Fact sheet: Making the transition from Lexcel to ISO 9001:2008

More than a thousand firms in the UK have signed up to the Law Societys practice management standard Lexcel. However an increasing number of firms are choosing to extend their certifications to add the business management standard ISO 9001:2008, or to use it as an alternative to Lexcel. ISO 9001 is the international standard for managing a firms product & service delivery, so has a much wider focus than the quality element implied by its title. Because ISO 9001 is recognised outside the UK and because it forms a tried & tested framework for delivering what clients want, at price agreeable to the firm, it can lead to significant benefits for the organisation that uses it. Most mature firms will already be doing much of what is required to achieve ISO 9001 certification and, if the firm already has Lexcel, the transition to ISO 9001 can made with relative ease. What are the business benefits of ISO 9001? Improved business performance ISO 9001 ensures that all of a firms processes and working practices are understood & are driven by business objectives, reducing misdirected effort. This can free managers and employees to carry out more important work for the business. Manage business risk ISO 9001 ensures that a firms supply chain and contractors are under control, reducing the chance of delay or failure caused by work being inadequate, delivered late or not delivered at all. ISO 9001 encourages firms to improve the consistency of the service they provide, which reduces the risk of costly remedial work and customer claims. Reduced operating costs ISO 9001 increases the visibility of wasted time, processes and materials. This allows an organisation to put a value on poor performance and waste of all kinds, so that it can prioritise programmes for improvement and increase productivity and margin. As a rule of thumb, an organisation can save 20% of turnover by doing things right-first-time. Increased customer satisfaction ISO 9001 ensures that services are supplied on time & that they meet the customers needs. ISO 9001 requires that customer satisfaction is measured, so that an firm can identify & catch adverse trends before they cause damage to reputation. ISO 9001 ensures that a firm has an effective response to customer complaints. An organisation that handles complaints well often has a happier customer base than one that has no complaints at all. Increased sales ISO 9001 boosts a firms brand reputation and gives access to customers that demand that their advisors hold a certified quality management standard.
The HSQE Department Ltd 2012 Wimblestone Road, Winscombe, Somerset, BS25 1JP 01934 610168/07909 528942 http://www.thehsqedepartment.com VAT Registration Number: 107156144

Fact sheet: Making the transition from Lexcel to ISO 9001:2008

Improved employee performance ISO 9001 ensures that employees are more involved in the business, leading to better morale and lower staff turnover. Skill shortages and lack of competence are identified and addressed earlier, leading to a higher rate of work that is right-first-time and fewer mistakes. Team working problems can be readily identified. How do I go about it? When you embark on a project to implement ISO 9001 youre making three important commitments. To clearly identify any requirements that apply to your business, whether from the customer or from third parties (such as business codes of practise). To satisfying the customer and third-party requirements that youve signed up to. To continuously improve the quality of your service to clients.

If you accept these commitments then, apart from some straight-forward documents and procedures that any business management system would need to work effectively, ISO 9001 isnt prescriptive and can be designed to be very light-weight and easy to maintain. There are a number of steps that Lexcel certified firms may need to take before they can claim to meet the requirements of ISO 9001:1. Review the Quality Policy & ensure that it is appropriate to the size & purpose of the firm; includes a commitment to comply with client & third-party requirements; includes a commitment to continuous improvement; provides a framework for establishing and reviewing quality improvement objectives; is communicated and understood within the firm. 2. Appoint a Management Representative who will be responsible for setting up and maintaining the business management system. 3. Carry out a gap analysis to test how the firms existing processes and procedures conform to ISO 9001 and where additional processes or procedures need to be developed. 4. Produce written procedures to satisfy ISO 9001 requirements for document control, record control, preventive action, corrective action & control of non-conforming product. 5. Analyse internal data on customer satisfaction and service delivery. Use the conclusions to set quality improvement objectives and plans to deliver them. 6. Appoint a team of internal auditors and ensure that they have the skills and training to audit against ISO 9001. Establish a programme of internal audits. 7. Hold the firms first formal Management Review of how the management system is performing. ISO 9001 defines the agenda for the review and a written record must be kept of information discussed and the actions agreed. At the end of the implementation process, you can choose to have your business management system independently certified to show to the world that youve achieved a high standard. If you do, its important to use one of the hundred or so certification bodies in
The HSQE Department Ltd 2012 Wimblestone Road, Winscombe, Somerset, BS25 1JP 01934 610168/07909 528942 http://www.thehsqedepartment.com VAT Registration Number: 107156144

Fact sheet: Making the transition from Lexcel to ISO 9001:2008

the UK that are accredited by the government-backed United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), or you risk your certificate being rejected by the very clients youre aiming to impress. What resources are needed? Its perfectly feasible to prepare for ISO 9001 by buying a copy of the standard and working through it systematically. Firms that dont have Lexcel should expect to budget around 60 person-days to ensure that they have adequate systems and processes in place before attempting ISO 9001 certification. The time commitment can be reduced to around 10 person-days by appointing an experienced management systems contractor to guide the implementation of the standard. Although there is a cost to this, a good contractor will more than pay for themselves by reducing the opportunity cost of the firms time, and will be able to guarantee certification. The HSQE Department has developed a systematic approach to preparing for ISO 9001 certification that provides clients all of the documents and procedures required by the standard, a fully compliant internal audit programme and evidence of Management Review. We can even manage the certification process for you. If you are considering whether ISO 9001 certification might be right for your firm, why not call us on 01934 610168 for an informal discussion.

The HSQE Department Ltd 2012 Wimblestone Road, Winscombe, Somerset, BS25 1JP 01934 610168/07909 528942 http://www.thehsqedepartment.com VAT Registration Number: 107156144