Client challenge
For nearly half a century, Thales UK has played a major part in the Thales Group global vision to make people, property and information safer and more secure. Our client researches, develops, manufactures and supplies technology and services to the UK’s aerospace, defence security and transportation sectors. The company’s wide-ranging capabilities adapt continuously to meet customers’ needs, and the contexts in which such needs arise. Our client is very much a service-oriented business, concerned with long-term partnerships across the markets they serve. Every challenge and opportunity faced is approached in a thoughtful, considered way.
Thales UK have been certified to the ISO 14001 environmental standard for many years. Certification here demonstrates the company’s environmental commitment to clients and prospective clients. It also enables Thales UK to be a role model for third-party suppliers and partnerships. The company’s structured approach to the management of environmental issues, including compliance with legal requirements, reduces operating costs and ensures effective processes and environmental practices are championed. With the revised ISO 14001:2015 standard on the horizon, Thales UK wanted to understand the new requirements and how its management system would need to adapt. The company asked us to carry out a gap analysis, so it could start making changes ahead of the formal transition assessment. Being an early adopter of the new requirements was fundamental to our client’s business.
How we helped
Our gap analysis assessment provided a flexible tool, focusing on areas of client concern. Our support was divided into three main parts.
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A pre-visit call between our lead assessor and Thales UK’s HSE Compliance and Improvement Manager to discuss areas that needed particular attention, agree the agenda for the gap analysis assessment and be fully prepared.
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Gap analysis assessment over a day with the company’s UK HSE Compliance and Improvement Manager and UK Head of Health, Safety and Environment. The new standard requires top management involvement and our client was keen to fully understand this aspect and key responsibilities.
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A clear report identifying gaps, especially where the response was ‘partial’ or ‘unlikely’ in relation to implementing the new requirements.
Our report was supported by post-assessment discussions. Together, our input enabled Thales UK to plan how best to address identified gaps to demonstrate conformance with ISO 14001:2015. Our recommendations included training courses to support the team further in understanding and implementing the new requirements.
Business benefits
Our client’s management system team gained the understanding and confidence needed to meet the new ISO 14001:2015 requirements before formal assessment. The team is now able to recognise and implement the necessary changes as an early adopter of the standard.
The project also enabled our client to discuss any concerns about the transition process and readiness of its management systems for certification with our assessor. This is a valuable starting point in the company’s transition journey, promoting confidence to clients and third parties and providing assurance in their management system and processes.
