Here at QCS we’re often asked during management system set up and preparation for a new ISO certification ‘how do I go about selecting a certification body?’ Well, it is first and foremost a commercial relationship and the choices of which Certification Body will come and do your ISO assessments and ultimately award your certificate is up to you. There are however several factors to consider. What is a Certification body? A Certification Body (CB) is an independent accredited organisation that is approved to audit management systems and award certificates if the system meets requirements of t ..read more

All of the core ISO management system standards whether ISO 9001, ISO14001, ISO 45001 or ISO 13485 and so on, have a requirement that the organisation undertake a regular review, what the standards call management review. Our experience is that the degree to which the meeting is completed and the content included can vary wildly – from doing the bare minimum to keep the CB off your back through to an in-depth and valuable exercise to review the effectiveness of the systems in place and to make factually based decisions on how to improve. Here are 5 key points to make your management review a ..read more

Achieving ISO 14001 certification can provide the framework you need to support the desired continual improvement your company is aspiring to – helping your businesses minimise its environmental impact, achieve sustainability goals, and comply with relevant regulations – not only by operating in a legal manner but also by setting ambitious environmental management goals and targets. So, where should you begin your environmental management journey? For most organisations, our relationship with ISO 14001:2015 and environmental management is multifaceted and leaves us with lots of questions. Are ..read more

As an IRCA (International Register of Certificated Auditors) Approved Training Partner we’re often asked how can I become a better auditor? Whether auditing quality, environmental management, health & safety or any one of a number of ISO management system standards (ISO9001:2015 or ISO27001;2022 for example) there’s one core competency that good auditors all have in common, they’re good listeners. To those new to auditing the techniques used can at first appear daunting but just remember an audit is a conversation. Asking the right questions can inform and ultimately evidence as to whether ..read more

QCS International were saddened to hear about the closure of QMI Scotland in Aberdeen.  A long-established supplier of consultancy and training, this leaves a gap in the availability of such services in the northeast of Scotland. If you are looking for an alternative supplier of CQI & IRCA training courses, we are pleased to announce that we will be delivering courses in the Aberdeen area.  We plan to deliver foundation and internal auditor training courses on several topics – all of which are listed on our website here (LINK).  Like QMI Scotland, all our training is certifi ..read more

In the run up to the UK exiting the European union on the 31st of December 2020 ,the British Government published two documents of interest to medical device regulations should a ‘no deal’ be the out-come from Brexit negotiations, “Submitting regulatory information on medical products if there’s no Brexit deal” and “How medicines, medical devices and clinical trials would be regulated if there’s no Brexit deal”. Subsequent MHRA guidance regarding these documents has since been obsoleted, however the prospect of their consequences and the implementation of the draft UK MDR remains a real possib ..read more

As restrictions on work and movement are eased there will be an understandable desire to get back to work as soon as possible. However, the return to work will present new challenges, balancing the need to begin operations against the ongoing requirements to maintain social distancing and staff safety. It is a legal requirement to assess the workplace for hazards and implement controls to reduce risk to an acceptable level. It will not be possible, in most businesses, to simply return to previous arrangements and now is a good time to review these, update them and introduce new controls where ..read more

In current circumstances one frequent question we are receiving is with regard to the effectiveness of remote auditing. Certification bodies without exception are continuing to complete their planned audits and are doing so in most circumstances with the aid of technology. Can they really be sure they have covered everything and can the results of a remote or desktop audit be comparable to the more traditional face-to-face approach? The simple answer here is yes, they are effective and yes, it is possible to cover the scope of planned audits (with some exceptions). The following describes what ..read more

Our public training programme was suspended in March but we are now beginning to deliver a more comprehensive training programme. We will deliver our courses whilst maintaining all social distancing guidelines and will supply all our delegates with our COVID-19 risk assessment and special instructions to make training safe for all.  If you have booked to take a course with us we will email you to explain how we will be running the course and how we will be maintaining the safety of delegates and tutors.  It is likely that we will be updating our training calendar, possibly adding fur ..read more

A message from our Managing Director (Updated June 2020) QCS International is attempting to provide all our clients with a service as near as normal during the current situation. We are introducing measures to minimise risk and to find alternate ways of working so that you are able to maintain your management systems, health and safety arrangements and audits. Given current government advice we will be supporting clients remotely and hope to engage with you as much as possible via internet and telephone. Your consultant will be in touch to make the necessary arrangements to ensure communicatio ..read more