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Obart Pumps is a leading distributor of pumps and associated products based in Maidstone, Kent. Over the years, the business has steadily expanded and, since 2000, Obart Pumps have been the largest independent distributor in the EU for Tsurumi Manufacturing Co Ltd, a Japanese manufacturer with a global distribution network.
From its formation, Obart Pumps have always strived to be a professional business based on quality management practices. Responsible environmental practice and Health and Safety management are also strong values of the Managing Director, Matthew Hill, of Obart Pumps. In order to communicate this good practice to its customers Matthew commissioned 2SB to assist the business in achieving ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001 certification, which was granted in 2013 by Alcumus ISOQAR.
Matthew felt that certification was becoming a real necessity for the business as customers began to frequently request information on their ISO certifications.
Matthew commented on this situation “We needed ISO Standards because we wanted to improve our systems. ISO Standards create a very professional image and confirms our credibility in a competitive market”
Since being certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 in 2013, Obart Pumps worked with 2SB again for their ISO 2015 upgrade and for the migration to ISO 45001:2018 which was successfully auditied in April 2019.
With both businesses being based locally in Kent, Obart Pumps have formed a mutually supportive relationship with 2SB over the years.Matthew commented:
'Having 2SB’s support at Obart Pumps brings in external views and advice as they work with a variety of different businesses. 2SB sees how lots of businesses work and can advise on what might be applicable to Obart Pumps'
In 2017, Obart Pumps decided to upgrade their integrated management system to meet the requirements of the new 2015 Standards. With help from 2SB’s Management Systems Consultant, Lucy Trimmer, Obart Pumps were successfully certified in April 2017.
With the ISO 45001:2018 standard being relealsed in March 2018, Obart Pumps decided to combine the re-training of a new Compliance Manager with the upgrade in a combined support package from 2SB Management Systems.
Lucy now provides Obart Pumps with a few days of ISO support spread throughout the year, which includes an update and review of the businesses legal compliance obligations and a system 'health check' prior to their annual external audit.
The updated Standards reiterates the importance of implementing the ISO Standard across all areas of the business and effective communication of the processes and procedures to all staff is key.
Lucy commented “Everyone at Obart Pumps is willing to get involved and wants to learn more about ISO – they have the correct attitude. Obart Pumps are not looking to react to problems but rather are looking to prevent problems and continually improve”.
Having received certification for their triple standard management system, Matthew spoke of the benefits he felt had been brought to his business.
Matthew commented “As we have all three Standards we can show that we are committed to Quality, Environmental impact and Health and Safety. ISO 9001 underscores our quality as a company and ISO 14001 confirms we consider our environmental impact very important, especially as we do a lot of environmental related projects within the organisation. ISO 45001 confirms we are a safe place to work and Health and Safety is a top priority”.
With ISO management system certification becoming a pre-requisite for many public and private tenders, implementing an ISO certified management system is becoming increasingly important for businesses in all sectors looking to expand and to stay ahead of competitors. Obart Pumps themselves have extended their warehouse to be able to hold more stock.
Obart Pumps have also benefitted from an integrated management system internally as well. Jamie Hill, Director at Obart Pumps commented “Having ISO Standards shows you have policies and processes in place and that these are constantly being adhered to within the business”.
Looking to the future Matthew commented “I’m confident having triple certification ISO Standards will encourage us to grow our business and attract more customers”.
Obart Pumps are just one of a growing number of businesses to have benefitted from 2SB’s expertise in implementing bespoke, effective management systems.
If you are looking to implement a quality or environmental management system guaranteed to meet the requirements of ISO standards, please call us on 01622 721684 or complete our enquiry form online.