ISO Consultancy for UK SMEs
ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 systems that get you certified and stay useful afterwards - built around your operation, not a generic template.
Manchester-based. Working UK-wide. Lead Auditor qualified. Trusted by many across the North West and beyond.
There are two ways to get ISO certified. The first is to buy a template pack, fill in the blanks, bluff your way through the stage 1 and stage 2 audits, and then quietly ignore the system until it comes up for recertification three years later. Plenty of consultants will sell you that. It's cheap, it's fast, and it's useless.
The second is to build a management system that genuinely reflects how your business runs, passes certification the first time, and then keeps working as a live tool for improvement. That takes longer and costs a bit more, but it's the only version that delivers a return. It's the only version we do.
Who We Help
We work with UK manufacturing and industrial SMEs implementing ISO for the first time, struggling with a system they've inherited, or preparing for transition/integration across multiple standards.
You're probably here because:
A major customer or tender is requiring ISO 9001, 14001 or 45001, and you need to be certified quickly
You've tried a template pack and hit the wall at stage 1 audit
Your existing system is a binder nobody uses, and recertification is coming up
You want to integrate 9001, 14001 and 45001 into one workable management system rather than running three in parallel
You're transitioning from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001 and want to do it properly
Your internal auditor capability is thin, and the system is drifting between external audits
You need EcoVadis, carbon reporting or net-zero credentials alongside your ISO work
If that's you, we can help.
The ISO Standards We Implement
ISO 9001 — Quality Management
The most widely recognised management system standard in the world, and a common requirement in manufacturing supply chains. We build ISO 9001 systems that genuinely improve how your business operates - controlling non-conformance, managing suppliers, tracking customer satisfaction, and driving real continual improvement - not just producing audit evidence.
→ See our ISO 9001 consultancy page
ISO 14001 — Environmental Management
Increasingly non-negotiable for manufacturers, especially those in automotive, aerospace and public-sector supply chains. We design ISO 14001 systems that go beyond paperwork - addressing aspects and impacts properly, integrating with carbon reporting, and giving you a platform for EcoVadis and net-zero work later.
→ See our ISO 14001 consultancy page
ISO 45001 — Occupational Health & Safety
The global standard for H&S management. Replaces OHSAS 18001. We implement ISO 45001 as a genuine safety management system - tied into your risk assessments, your culture work, and your operational controls - not bolted on as a compliance exercise.
→ See our ISO 45001 consultancy page
Integrated Management Systems
Most of our clients end up running two or three standards together. Done properly, that's cheaper to run, simpler to audit, and far more useful than three separate systems. Done badly, it's a mess. We specialise in integration - a single documented system that satisfies all three standards without duplication.
→ See our Integrated Management Systems page
Our Implementation Process
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Phase 1 — Gap analysis
Site visit, document review, interviews with key people. You get a clear, prioritised report showing where you are against the standard and exactly what needs to happen.
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Phase 2 — System design
We design the management system around how your business actually runs. Documented information, processes, risk and opportunity framework, objectives. Minimum paperwork, maximum usability.
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Phase 3 — Implementation
We roll the system out alongside your team. Training, awareness sessions, document rollout, embedding new processes. This is where most template-based projects fail - we stay close so it doesn't.
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Phase 4 — Internal audit and management review
Your first internal audit cycle, management review, and corrective action work. We train your people to do this themselves so you're not dependent on us afterwards.
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Phase 5 — Certification support
We sit alongside you through stage 1 and stage 2 audits with your chosen certification body. First-time pass is the expectation, not the hope.
Our Approach
A few principles drive every ISO engagement we run:
Systems have to fit the business.
We don't force your operation into a template. We build documentation that mirrors how you actually work, in language your team recognises.
Minimum viable documentation.
ISO standards do not require the binders consultants love to produce. We keep documentation as lean as the standard allows, because shorter systems get used and longer ones don't.
Your team owns it.
We train your people to run the system internally. When our engagement ends, you're not dependent on us - you have an internal owner and an audit programme that runs itself.
Certification is the milestone, not the goal.
The goal is a system that delivers operational value. Certification is the evidence that you've built one.
Industries We Know
Manufacturing and engineering
Chemical processing and hazardous substances (COSHH, DSEAR)
Warehousing, distribution and logistics
Food and beverage production
Plastics, rubber and composites
Metalwork and fabrication
Manufacturing and engineering Chemical processing and hazardous substances (COSHH, DSEAR) Warehousing, distribution and logistics Food and beverage production Plastics, rubber and composites Metalwork and fabrication
How We Engage
Fixed-fee implementation - full ISO implementation from gap analysis through certification, priced as a single fixed fee. No surprises, no day-rate creep. Most common engagement for new certification.
Retained ISO support -, ongoing monthly support maintaining your system between audits. Document control, internal audit cycle, management review, and legal register updates. Typical for businesses post-certification that want the system to stay healthy.
Ad-hoc/day rate - for specific tasks like internal audits, management review facilitation, or corrective action work.
Pre-audit review - short, focused engagements ahead of stage 2, recertification or surveillance audits. We identify gaps before your certification body does.
Why DBIM?
DBIM is built around one principle: health and safety should improve how your business operates, not slow it down.
With a background in manufacturing and chemicals, the approach is grounded in real operational environments, where risk, production pressure, and commercial performance all intersect. This isn’t theoretical advice. It’s practical, experience-led support that works on the shop floor.
Systems are delivered with a clear focus on outcomes. That means ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 frameworks that are not only compliant, but embedded and effective. It also means a proven track record in improving safety culture, strengthening accountability, and reducing repeat issues.
Most importantly, the focus stays on performance: not paperwork.
Start the Conversation
If your current approach to health and safety is reactive, inconsistent, or overly reliant on documentation, it’s time to take a different approach.
You don’t need more policies. You need a system that works.
Book a call to discuss your requirements or request a proposal tailored to your business. From there, we can define what support looks like in practice and how it will deliver measurable improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Typical timeline from kick-off to certification is 4-6 months for ISO 9001, 5-8 months for integrated 9001/14001/45001. Faster is possible if you already have good foundations - we'll give you an honest timeline after the gap analysis.
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Two separate costs. Consultancy fees for implementation typically range from £4,000 to £20,000 for a small-to-mid manufacturer depending on scope and whether you're doing one or three standards. Certification body fees (paid to UKAS-accredited bodies like BSI, NQA or LRQA) typically add £2,000-£8,000 in year one plus annual surveillance audits. We give fixed quotes up front.
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ISO 9001 is quality management — making sure you consistently deliver what customers want. ISO 14001 is environmental management - identifying and controlling your environmental impacts. ISO 45001 is occupational health and safety - managing workplace risk to prevent harm. Most manufacturers end up implementing all three because customers, regulators and insurers increasingly expect it.
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Integrated. A single management system satisfying all three standards is cheaper to build, cheaper to maintain, and far more useful operationally. The only reason to do them separately is if you're phasing implementation over multiple years.
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You need a separate UKAS-accredited certification body - ISO rules require certification to be independent from consultancy. We'll recommend appropriate certification bodies, help you tender, and sit with you through stage 1 and stage 2 audits.
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Yes. We regularly pick up stalled template-based implementations. Usually it's quicker and cheaper than people expect, because the raw documentation can be salvaged - it just needs restructuring to reflect what your business actually does.