By Jenni Wirtz | 3 April, 2017
First Line Ltd Achieves New Quality Standard!
Quality Management Systems Guaranteed
First Line Ltd is proud to announce that it has become one of the first companies in the UK aftermarket to have transitioned to the new ISO9001:2015 LRQA certification.
Approved by LRQA (Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd), ISO 9001:2015 is a certified quality management system for organisations who want to consistently provide products and services that meet the needs of their customers and stakeholders.
The latest edition of ISO 9001, ISO’s flagship quality management system standard, was published in September 2015 and has been revised to take into account today’s dynamic and globally interconnected world.
Used in more than 160 countries, the new world-wide standard ensures that there are effective and robust auditable processes in place to continually evaluate risks and opportunities, meaning that Motor Factors and Technicians that use our products can be completely confident that there will be a consistent level of quality maintained, backed up with exceptional customer service.
This high level of assurance comes from knowing that the quality management is driven from the board of directors.
Dan Joyner, Managing Director, comments “The new standard really means something and isn’t just a reactive system that was checked for conformance like the 9001:2008 standard. Everyone working for the company and all of our distributors can be really proud of what has been achieved here, as it demonstrates that we are committed to quality, we have a robust analytical tool embedded in the company and that our QMS is managed from the top down to ensure the business provides a consistent supply of product and service.”
Nick Bourton, QMS Internal Auditor says “The integration of ISO9001:2015 has been an interesting journey over the last four years. The company prides itself on it processes and has been working in line with the new standard for many months now, therefore the transition has been quite seamless. As a family run business, Dan has always taken responsibility for managing our QMS and the management team work closely together to operate the company efficiently and effectively. “
Alan Turner, First Line’s Health and Safety Consultant and Quality Coordinator states “I have been associated with First Line since 1998 and have been privileged to have travelled this journey with them. This new standard requires a commitment at all levels, which is something that First Line has always done and more importantly, will continue to do so!”.
In this momentous time, Tony Shaw, Quality Assessor for LRQA further complemented the First Line operation by saying “The 2015 standard has effectively caught up with the QMS of this organisation”.
First Line has been operating under the newly revised quality management system since June 2016 to ensure a smooth and efficient transition. It’s important for Distributors and repairers to recognise this accreditation as it serves to protect them from issues with product or inefficient service that could easily happen without an effective QMS and ISO9001:2015 certification.