EGQS Updates

Feature: “EuRA Global Quality Seal Update 2022”

Each year we bring together a group to review and update the EGQS. However for the last two years we felt that this was an unnecessary addition to the stress levels of our members! But as we get back to volume business, we have updated the Quality Standard.

Our Strategic Consultant for Quality and EGQS Project Lead Martina Scharwey, polls both our members holding the Seal and the Audit Teams to find out what changes they feel may be welcomed and also how they rate the Seal itself and the process.

We focussed on building on our Sustainability requirements and asked the following question “Is sustainability an issue that you need to consider in your company today or in the near future?”

75% of members said yes. We then asked “If yes, why are you concerned with the topic of sustainability?” 78% said due to client requests with the next largest reason being legal compliance. As a result we have implemented a new version of our Environmental and Sustainability Policy Guidelines to help members reach the new KPI’s in the Standard. This has been sent to all qualified members along with the new standard. We always ask members to rate the Seal and we have continued to get a 92% excellent or above average for the last 7 years, which we’re very proud of!

We have also a new requirement for members to add a Diversity, Equality & Inclusion policy in their Quality Manual and again, we have prepared a draft policy framework to help members design their own.

We also now require certified members to have a minimum number of team members qualified in the first level of the MIM Programme. As a result we have made MIM Qualifications FREE for those staff required to qualify.

One good thing that has come out of Covid is the new process of remote auditing that we put in place in March 2020. This we are pleased to announce will be a permanent feature of the process for certified members who remain with the same audit partner, either BV or DQS. If you move to a new auditing company, we ask for the initial audit to be face to face. Members are also required to pass with no major nonconformities in the last audit to qualify for a remote process. The UK currently leads the league table in having the highest number of qualified members closely followed by Germany and the Netherlands. But in terms of a representative percentage, it’s Norway and Romania who win with 75% of members qualified!

There is a full MIM+ Module on how to go about building your Quality Manual in advance of having your audit and it is 100% free for all members to certify and is worth 50 credits towards MIM and MIM+ Certifications. So if you have ever thought you’d like to get EGQS Certified, there has never been more support available or more incentives to do it then there are right now!

Come and meet with our audit partners DQS and Bureau Veritas in the Exhibition area in Seville. Martine will also lead three sessions on the seal; “Update 2022”, “Getting EuRA Qualified” and “EGQS Best Practice Workshop”. Check the Whova App for details and see you there!