Fact sheet:

Making the transition from Lexcel to ISO 9001:2008

More than a thousand firms in the UK have signed up to the Law Societys practice
management standard Lexcel. However an increasing number of firms are choosing to
extend their certifications to add the business management standard ISO 9001:2008, or to
use it as an alternative to Lexcel. ISO 9001 is the international standard for managing a
firms product & service delivery, so has a much wider focus than the quality element
implied by its title. Because ISO 9001 is recognised outside the UK and because it forms a
tried & tested framework for delivering what clients want, at price agreeable to the firm, it can
lead to significant benefits for the organisation that uses it.

Most mature firms will already be doing much of what is required to achieve ISO 9001
certification and, if the firm already has Lexcel, the transition to ISO 9001 can made with
relative ease.

What are the business benefits of ISO 9001?

Improved business performance

ISO 9001 ensures that all of a firms processes and working practices are understood & are
driven by business objectives, reducing misdirected effort. This can free managers and
employees to carry out more important work for the business.

Manage business risk

ISO 9001 ensures that a firms supply chain and contractors are under control, reducing the
chance of delay or failure caused by work being inadequate, delivered late or not delivered
at all.
ISO 9001 encourages firms to improve the consistency of the service they provide, which
reduces the risk of costly remedial work and customer claims.

Reduced operating costs

ISO 9001 increases the visibility of wasted time, processes and materials. This allows an
organisation to put a value on poor performance and waste of all kinds, so that it can
prioritise programmes for improvement and increase productivity and margin. As a rule of
thumb, an organisation can save 20% of turnover by doing things right-first-time.

Increased customer satisfaction

ISO 9001 ensures that services are supplied on time & that they meet the customers needs.
ISO 9001 requires that customer satisfaction is measured, so that an firm can identify &
catch adverse trends before they cause damage to reputation.
ISO 9001 ensures that a firm has an effective response to customer complaints. An
organisation that handles complaints well often has a happier customer base than one that
has no complaints at all.

Increased sales

ISO 9001 boosts a firms brand reputation and gives access to customers that demand that
their advisors hold a certified quality management standard.

The HSQE Department Ltd 2012

Wimblestone Road, Winscombe, Somerset, BS25 1JP
01934 610168/07909 528942
http://www.thehsqedepartment.com
VAT Registration Number: 107156144
 Fact sheet:
Making the transition from Lexcel to ISO 9001:2008
Improved employee performance

ISO 9001 ensures that employees are more involved in the business, leading to better
morale and lower staff turnover. Skill shortages and lack of competence are identified and
addressed earlier, leading to a higher rate of work that is right-first-time and fewer mistakes.
Team working problems can be readily identified.

How do I go about it?

When you embark on a project to implement ISO 9001 youre making three important
commitments.

To clearly identify any requirements that apply to your business, whether from the
customer or from third parties (such as business codes of practise).
To satisfying the customer and third-party requirements that youve signed up to.
To continuously improve the quality of your service to clients.

If you accept these commitments then, apart from some straight-forward documents and
procedures that any business management system would need to work effectively, ISO 9001
isnt prescriptive and can be designed to be very light-weight and easy to maintain.

There are a number of steps that Lexcel certified firms may need to take before they can
claim to meet the requirements of ISO 9001:-

1. Review the Quality Policy & ensure that it is appropriate to the size & purpose of the
firm; includes a commitment to comply with client & third-party requirements; includes
a commitment to continuous improvement; provides a framework for establishing and
reviewing quality improvement objectives; is communicated and understood within
the firm.
2. Appoint a Management Representative who will be responsible for setting up and
maintaining the business management system.
3. Carry out a gap analysis to test how the firms existing processes and procedures
conform to ISO 9001 and where additional processes or procedures need to be
developed.
4. Produce written procedures to satisfy ISO 9001 requirements for document control,
record control, preventive action, corrective action & control of non-conforming
product.
5. Analyse internal data on customer satisfaction and service delivery. Use the
conclusions to set quality improvement objectives and plans to deliver them.
6. Appoint a team of internal auditors and ensure that they have the skills and training
to audit against ISO 9001. Establish a programme of internal audits.
7. Hold the firms first formal Management Review of how the management system is
performing. ISO 9001 defines the agenda for the review and a written record must
be kept of information discussed and the actions agreed.

At the end of the implementation process, you can choose to have your business
management system independently certified to show to the world that youve achieved a
high standard. If you do, its important to use one of the hundred or so certification bodies in

The HSQE Department Ltd 2012

Wimblestone Road, Winscombe, Somerset, BS25 1JP
01934 610168/07909 528942
http://www.thehsqedepartment.com
VAT Registration Number: 107156144
 Fact sheet:
Making the transition from Lexcel to ISO 9001:2008
the UK that are accredited by the government-backed United Kingdom Accreditation Service
(UKAS), or you risk your certificate being rejected by the very clients youre aiming to
impress.

What resources are needed?

Its perfectly feasible to prepare for ISO 9001 by buying a copy of the standard and working
through it systematically. Firms that dont have Lexcel should expect to budget around 60
person-days to ensure that they have adequate systems and processes in place before
attempting ISO 9001 certification.

The time commitment can be reduced to around 10 person-days by appointing an

experienced management systems contractor to guide the implementation of the standard.
Although there is a cost to this, a good contractor will more than pay for themselves by
reducing the opportunity cost of the firms time, and will be able to guarantee certification.

The HSQE Department has developed a systematic approach to preparing for ISO 9001
certification that provides clients all of the documents and procedures required by the
standard, a fully compliant internal audit programme and evidence of Management Review.
We can even manage the certification process for you.

If you are considering whether ISO 9001 certification might be right for your firm, why not call
us on 01934 610168 for an informal discussion.

The HSQE Department Ltd 2012

Wimblestone Road, Winscombe, Somerset, BS25 1JP
01934 610168/07909 528942
http://www.thehsqedepartment.com
VAT Registration Number: 107156144