RenewableUK Case Study

30 October 2023

Meet RenewableUK, the UK’s leading renewable energy trade association. They help members access markets locally and globally, with ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 20121 (Sustainable Events Management) supporting their mission.

The topic of renewable energy has flooded into the spotlight over the years, with associations like RenewableUK making it happen.

RenewableUK is the nation’s leading renewable energy trade association. Their mission is to ensure increasing amounts of renewable energy are deployed across the UK, with over 460 members to make this happen.

Members range from small independent companies to large international corporations and manufacturers, all uniting to access UK markets and export renewable energy globally.

Keep reading to explore RenewableUK’s journey to quality and sustainable events with NQA.

Making a positive, greener impact with ISO standards

RenewableUK is among the most trusted names in energy, helping clients push the green electricity agenda.

They achieve each milestone through an impressive array of activities, including advocacy, representation and planning and delivering sustainable networking events.

The key to ensuring best practice? A globally recognised ISO management system!

Why RenewableUK went for ISO certification

“As the UK aims to be a world leader in renewable energy and a just transition, it is [only] right that the UK’s leading renewable energy trade association leads by example, ensuring that our operations align with international best practices and adhere to stringent quality standards.”

Preparing for the audit with Ley Hill Solutions

With ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 20121 (Sustainable Events) on the horizon for RenewableUK, the next step was to implement the management system.

RenewableUK worked alongside consultancy Ley Hill Solutions to build a new, simple management system on the SharePoint platform – one accessible by the entire team. The consultancy is an Associate Partner of NQA, providing ISO consultancy and training services to clients for recognised standards and frameworks.

Ley Hill Solutions led a series of team discovery sessions to help:

Map business processes conducted by RenewableUK
Ensure business processes align with strategic goals
Identify and prioritise areas for improvement

RenewableUK praises Ley Hill Solutions for blending their expertise and friendly methodological approach to create a positive and motivating continuous improvement project.

With a management system for ISO 9001 and ISO 20121 in place, it was time for the NQA audit.

What influenced the decision to work with NQA?

“[NQA’s…] approach, expertise and ability to work with our staff and consultants made them an obvious choice.”

Dedicated to quality and sustainability, with ISO certification to prove it

RenewableUK received separate visits from NQA, one for ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and the other as a pilot for ISO 20121 (Sustainable Events Management).

The NQA auditors worked together to understand RenewableUK’s approach to building a single management system. They also helped:

Confirm the direction of RenewableUK’s ISO 9001 and ISO 20121 aims and scope
Put the RenewableUK team at ease by instilling a welcoming and friendly atmosphere
Shape the management system by giving expertise and suggestions for improvement

RenewableUK’s ISO achievements reflect their commitment to five-star quality and sustainability.

What Ley Hill Solutions says about the NQA audit experience:

“This would be a first for NQA for ISO 20121, but their professionalism and enthusiasm to make it work ensured that the working relationship between all three parties was seamless and supported each other’s needs and aims.

The two auditors worked offline together to ensure the scope of the ISO standards was consistent. While the ISO 9001 and ISO 20121 audits were conducted separately initially, in the future, they can be part of an integrated management system, and audits can be conducted at the same time.”

What ISO 9001 and ISO 20121 mean for RenewableUK

Since getting certified, RenewableUK has prepared for and started delivering various changes – including:

Shifted mindsets

RenewableUK has seen a change in mindset since becoming ISO-certified, with team members:

Considering improvements and efficiencies from Ley Hill Solutions’ process mapping project.
Tracking improvement actions and owners with ease via the SharePoint platform.
Conducting monthly review meetings to embed lasting change across the association.

Integration plans

While RenewableUK was audited against ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 20121 (Sustainable Events Management) separately, there are plans for integration in the future.

The management system was built on the SharePoint platform, integrating with the association’s document centre and Microsoft business ecosystem.

Additional changes

Improving document control throughout RenewableUK.
Develop communication between staff/members via new SharePoint sites.
Embed the new management system with the staff team.
Continue with the management system awareness programme.
Launch and drive a new event sustainability awareness campaign.
Build a new, more granular level of business process maps.

ISO 9001 and ISO 20121 are just the beginning for RenewableUK, with an exciting road ahead!

Final thoughts from NQA

RenewableUK continues to push the renewable energy agenda, with ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 20121 (Sustainable Events Management) enhancing their operations.

Ready to commit to sustainability? Discover more about ISO 20121 and sustainable events.

If you need to speak to someone about your options, get in touch with NQA’s friendly sales team.

Download a PDF version of RenewableUK's case study here.