Getting ISO Certified: An Inside Look

Getting ISO Certified: An Interview With Darren, Financial Director

Recently, Darren, our Financial Director, has been working hard to get us ISO (International Organisation of Standardisation) certified. It’s a huge task, and we’re really excited about it here at Rapid, so here he is to answer some questions:

What is ISO, and which certification have we got?

ISO stands for International Organisation of Standardisation, which is an organisation that sets the standard for services & products. We’ve been certified with ISO 9001, which is the world’s most widely recognised quality management systems standard, with more than a million organisations in 189 countries being ISO 9001 certified.

Why ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 is the standard for Quality Management, which is used by a vast number of businesses. There are also many larger businesses that look for companies working to this standard when considering them as a supplier.

What was the process for getting Rapid Travel Group ISO certified?

I started by researching providers, and Citation ISO was a company I had known about from a previous employer. Once I had made the initial contact with them, they were very helpful in getting the ball rolling. We held a few meetings with the certification body, who assisted in setting up and amending our current management policy/system, while discussing and showing our current procedure for various jobs & tasks within Rapid Travel Group. The process took a couple of months.

It's a great achievement; how are you celebrating?

Cake!

Everyone at Rapid pulled together to make this happen, so at our January 'Office Day' we all celebrated with an ISO cake!

What was most challenging about getting certified?

Ensuring the management system was correct for us. Since we will be audited against this, we had to make sure it is the correct management system for Rapid Travel Group.

How will Rapid being ISO certified benefit our clients?

Although we already demonstrate that we work to a high standard, this certification will further assure our customers and suppliers that we will continue to uphold these standards. We will also be assessed on this by a prestigious external body, the ISO. Our customers can have confidence in the standards we adhere to.

Why is this important to us at Rapid Travel Group?

This is important to Rapid for the following reasons: increased efficiency throughout the business, cost savings with an increase in turnover, greater employee morale, and improved customer & supplier relationships.