DUNFERMLINE, UK — Following a best-ever financial report in 2013, the Scottish Quality Management Centre surpassed financial targets for a successive year with a 36 percent increase in turnover for financial year-end 2014.
The ISO 9000 specialists increased its turnover from £250k in 2013 well beyond its £275k goal for 2014 to £340k.
SQMC provides ISO training and consultancy services to a diverse client base across a broad range of industries and services throughout the UK.
“After a fantastic year in 2013 and with the continuing demand for our services, we had set ourselves a target of £275k for 2014," SQMC Director Kenny Hannah said. "However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that SQMC consultants were sought after more than ever before, perhaps due in part to recent case studies published about clients we have helped to nail their ISO certification, helping us to be more than 75 percent on the way to reaching this target by the end of the first six months of the year.
“Seeing this sort of growth year on year is enabling us to reinvest more into our infrastructure and customer experience; particularly our online services and the creation of new, custom-built software that is unique to SQMC.”
Although some of the contracts that contributed to last year’s success are now complete, Kenny hopes that the business will replicate it in 2015 with fresh opportunities such as SQMC's forthcoming schedule of accredited "transition" workshops starting on June 17 that will update previously-trained auditors to the latest versions of key quality and environmental ISO standards.
SQMC have provided quality assurance support within the nuclear industry throughout last year, and were also able to secure new business from organizations like Applusvelosi, Score Europe and Playfords/Hedley Solutions, supplying them with the management systems training that they already provide for existing and long-standing clients like the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, General Electric and fashion giants, Mainetti. .
“With new updates to the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality and environmental international standards due out by the end of the year, we foresee many individuals certified to operate to the current versions of the standards requiring our transition courses," Kenny continued. “Eventually, various organizations will require to revisit their certified Quality Management System and bring their procedures and documentation in line with the requirements of the new standard, and I hope that our consultants will play key roles in helping these organizations achieve this."
In 2014, SQMC also boasted exceptionally high pass rates for a number of their courses, 100 percent for their ISO 9001 Internal Auditor course, which is accredited by the International Register of Certificated Auditors. This reflects the quality of training SQMC provides through its trainers, some of the UK’s most experienced and most talented, and presents the best possible opportunity for students to minimize their financial outlay.
Quality management practices, like those taught by SQMC, have been found to contribute considerably towards the UK’s economy and the success of individual organizations. For example, a report commissioned by the CQI and CMI found that in 2011 quality management programs added over £80bn towards the UK’s GDP and an average of a £6 increase to revenues and £16 reduce to cost for every £1 spent on such systems for businesses.1
For more information, visit www.qualityauditor.co.uk.
