At Universal Smart Cards we are always looking at ways we can reduce our organisations impact on the environment, whether it’s by introducing greener smart card choices, offering carbon neutral delivery or supporting green initiatives.

Our ISO 14001 accreditation, attained over 10 years ago, is a key part of this and demonstrates we have environmental management systems in place to comply with stringent environmental laws and regulations.

What is ISO 14001?

ISO 14001 is the International Standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS). It was designed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) to help businesses and other organisations to reduce their environmental impact. It has allowed us to set up an EMS that helps us to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and cut waste management costs. ISO 14001 is one of the most recognised standards in the world.

Our requirements to meet the ISO 14001 standard.

The ISO 14001 standard uses a structure of ten clauses called ‘Annex SL’, which, groups together to cover four key areas:

• Environmental impact – the processes our business must follow to run a successful Environmental Management System and reduce its environmental impact.
• Management Responsibility – the areas our management team need to focus on, be involved with and be accountable for.
• Resource Management – how resources such as people, infrastructure and facilities must be assigned to ensure the best possible performance.
• Measurement, Analysis and Improvement – how we determine if our Environmental Management System is working as expected, facilitating the continual improvement of our systems.

We have all of the above in place, allowing us to meet the stringent criteria for ISO 14001 certification and demonstrate our commitment to supporting a greener, healthier environment.

The benefits of working with us, an ISO 14001 accredited company.

Businesses face increasing supply chain pressure for more accountability for their impact on the environment - it’s now more important than ever that we all make greener choices. That’s why we’ve worked hard to achieve this standard, giving our customers piece of mind that they are sourcing from a company that has a robust environmental management system and is committed to reducing their impact on the environment. It allows you to demonstrate that your organisation sources their smart products from an ISO 14001 accredited supplier – adding to your eco-friendly credentials by showing your commitment to the environment and support for greener partners. Find out more about our commitment to supporting a greener environment in our environmental recycling policy here.

ISO 9001 – Ensuring quality standards

Quality is one of our core principals at Universal Smart Cards and we strive to exceed the expectations of our customers, for both quality products and service. To attain ourISO 9001 certification we must follow the standards ISO 9001 sets out for a quality management system, ensuring that we uphold our high standards for quality. This ISO certification recognises the hard work we put in to quality management and allows us to continue delivering the high quality products and services, that set us apart from the competition.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a quality management system and is one of the most well-known standards for quality management in the world – with over one million organisations in 170 countries certified to ISO 9001. It also the only standard in the family that can be certified to. The ISO 9001 standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement.

What are the principles of ISO 9001?

The ISO 9001 standard sets out quality management principles (QMP’s) that we must follow. These are:

• QMP 1 – Customer focus
• QMP 2 – Leadership
• QMP 3 – Engagement of people
• QMP 4 – Process approach
• QMP 5 – Improvement
• QMP 6 – Evidence-based decision making
• QMP 7 – Relationship management

You can find out more about these principles and the actions we must take to adhere to them on the ISO website here.

What are the benefits of working with us, an ISO 9001 certified company?

Quality issues can have a huge impact on organisations – there is nothing worse than receiving delivery of your products, only to find that they don’t work or are poor quality and not fit for use. Ultimately, it costs time, money, and more crucially, reputation.

We work hard to deliver only the highest quality products and services, negating any potential business impact for our customers. Everything goes through our stringent quality control processes before leaving our warehouse – whether it’s a stocked item or a fully personalised smart card.

When you partner with Universal Smart Cards for your smart products, you can be sure that we’ll deliver on our quality promise, which in turn, ensures no business disruption for you.

Find out more about our ISO accreditations and products

Would you like more information on our ISO accreditations and how they can benefit your organisation? Or would you like to find out more about our products and services?

Contact of team of specialists here.