Three ISO certifications demonstrate Flexeserve’s commitment to excellence

The world expert in hot-holding has been recognized for upholding best practices and quality standards, having been awarded three ISO certifications in February 2024.

Flexeserve has been awarded ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications – affirming its commitment to quality, environmental, and health and safety excellence.

The internationally recognized ISO Standards aim to ensure businesses are operating responsibly, keeping their employees safe and helping everyone work to the best of their abilities.

Flexeserve’s announcement follows the successful completion of a seven-day, UKAS-accredited ISO audit process by ISOQAR, the certification body of the Alcumus Group. A global leader in this area, Alcumus ISOQAR holds the government-backed UKAS accreditation, the ‘gold standard’ for accreditation bodies.

The audit confirmed that Flexeserve’s Integrated Management System, which combines the requirements of the different ISO standards into a single framework, achieves ISO best practice. As a result, Flexeserve is now registered with the following certificates:

• ISO 9001:2015 – for quality management systems (QMS)
• ISO 14001:2015 – for environmental management systems (EMS)
• ISO 45001:2018 SSIP – for occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS), with the addition of Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP)

A momentous milestone for Flexeserve

Jamie Joyce, Global CEO of Flexeserve, said: “This is an achievement that we’re all incredibly proud of – reflecting the high standards we’ve set and a testament to the hard work, dedication and spirit of collaboration that each of our Partners has demonstrated. Our collective efforts have been instrumental in achieving this goal.

“I’d also like to extend a special thank you to Anthony Stubbs, our Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality (HSEQ) Manager and his team for their pivotal role in securing this certification. Anthony has been passionately committed to achieving this since joining Flexeserve in 2021. He and his team have shown exceptional leadership, expertise and teamwork throughout the entire process.”

Evolving, advancing and leading the brand forward

ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 are standards based on the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) cycle – a structured, problem-solving approach providing a robust methodology for continuous workplace improvement.

Anthony Stubbs said: “These certifications give our Partners confidence in how we’re taking our responsibilities seriously by making demonstrable steps to improve and shape a safer, more sustainable and operationally efficient working environment.

“Our application of the PDCA cycle has been key to Flexeserve achieving the continuous improvement requirement for the ISO standards. It enables us to implement a best-practice mentality and truly embody Flexeserve’s vision and values of evolving, advancing and leading our organisation forward. By definition, this achieved the ISO standards.”

Innovations and improvements

In his three years at Flexeserve, Anthony has taken a proactive, management-led approach to HSEQ and, in line with Jamie’s vision, implemented a programme of continuous improvement within this area.

In 2022, Anthony and his team helped increase the visibility of Flexeserve’s health and safety operation by creating their first on-site Health and Safety Hub. This dedicated area in the production facilities has improved communication with Partners, offering everything from best practice procedural guidance to first aid toolkits and resources, and a trackable PPE vending machine.

Last year, Anthony created their HSEQ Pipeline, a strategic document outlining projects in progress and those completed. This structured approach, in line with the PDCA cycle, was a significant factor in Flexeserve attaining its ISO certifications.

Other improvements included:

• The introduction of monthly Health and Safety committee meetings
• More frequent near-miss reporting and analysis
• The creation of a micro e-learning management system to support Partners’ training and development – with training materials accessible on the go, via smartphone, tablet or through the Flexeserve Academy

Investing in our Partners

Ongoing improvement is at Flexeserve’s core, with its Partners finding new ways to support one another and their customers – to continue advancing the world of food-to-go.

Flexeserve’s ISO certifications are subject to regular, effective maintenance of its integrated management system. The certificates are valid for three years and, during this time, the business will be monitored with annual, four-day surveillance audits by ISOQAR. Then, before the certification period ends in 2027, Flexeserve will be subject to a recertification audit.

Mark Manley, Director of Manufacturing Operations, was a further driving force in Flexeserve’s ISO certification journey. He added: “Affirming our commitment to quality, environmental, and health and safety excellence, our ISO standards require ongoing dedication, vigilance and a commitment to continuous improvement.”

ISO certifications – a foundation for continued growth

On the next steps in Flexeserve’s ISO journey, Jamie said: “At Flexeserve, we always consider how we can do the very best for our Partners, customers and local community. It’s in our DNA and echoes the legacy of our late Founder and Chairman, Alan Nuttall. Throughout his 56 years’ serving the business, Alan constantly innovated to ensure the long-term future of the company and create a working environment where Partners can thrive, both professionally and personally.”

“Receiving these ISO certifications is not just an accolade, but a responsibility. It challenges us to uphold and exceed the high standards we have set, ensuring continuous improvement in all aspects of our operations.

“As we look forward to our future, we will use our ISO certifications as the foundation to drive further excellence and innovation within Flexeserve.”

For more information about Flexeserve’s industry-leading practices and how we can help your business, please contact us.