Drive Lines Technologies has become one of the UK’s first mechanical power transmission companies to be approved to the new, revised ISO9001:2015 standard for quality management.

Organizations that are approved to ISO 9001:2008 have been granted three years to attain the new standard. However, Drive Lines saw the revisions as an opportunity to review its quality management and ensure that it remains ahead of the curve within its industry.

ISO 9001 is a quality management system standard that has been adopted around the world. Rather than simply defining procedures and expectations, ISO 9001 is designed to be a business improvement tool that encourages continuous reviews, streamlining and costs reduction. It helps businesses work effectively, both internally and with other organizations, become resilient and demonstrate their strong corporate governance.

The new requirements place more emphasis on management-lead procedures that are designed to promote continuous improvement. They also encourage the use of risk assessment techniques that highlight potential problems before they arise.

“Drive Lines has been ISO 9001 approved since 2002, so have been through the 2000 and 2008 revisions,” says Ian Carr, Drive Lines managing director. “We see the revisions as a driver for us to review the internal procedures that define our quality standards and service levels and ensure that we continue to offer the highest performance levels to our clients.” 

Drive Lines’ internal re-evaluation process was deliberately designed to be rigorous and included a review of their complete quality management system: procedures, audits and assessments. It has led to an improvement in the company’s already high standards of quality and transparency.

“We think that by taking a positive attitude towards standards and compliance we maximize their benefit to us – and hence our clients,” concludes Carr.