A Glasgow Service Centre is believed to be the first supplier of hydraulic pipeline components to OEMs to achieve accreditation of its quality systems to ISO9001:2000.

Dunlop Hiflex Fluidpower's Glasgow Service Centre has become the first part of the UniPoly Group to achieve accreditation of its quality systems to ISO9001:2000. Operations manager, Gordon Duff, also believes that his business is the first supplier of hydraulic pipeline components to OEMs to achieve this accreditation, and among the first in supply chain operations within its market sector. 'Although companies have until 2003 to renew their accreditation to the new standard, we were very quick to recognise the benefits to our customers of our early adoption of a new methodology for continuous improvement of our services', Gordon Duff comments.

'In particular, our new procedures formalise involvement of every member of staff from top down in the quality issue, as well as our commitment to ongoing staff training and improvement, and to development of customer relations.' Les Purvis of Guthrie and Craig (Management Services), national quality consultant for Dunlop Hiflex Fluidpower, takes up the story: 'We started to review Dunlop Hiflex's systems and prepare new procedures in August 2001.

The company achieved accreditation in December with what its NQA assessor described as one of the best management system implementations he'd seen to date.

This accolade, and the speed with which accreditation was achieved, are a tribute to the company's proactive approach to business improvement and excellent existing management systems.

Of maybe 60 000 companies in the UK currently accredited to ISO9000:1994, very few have so far gained accreditation to the new standard.

Dunlop Hiflex Glasgow is certainly in the forefront in recognising and using ISO 9001:2000 as a tool for business improvement.' Major customers confirm that commitment to continuous improvement is embedded in the company's culture.

Senior quality engineer of Terex Equipment, the Motherwell-based manufacturer of earthmoving trucks, Francis Sheehan, adds: 'Dunlop Hiflex Glasgow is our preferred supplier of hydraulic assemblies, and we have such confidence in its quality procedures that we accept product direct to line.

We have always enjoyed excellent response and first class service from the company, which has partnered us in ongoing improvement of our own quality management systems.' Dunlop Hiflex Glasgow is also preferred supplier of high-pressure hose assemblies to the South Wales plant of Chubb Fire UK, market leader in the security industry.

During a two-year association, Dunlop Hiflex has delivered product, technical and design support services to Chubb Fire which purchasing manager Steve Hall confirms as 'consistently of very high quality.'