NEW: Fixed Price Implementation Packages

NEW: Fixed Price Implementation Packages

Part of the reason we got into ISO standards, is we like things to be straight forward. When things are straightforward (like your management systems), you can spend more time on creating value and generating new business. When we’ve been looking for business services over the last few months, a frequent frustration has been the Read more about NEW: Fixed Price Implementation Packages[…]

Internal and External Issues: Understanding ISO

Internal and External Issues: Understanding ISO

Internal and external issues are part of understanding the organisation and its context, a common clause across all standards aligned with the Annex SL framework, which includes ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015. As such, Both of these standards have a clause which reads something similar to: “The organization shall determine external and internal issues that Read more about Internal and External Issues: Understanding ISO[…]

Remote Services in Lockdown and Beyond

Remote Services in Lockdown and Beyond

Lockdown doesn’t mean your plans need to go into lockdown… so how are we delivering services remotely? As the country and businesses in some industries start to show signs of fresh activity, we recognise that we are still light years away, and will likely remain to be for some time, from operating in ways similar Read more about Remote Services in Lockdown and Beyond[…]

Understanding ISO: Benefits of ISO 9001 Quality Management

Understanding ISO: Benefits of ISO 9001 Quality Management

Ever been asked if you have a quality management system or ISO 9001? Many clients now require this certification as a minimum for their supply chain. Other than meeting these requirements, what else can ISO 9001 do for your organisation? Efficiency and Improvement Most organisations who pursue ISO 9001 are private, commercial organisations, so let’s Read more about Understanding ISO: Benefits of ISO 9001 Quality Management[…]

Understanding ISO: Getting Certified

Understanding ISO: Getting Certified

So you’ve implemented your system and now you want to let everybody know how great your organisation is! What next? How can you tell people you are operating in compliance with ISO standard? What do you need to do if you want to get UKAS certified? Read on to find out more… Under ISO there Read more about Understanding ISO: Getting Certified[…]

Understanding ISO: What does it mean?

Understanding ISO: What does it mean?

You’ve probably seen stickers or logos on vans, websites and brochures with the acronym “ISO”. If you’ve ever wondered what it means, here’s some more information about these standards, what they mean and why your organisation might want to get certified. ISO The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develop, maintain, review and update all ISO Read more about Understanding ISO: What does it mean?[…]

‘Tis the season to be sustainable

‘Tis the season to be sustainable

With the holiday season almost upon us, and this time of year being when most of us shop, eat, drink and attend events more than any other time, we’ve come up with 6 of our favourite ways to keep it sustainable. Plan your meals – reduce the waste!  With a dramatic increase in household waste Read more about ‘Tis the season to be sustainable[…]

Labour at the BTC: Energy and Net Zero Carbon 

Labour at the BTC: Energy and Net Zero Carbon 

On 20th August Jeremy Corbyn made a semi-surprise visit to Totem Sustainability’s offices at the BTC Stevenage (we knew it was a labour politician but not who it was). I had the opportunity to talk business and sustainability with the Labour leader and participate in a panel with Jeremy Corbyn, Sharon Taylor (Leader of the Council at Stevenage Borough Council) and Jill Borcherds (Prospective Parliamentary Labour Read more about Labour at the BTC: Energy and Net Zero Carbon […]

Energy and Carbon: Reporting must lead to actions

Energy and Carbon: Reporting must lead to actions

Last month I met up with an ex-colleague and friend, Hannah Kershaw of QinetiQ, to discuss the current state of energy and carbon standards. Instead of writing a piece myself, Hannah (who taught me most of what I know about energy and carbon), kindly agreed to provide her insights on the changing carbon and energy Read more about Energy and Carbon: Reporting must lead to actions[…]

Understanding ISO: ISO 14001 Environmental Management

Understanding ISO: ISO 14001 Environmental Management

What does it mean? Having worked as a lead auditor for some big certification bodies, including BM Trada and NQA, I noticed many ISO 14001 systems were implemented by individuals who were primarily quality consultants. These systems are often good enough to achieve UKAS certification, but do not maximise value for the organisation because the Read more about Understanding ISO: ISO 14001 Environmental Management[…]