IMPACT
ISSUE 53
The Benefits of ISO certification ...
LEGAL EDITION
A framework for professionalism IMSM helps thousands of businesses worldwide achieve ISO 9001:2008 (Quality), ISO 14001 (Environmental), and ISO 27001 (Information Security) certification, through no fuss, fixed fee management systems. International standards provide an ideal framework for legal practitioners to follow in the footsteps of other professions, and review and integrate their existing processes and systems, such as Lexcel v4. Added benefits include improved effectiveness, and managing risks in the supply chain. Once ISO 9001 is in place, other standards can be achieved. Here are some examples of how ISO certification has helped IMSM’s clients in the legal profession:
Legally binding Ramsbottom & Co is a general practice solicitors firm who have been servicing the local residents, both commercial and private clients, on Hayling Island for more than twelve years. Always looking for ways to improve their local legal service, they enlisted IMSM’s help to achieve the globally “IMSM have been respected ISO 9001 certificate of quality. They provide many different general legal extremely helpful services including domestic and commercial and undertook the conveyancing, wills and probate. ISO is not a mandatory requirement entire ISO process registration for this particular industry. However, it very efficiently.” complements the company’s forward thinking strategy and has enabled them to solidify their quality procedures. They had already implemented a number of internal management systems, but wanted an external expert to come in to audit what they had done, make recommendations and bind it all together. After considering legal specific standards such as Lexcel Practice Management and Investors in People, they decided on ISO 9001 because it was the most easily recognisable. As well as providing assistance with the internal structure of the company, it would have an additional marketing benefit. Since becoming certified they are much more aware of how to make the most of their internal processes. They “We have been so already had sound impressed with their management and quality service that we have procedures in place, but ISO registration means already they are now extra recommended them conscious of better ways of doing things. Their to other legal firms procedures have evolved looking to become and developed, and their ISO certified.” internal systems are now of the highest standards. Certification has enabled them to increase their effectiveness and the entire business is now more unified and streamlined. Following several meetings with different ISO providers they decided on IMSM because they stood out by far as the most professional, practical and approachable supplier. “IMSM have been extremely helpful and undertook the entire ISO process very efficiently. Their guidance has been invaluable. We have been so impressed with their service that we have already recommended them to other legal firms looking to become ISO certified,” comments Glen Van-Baskerville, Solicitor. www.ramsbottom.co.uk
Security reassurance IMSM customer London Legal was first set up in 2001 in order to answer the growing demand for a fast and proficient service providing legal document handling within central London. Today they have grown to a team of twenty experts. Operating from two bases in Canary Wharf and the City, the company offers a broad range of specialist services including “As we operate mainly printing, digital imaging and scanning. in the legal sector London Legal’s clients range from ISO 27001 is also of major law firms to large financial and vital importance.” blue chip corporations. It is extremely important for them to be able to provide reassurance that high quality, secure work will be produced. This is one of the reasons why they decided to undertake the ISO certifications. They liked IMSM’s professional approach and good track record, so enlisted their help to gain the internationally recognised ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 quality and security registrations. ISO 9001 has proven extremely helpful and they have found that literally all of their customers ask whether it is in place before they place an order. However, it is ISO 27001 that has really given them the edge, especially amongst their clients in the legal division. London Legal is well known for providing a quick, reliable service that is on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Yet, these external certifications mean their clients are also immediately comforted that this will be a high quality service following optimum security procedures. This is an extremely important selling point, especially when working with the legal sector. Elaine Munn, Project Manager comments, “The quality ISO speaks for itself. Without doubt our clients expect it to be in place. It gives them the comfort that they will receive high quality work from us. As we operate mainly in the legal sector ISO 27001 is also of vital importance. We have found it to be a very useful tool and it has given us new perspectives in terms of security that we would not necessarily have thought of before. We have been extremely pleased with the service provided by IMSM and would definitely recommend them to other businesses.” www.london-legal.co.uk
To date, IMSM has helped more than 8,000 organisations around the world to achieve ISO certification
www.imsm.com – international standards are our business
IMPACT recovery
Quality cost
IMSM customer, The Costs Partnership (TCP) is a long established London firm of law costs draftsmen. The partnership has been in existence for over thirty years and during that time has acquired several well known cost drafting firms, before evolving into its current structure in 2003. To be successful in the highly competitive law cost recovery industry, firms need to stand out. TCP felt that as an internationally recognised marker of high quality, ISO 9001 certification would help them to achieve this. All of their customers are solicitors who need an experienced team of law costs draftsmen to handle their cost drafting requirements. They mainly service the central London market, but regularly receive additional instructions from all over England and Wales from solicitors looking for a competitive, high quality provider. ISO registration is extremely useful for the business to business nature of their work. Many of their clients are already familiar with ISO standards and can therefore immediately identify that TCP are a high quality, professional supplier. Certification has already enabled them to improve the quality of the firm, be more successful in business to business sales, and increase efficiencies. Although ISO registration is not generally an industry requirement, it has also proven very useful in securing government and local authority instructions. Soon after meeting IMSM at a “We first met IMSM at an solicitors group seminar they came to industry seminar. We the decision that registration would be liked what they had to say extremely beneficial. They saw that the ISO 9001 could be a very useful and decided that ISO and cost effective method for certification would be very improving company procedures, as beneficial for our business. “ well as a great promotion tool for new business. “We first met IMSM at an industry seminar. We liked what they had to say and decided that ISO certification would be very beneficial for our business. We have an excellent working relationship with them and their service is always very good. We would definitely recommend them to other businesses that are looking for a professional provider to help them achieve ISO certification,” concludes Steve Lagden, Senior Partner. www.tcpcosts.co.uk
Commitment to Excellence IMSM Limited is delighted to announce that the company has achieved the European Foundation for Quality Management [EFQM] Recognised for Excellence Award. This internationally recognised Award acknowledges that IMSM is a high performing organisation, which operates within a management framework, defining what they do and explaining why they do it. The EFQM Excellence Model is the most widely used organisational framework in Europe, and the basis for the majority of national and regional Quality Awards.
ISSUE 53 www.imsm.com
Producing the truth As independent promotional and broadcast verification specialists themselves, PromoVeritas knows the importance of independent substantiation. This is why they engaged IMSM to provide an external verification of their quality management systems, and to obtain ISO 9001 certification. The company name PromoVeritas derives from the Latin words for producing the truth, and this is at the heart of what they do. Based near Wembley, the firm specialises in ensuring their clients’ consumer prize draws and competitions remain truthful and compliant to legal and industry standards. For the last six years they have worked with a wide range of high profile clients across many different industry sectors, including Shell, Coca Cola, Unilever and the BBC for live phone votes. All of their clients need the reassurance that only an independent expert can bring. PromoVeritas give them this comfort, making sure that their competitions are fully compliant and have the utmost security and PromoVeritas Oversee integrity. Eurovision 2009 UK Vote Making mistakes in this industry can be extremely costly, “IMSM are great value with fines for unfair competitions and prize draws running into for money. Their millions, as GMTV and ITV have consultants have been in discovered to their cost. industry themselves, so Businesses need a specialist verifier who they can trust. As it understand the is PromoVeritas’s task to protect practicalities of working their clients, it is vital that they themselves do not make any life. I would definitely mistakes. ISO 9001 certification recommend them for has helped them to reinforce this their good value, straight emphasis on quality. It provides the assurance that they have the forward approach.” best quality and management procedures in place. IMSM’s straight forward approach and business experience soon overcame any initial concerns they had about registration. IMSM took on board the systems they already had in place, making only minor alterations. Jeremy Stern, Managing Director adds, “IMSM are great value for money. Their consultants have been in industry themselves, so understand the practicalities of working life. I would definitely recommend them for their good value, straight forward approach. Now that we are ISO certified our clients can rest even easier knowing that our quality management systems and business processes have themselves been independently certified and tested.” www.promoveritas.com
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