company s considerable and stable growth in recent years.

5 ISOQAR in Cyprus and Greece The presence of ISOQAR Ltd in Cyprus and Greece (in form of certified customers) had commenced in 1996 when international shipping and other services companies had chosen to be audited and certified by a professional, reliable and approachable UKAS accredited Certification Body. The official representation however of ISOQAR Ltd in Cyprus and Greece was established in 2005 with the incorporation of ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd in Cyprus. ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd (based in Limassol, Cyprus) with Mr Stefanos Spanos as Director was assigned with the management and development of Balkans and Middle East countries. Since then, ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd had established a network of representative offices and associates in many big cities of Greece, Balkans and Middle East. Mr Stefanos Spanos, Regional Director of ISOQAR in Balkans and Middle East, has a BSc Hons degree in Computer Science / Software Engineering, and a Masters Degree on Business Administration. He was involved as a Tutor in Postgraduate Programs as well as in many training seminars and conferences. He is involved with management systems and audits since the early 90s. He was assigned the regional management with a clear vision to offer professional, reliable, and approachable certification services in the region that add real value to the customers of the ISOQAR Ltd Certification Body. It is important to place emphasis on the fact that ISOQAR Ltd has entrusted significant activities of the Certification Process on ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd, with the role of being a Critical Locationwith increased responsibilities. ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd is one of the very few regional management offices of Accredited Certification Bodies operating overseas that is entrusted with this vitally important role. Within the framework of this role, the regional management office has been assessed successfully by UKAS and by ESYD (on behalf of UKAS) in Greece. It is this fact that increases the reliability and confidence on the activities of ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd as a regional management office, because it is assessed and monitored regularly from Accreditation Bodies. Page: 5

6 The ISOQAR' Approach Though its experience and by understanding what it is like to be on the receiving end of the audit process, ISOQAR has developed a unique approach and package of benefits for companies seeking registration. The central philosophy of ISOQAR is to be an Approachable Certification Body. The Approachable Philosophy is spread to all functions of the Certification Body: ü Approachable, Friendly and Down to Earth Audits ü Approachable Communication and Rapid Response ü Approachable Auditors and Use of Industry Experts. ü Approachable Pricing Policy Approachable, Friendly and Down- to- Earth Audits There is no need for audits to be traumatic. Audits must be a constructive experience which aims to improving the processes and activities of the company (auditee) and to the achievement of the highest possible level of quality for the products and/or services offered. This needs to be achieved while taking into consideration both the size of the company as well as the industry that the company operates. For this reason, ISOQAR's auditors are selected for their ability to work with the representative from the company and to be approachable. They establish that the appropriate management system works for the benefit of the company and check it as though they were customers of the firm. Emphasis is firmly placed on practicality. Approachable Communication and Rapid Response ISOQAR places a lot of emphasis on the effective and pleasant communication as well as on rapid response. Whether it is a query about certification or an urgent need to achieve registration itself, ISOQAR specialises in providing answers or audits at speed. A friendly, helpful administration and management team with expert knowledge are always available at the end of a telephone. Page: 6

7 Approachable Auditors and Use of Industry Experts All ISOQAR auditors are selected on their ability to be approachable and communicate effectively with the company being audited. Moreover, when selecting audit team members for a particular audit, ISOQAR will always choose an auditor with experience of the industry being audited. This ensures that the audit process takes place in an air of mutual understanding. There is no conflict arising from a lack of knowledge of the challenges faced in running that particular business. Accordingly, ISOQAR makes sure that the auditor and the company being audited both speak the same language. Through the experience, expertise and approach of ISOQAR, the audit process contributes vitally to the company by adding significant value. Approachable Pricing Policy ISOQAR's audit fees are amongst the most competitive in the industry. All quotations are provided with clarity, free of charge, without hidden costs and without expecting any commitment from the client. Expenses are not normally charged for attending companies' premises within countries and cities where ISOQAR has auditors. To comply with accreditation body guidelines, ISOQAR carries out audits for recertification every three years. Costs for this will be kept to a minimum and are discussed with the clients in advance. ISOQAR pricing policy is for offering approachable service to SMEs Not only, but also... Quality Documents Reviewed On Site. With the exception of smaller firms, ISOQAR has a policy of visiting companies applying for certification. This enables its documentation (manuals and procedures) to be reviewed and provides an opportunity for the company and the ISOQAR auditor to discuss any areas of concern before the audit itself. Even more importantly, it provides an opportunity to start building a rapport with the auditor. Page: 7

8 Accredited Certification Services Standard Relates to Accreditation ISO/IEC 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems ISO/IEC 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems OHSAS 18001:2007 Health and Safety Management Systems ISO/IEC 22000:2005 Food Safety Management Systems BRC Food v5 Food Safety BRC IOP v4 Packaging and Packaging Materials ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Information Security Management Systems ISO 22301:2012 Business Continuity Management Systems ISO/IEC :2011 Information Technology Service Management Page: 8

9 Professional Training Services Training Seminar Accreditation / Approval Five Day QMS Auditor / Lead Auditor Training Course (ISO 9001) A17395 Two Day ISO 9001 Internal Auditor Training Course Quality Management Systems (QMS) A17396 Five Day Lead Auditor Training Course ISMS (ISO 27001) Information Security Management Systems A17474 (*) Offered by ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd in cooperation with external training provider Page: 9

10 List of Clients (indicative) for Certification and/or Training Services in Greece and Cyprus (Alphabetically) Page: 10

11 Contact Details Regional Management for Balkans and Middle East ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd 4, Alexandrias Str. Bridge Tower, Office , Limassol, Cyprus Operating Address 36Α, Mesogis Avenue Mesogi, P.C Pafos, Cyprus Mailing Address P.O. Box 64725, P.C Pafos, Cyprus Tel.: e- mail: web: Southern Aegean Office Mr. Mixalis Tzanakis 1770 Str.,Nr. 10, Iraklion 71202, Crete, Hellas tel.: ISOQAR (Hellas) Ltd is a Company Registered in Cyprus under TIC : O Page: 11