Shredall Case Study 2019
Years of experience working with companies in all sectors have given the total information management company a thorough understanding of client needs and compliance issues, and their capabilities and processes are the best in the industry.
The company has made best practice and continuous improvement its focus since receiving its first accreditation, the ISO 9001 Quality Management System, for its Nottingham headquarters in 2002.
22 Years of Growth
It was a major turning point for the firm which now employs 90 people nationwide, 22 years after being launched as a back bedroom business with just £50,000 of savings and one mobile shredding van.
In the years since, Shredall SDS Group earned the environmental standard ISO 14001 for creating a culture of environment improvement right across the business, with 100 per cent of ‘end product’ paper waste now recycled.
Shredall SDS Group has also held ISO 27001 since 2013, demonstrating their continued commitment to securely handling their client’s sensitive information. Whether it’s data held on digital files or physical documents, they feel it’s their duty to fully ensure that all reasonable precautions are taken to stop sensitive customer information falling into the wrong hands.
Being certified was a massive achievement for the business in a year that has brought with it the challenges and opportunities of continued business growth and GDPR.
NQA’s support and involvement has played a big part in the company’s success, as founder and chairman Lloyd Williams explains:
“When we first applied for ISO 9001 we were a very different company to the one we are today. We were smaller but growing very quickly and I could see there was plenty of space for improving how we worked and developing our best practice in a practical, scalable way.”
Proving credentials with ISO 45001:2018
“As with all our previous certifications, we know that the management systems we put in place must be nurtured and maintained if they are to stay relevant to our business year after year. Which is why we took on the challenge for ISO 45001:2018.”
The ISO 45001: 2018 is an international standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, to enable organisations to provide safe and healthy workplaces by preventing work-related injury and ill-health and improving OH&S performance. The new standard replaces BS OHSAS 18001 and is received in addition to Shredall SDS Group’s successful international and industry standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001.
“Shredall SDS Group are amongst the first wave of companies to achieve the new standard in the UK – so very much feel like pioneers in our industry, our constant commitment to OH&S, compliance and continual improvement, reassures our customers – present and future – that we focus on meeting their requirements whilst safeguarding the health and property of all interested parties.”
Working with ISO 45001 has given Shredall SDS Group a real opportunity to review the way the company delivers occupational health and safety across the business, thus improving an already robust management system and engaging further with their workforce on safety thinking and best practice.
"We’ve been able to build a culture of quality improvement across our entire business, for our own benefit and that of our customers. As we’ve gone on to achieve further certification, our longstanding relationship with NQA has been just as important as the flexible nature of the certification schemes themselves, which are regularly updated to reflect changes in our industry. Achieving the certifications has been a steep learning curve in parts, but in so doing we’ve built up customer insight and confidence; the marketplace knows that Shredall SDS Group represents consistent quality, customer service and satisfaction. In this respect, we have clear competitive edge, over less certificated companies." Group Compliance Manager, Carole Woolhouse.
Building trust with certification
The nature of the work done by Shredall SDS Group requires its name to be synonymous with the word trust. Helping clients of all sizes - from large multinationals or public sector bodies to SMEs and sole traders - to store, scan, shred or recycle confidential waste securely.
Certification through NQA has given them industry-wide recognition, and as MD of Shredall SDS Group Nick Williams explains, the added benefits don’t just end with the certificate:
“Each time it’s a long journey for everyone involved from the initial gap analysis through to the certification we receive from NQA, but it’s always a positive experience and the learnings we take away from it extend right across the business. We’ve even won new clients directly as a result.
Laura Fletcher, NQA Commercial Director, said: “Shredall is a great example of a forward thinking company using the best practices delivered by having certificated management systems. This has given Shredall SDS Group a solid platform from which it can expand its business whilst consistently managing its risks.”
www.shredall.co.uk
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