Quality Assurance
We want to place contracts with firms whose quality control and product reliability are of a high standard, so that we can keep our own quality inspections to a minimum.
In our pre-tender assessment we look for evidence of a good quality control system, such as BS EN ISO 9000. Although formal certification to such a standard is not usually mandatory, it will help if you can show that effective systems for quality control are used.
To ensure safety and reliability, some specifications may require products to meet specific international, European or British technical standards. You may be asked to produce relevant certificates.
Information on quality is available from the Department of Trade and Industry on
www.dti.gov.uk/quality/1i.htm.