KORE Becomes First Company in Ireland to Obtain ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 14001:2015 Certification

From left to right: Noel Brady, Managing Director: KORE, Caroline Geoghegan: CG Business Consulting, Caroline Ashe, Commercial Director: KORE, Fergal O’Byrne, Head of Business Excellence: NSAI.

KORE, based in Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan, is the first company in Ireland to obtain integrated ISO certification for both the ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 standards from the NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland). ISO 9001 is one of the most widely used management tools worldwide while ISO 14001 is the standard for Environmental Management. Both standards are internationally recognised.

KORE manufacture a variety of insulation and energy efficiency solutions made from high-quality expanded polystyrene (EPS) for the Irish and UK markets. Established in 1997, KORE’s product line includes cavity wall insulation, passive foundation systems, floor insulation, external insulation, EPS packaging solutions and products for civil engineering applications, such as KORE Void Formers, among many others. Guaranteed Irish, KORE’s EPS solutions are manufactured in their 25,000 state of the art facility in Co. Cavan, employing more than 30 people in the local community.

Noel Brady Managing Director, KORE says, “Being the first company to transition to the new ISO 9001 & 14001: 2015 standards, has provided a number of key benefits to KORE including:

• Showing we are a continued innovative leader within our industry;
• Demonstrating we have taken a proactive approach to quality and environmental management;
• Improving our customer experience, including an increase in both stakeholder and customer trust;
• Validating that our team is fully devoted to providing our customers with the best products and services;
• Improved risk and opportunity management – the new emphasis of risk and opportunity management into our management systems now reinforces its use as a governance tool, as well as a performance accelerator.  This ensures our business is able to identify risks and opportunities more effectively thereby improving operational efficiency, reducing duplication, saving both time and money;
• The new Annex SL structure provides identical structure, text and common terms and definitions for management system standards and makes integration so much simpler. The integration of our management systems has delivered increased organisational benefits and efficiencies while providing a more complete view of our business;
• A single document control system, meaning less confusion for all involved
• An increase in business opportunities as a result of the certifications

Released in September 2015, the revisions to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 include a greater involvement by senior management, a risk-based focus, updated documentation requirements and a greater emphasis on the definition of scope, among a variety of other updates to the 2008 revision.

At the presentation of the Certificates, Fergal O’Byrne, Head of Business Excellence at NSAI, said, “Last September, the ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) published the ISO revisions to ensure that the standards remains relevant in the business world we live in today.  Business has changed radically and the ISO standard had to change with it.”

Noel Brady adds, “Our proactive decision to become ISO:2015-certified as soon as we could is a demonstration of our commitment to quality throughout the organisation. Having the independent accreditation validates the ongoing efforts of all our staff.”

Caroline Ashe, Commercial Director, KORE, said, “ISO is an excellent management tool. It ensures that we are always focused on meeting customer requirements, that we follow best practice and that quality is at the heart of what we do. This is an exciting milestone for everyone at KORE. I want to acknowledge the pivotal role that CG Business Consulting played in helping us to achieve this ISO certification. Caroline and her team guarantee certification within twelve weeks and drive the whole process for you.”

“For the first time, top management have to be involved in ISO audits and they must integrate and align their business strategy with their management system.  We congratulate everyone at KORE for being first to step up to the mark,” adds Caroline Geoghegan.

In addition to becoming the first company in Ireland to obtain ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, KORE also added ISO 18001, showing their continued commitment to occupational health and safety.

For more information about ISO certifications, please contact CG Business Consulting Ltd at 01 6204121 or by email at [email protected].