Annie McNeely ISO consultant in Rutland and Leicestershire.

Quality Management and Business Improvement

Supporting SMEs, Micro-businesses and Sole Traders in
Rutland, Leicestershire, Midlands & East Anglia.

  • Business Systemisation
  • Quality Management System Builds
  • Quality Management support - retained or ad-hoc
  • Internal Auditing, External Audit Prep and support
  • Quality Management System development and repairs
  • Training

Reinforcements have arrived! Get in touch to kick off your Business Improvement or Quality Management strategy

SMEs and Me

I thrive on seeing small businesses grow and succeed. With over 20 years of operational management experience in SMEs and large PLCs I know that applying some basic principles can save time and money, reduce risks, reduce stress and really improve your business.

Business owners are busy, and small business owners are even busier. That's why I use my background and experience to help SMEs, micro-businesses and Sole Traders manage quality, reduce waste, streamline their activities, win bigger contracts and help them succeed against bigger competitors.

 

As a qualified ISO9001 Lead Auditor I know how to develop systems which not only comply with the standard but which really work for your organisation.  If your aim is to achieve ISO certification or if you're already certified but your hitting problems at audit, I can help.

I offer accessible, flexible and cost effective Quality Management , Business Systemisation and  ISO 9001 Services.

Small businesses need options - scroll down to see what works for you.

 

 

Reinforcements have arrived! Get in touch today to kick off your business improvement or quality management strategy.

 

SERVICES

Most businesses reach a point in their evolution where the old methods of working are no longer effective.  Every business aims for growth.  Having an effective quality management system, taking a systematic approach to running the business and/or achieveing ISO9001 certification will future-proof your business and make the road to growth less risky.

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Offering business.

NEW: Non-conformities Training

A non-conformity is defined as the failure to meet a requirement. Failing to meet customer requirements, compliance requirements or stakeholder requirements will damage your business but taking action to prevent such failures leads directly to business improvement.

This training is designed to help you:

  • find the non-conformities in your organisation
  • recognise non-conformities when they occur
  • capture relevent information needed to manage them
  • carry out root cause analysis
  • develop management actions to address root causes and prevent recurring issues

Managing non-conformities is the backbone of an effective quality management system and competence in this area is essential for businesses wanting to drive continuous improvement. This is a practical step-by-step approach which can be applied in any organisation.

 

NEW: The Seven Principles of Quality Management Workshop

Every quality management system is founded on seven, well established and fundamental management principles.

The workshop focusses on each principle in turn and allows attendees to develop action plans against each heading,  When implemented these action plans deliver improvements.

The workshop includes:

  • what are the seven principles
  • what do they mean and why are they important
  • how do they relate to your business
  • how is your organisation performing in relation to the seven principles
  • what actions can be taken to strengthen the performance under each of the principles.

This is a practical approach to business improvement which can form the foundations for broader systemisation or a formal quality management system as your business evolves.

Request a call

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QUALITY MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

SMEs rarely have the budget for an in-house Quality manager. That's where I come in.  I can provide external quality management support on a retained basis or on an ad-hoc basis.

Typical activities include:

  • Process management (reviews, development, monitoring)
  • Document management
  • Monitoring and reporting on performance measures
  • Supplier management (approvals, performance review, auditing)
  • Managing improvement projects
  • Management Review Meeting Chair
  • Audit support

Management activities aresupported with communication with management andclose liaison with staff.

 

 

Request a call

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Woman using a calculator.

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND REPAIRS

If you've had a hard time in your external audit, you're getting a lot of non-conformities or you're just not seeing enough benefit from your quality management system, it needs development.

Development work starts by understanding your business and your quality management system. As gap analysis is often the easiest way to identify weaknesses and areas of focus. This is developed into an improvement plan which is supplemented with training, change management and any other actions needed to support the system.

Development work can be carried out on a project basis or on retainer and costs are determined following the analysis phase.

 

 

 

 

Request a call

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People in meeting.

BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AND SYSTEMISATION

Not every business needs ISO9001 certification but every business benefits from having effective processes and systems in place. Developing a systematic approach to your key business activities will save you time and money and deliver better outputs for you and your customers.

This is a bespoke service which starts with an analysis of your operations. The findings from the analysis are developed into a set of priorities which we work on together.

Request a call

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Woman using a phone.

SYSTEM BUILDS

Whether you intend to gain ISO9001 certification or not, I will take you through your system build project, working with you to develop a quality management system that works for your business.

I don't work with one-size-fits-all, generic content. Instead I work with you and your team to develop mechanisms that are aligned with your organisation.  Whatever your needs, we'll develop a practical and applicable system and I'll support you htrough the selection of a certification body and the full certification audit process.

 

 

Request a call

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TRAINING

Even the most well-designed systems can fail to deliver if users aren't competent and engaged.  Training supports your quality management and business improvement strategies by ensuring your staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to contribute effecitvely.

Training can be bespoke or standard (see new training options above), on site or online, one-to-one or in groups. I can tailor content to align with your organisation or to meet a specific requirement.

Get in touch to discuss your training needs

Request a call

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Two people shaking hands.

THE QUALITY CLINIC

My Quality Clinic allows you to access my knowledge and experience in affordable, bite-sized pieces. Whether it's a one-off query about where to start or a package of sessions, I'll provide 121 support to help you ensure your organisation is managing quality effectively.

The clinic works in half-hour slots and you can book a single session or multiple slots for on-going support - whatever works for you.

Book and Pay

Why work with me as your ISO Consultant?

The 3 Pillars of Improvement

People: Effective quality management systems work because they are part of an organisation's DNA  and the best way to achieve that is to have your people onboard. I can provide training, mentoring and change management activities as part of your iquality management project, making long-term success more achievable.

Practicality: Your quality management system must be practical so you can manage it over the long term. That means understanding your business, how you operate, what resources you have available and what capabilities exist in the business and creating a system which works in that context

Processes: A process approach is one of the fundamental principles of quality management and improvement. Processes deliver consistency, structure, scalability and they support continuous improvement. I work with you and your team to develop processes which are proportionate and practical and which add value to your business.

Get in touch to get your project started.

Principles and Values

Non ISO Improvement services with AMc consulting.

Full involvement – I make sure I fully understand your business, build a rapport with your people and work closely with your team.

SME focussed consulting in Rutland and Leicestershire.

Straightforward – I take a jargon-free, transparent and supportive approach.  

I'm a practitioner which means Think and Do - I'm happy to work on the basics as well as the big picture.

ISO consulting for all business sizes in Rutland.

SME Focussed -  no business is too small for a quality management system or systematic improvement. Even the smallest budget can get you started.

Practical, pragmatic and proportionate ISO solutions to suit your business.

Qualified – IRCA certified ISO 9001 Lead Auditor

Broad operational management experience across multiple sectors.

An effective quality management system supports sustainable growth - call me to find out how.

Contact me today

“If you can’t describe what you’re doing as a process you don’t know what you’re doing”

W. Edwards Deming, leading management thinker in the field of quality

Recommendations, Testimonials and Case Studies

Here's what my clients say:

Positive reviews of AMc consulting.

Annie's ability to understand the unique needs of any company, regardless of size, and to provide tailored support is unparalleled. Her extensive knowledge has enabled her to design practical, manageable processes and systems perfectly suited to our business. Working with Annie has been a fantastic experience. Highly recomment her services!

MD and Founder of Jack Badger Ltd

Positive reviews of AMc consulting.

Annie fairly describes herself as a 'Quality Practitioner' and after several years of close collaboration on the continued development of our Quality Management System, along with a programme of embedding it through training and workshops, I can highly recommend AMC ISO Services to those keen to manifest the full benefits of ISO9001.

Director of Operations, Elmleigh

Positive reviews of AMc consulting.

Annie stepped in to help our company during a critical time and she's been an incredible asset.  She's knowledgable, friendly and has great communication.

She's helped us not only to stay on track and meet our obligations but she's also given us ideas for improvement. I would highly recommend working with Annie.

Director, MWS Ltd

Positive reviews of AMc consulting.

We originally worked with another consultant to achieve our ISO 9001 certification but wanted to take the next step by embedding the system fully. Annie has been working with us for a couple of months and is already making a real difference. 

She's helping to adapt our quality management system to make it more user-friendly and her knowledge and experience are really adding value.  We're looking forward to continuing to develop our system with her support and would highly recommend AMC ISO Services.

Operations Manager, Dual Pumps Ltd

Positive reviews of AMc consulting.

Annie is a real expert in her field, her grasp of ISO certification is second to none as is her ability to demystify and simplify what needs to be done to achieve or retain certification.

She will bring clarity to processes and build efficiency into your business model. I can't recommend her highly enough.

MD Anne Corder Recruitment

Positive reviews of AMc consulting.

Annie is a highly experienced trainer. Cheerful and engaging, I have always found her to be sensitive to the changing needs of her audience.  She has an innate capacity to tailor her message to the needs of the group. people enjoy learning with her.

Much of Annie's strength comes from her ability to attend to the detail. She has exceptional knowledge of ISO and quality management and keeps up with current developments. Over the last twelve months I have worked closely on training contracts with Annie and I hope to continue doing so.  She is highly effective at what she does and makes the experience enjoyable for all.

J W Hall MBE MDA MA (oxon) FCMI

Positive reviews of AMc consulting.

Annie recently worked with us to develop and implement our quality management system and she supported us through the certification process.

She's easy to work with and built a good working relationship with the team to ensure they undersood the project, were happy with the system and were ready for the certification audit.

We flew through the audit with zero non-conformities and it's great to be able to tell our customers that we're now ISO 9001 certified.

Annie continues to provide quality management support on a monthly basis which works well for our small business. Her undertsanding and experience in SMEs is valuable and I can recommend her services for other small businesses needing quality management support.

 

Karl Jones, MD Digicon Solutions Ltd

Contact

Annie McNeely

Email: annie@anniemcneely.co.uk

Tel: 01572 345 818 / 07590 267 209

Linkedin

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers to all your questions, right here.

Why should I get ISO 9001?

ISO certification is an investment in your business.  Fundamentally ISO 9001 supports sustainable growth.  It does that by providing assurance to your customers that the quality of your business outputs and the needs of your customers are a priority in how you manage your business.

Having certification allows you to access new sectors and customers and over the long term it improves your efficiences, improves your reputation and encourages customer loyalty. 

Even if you choose not to get certified, mechansims such as processes can be put in place to improve how you operate.

How long does it take?

It's not unusual for implementation to take 8-12 months.  However, there are multiple factors which affect the timescales including:

  • How you want to appraoch the project
  • whether you're on a deadline
  • how much internal resource you can spare to get the work done
  • the size and complexity of your business
  • where you're starting from i.e. whether you have some of the required documents or systems in place already.

Our initial conversations will provide enough information to provide an estimated timescale which goes into the proposal.

For an initial discussion on how your project might work please give me a call on 07590 267 209

 

How much does it cost?

Whatever your budget it's possible to get your certification but, as with timescales, there are several factors which affect the costs involved in your ISO 9001 project. For example:

  • The level of input needed from your consultant
  • your choice of consultant
  • The approach taken to implementation
  • The duration of the project
  • The various certification options

if you'd like to get an estimate for your project please get in touch with me on 07590 267 209.

Do I really need a consultant?

The short answer is Yes. 

Consultants have a level of understanding which 99% of businesses do not have. 

I'm trained as an external auditor which means I understand what an auditor is looking for, how the audit process works and what you need to know, do and undersrtand beyong the requirements of the standard. 

I also have process management, change management and training skills which supplement and support the basic requirements of the standard.

Will it disrupt my business?

Somewhat yes.

The implementation phase requires time and input from staff which will, at times, take them away from the 'day job'.  There is no way to put ISO 9001 in place without involving your staff so this is inevitable and you will need to identify as a business how much time you can spare.

Once you have achieved certification your business will work differently. The trick to making this work is to carry out change management actvities alongside the implementation project. By doing this the changes are incremental and staff have time to adjust.

As a manager do I need to be involved?

Absolutely. In fact, it is a specific requirement of the standard that Top Management carry out certain activities and demonstrate certain behaviours.  Failing to do so will hamper your certification.

Furthermore, the system needs to become part of your company's DNA which means everyone needs to be involved.

However, with a well designed implementation plan this is very achievable.

Contact me today

Annie McNeely

Providing ISO Consultation Services to organisations in the Midlands and East Anglia and Based in Uppingham, Rutland.

Using over 15 years experience to deliver improvement through planning, organisation, streamlining and communication.

Contact Us

Email

annie@anniemcneely.co.uk

Phone

01572 345 818 / 07590 267 209

Connect with us

Linkedin