Levidian secures ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification reflecting ongoing commitment to quality and environmental standards

We are pleased to announce that Levidian has achieved both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for Quality Management and Environmental Management systems.

Preparations and ensuring the systems were implemented for the comprehensive audit were led by Levidian’s HSEQ Manager, Wendy Ancill. 

We sat down with Wendy to talk about what this certification means and why it is so important for Levidian.

Wendy, congratulations! You spearheaded Levidian’s journey to ISO certification. Can you tell us what ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are?

ISO stands for International Organisation for Standardisation, which is an independent, non-governmental organisation of standards that ensures the quality, safety, and efficiency of products, services, and systems. Receiving a certification to ISO standards is a way for us to establish credibility and trust among our customers, clients, and other business partners.

Levidian has received certification in two of these standards: ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

ISO 9001 is a system that ensures we consistently provide high quality products and services and supports customer satisfaction. ISO 14001 is a system that focuses on improving environmental performance by making efficient use of resources and reducing waste. It also confirms our compliance to the latest environmental legislation.

Why are these ISO certificates so important for Levidian?

By obtaining ISO certification, we are demonstrating our commitment to quality and environmental responsibilities. This offers a strong foundation for our team and provides confidence to our external stakeholders in how Levidian operates.

As a climate tech business, we are particularly conscious of ensuring we are meeting our environmental obligations. Achieving ISO 14001 certification is another way that we can show our dedication to addressing global climate change through the effective management of contributing operational factors such as air pollution, waste management, and resource use and efficiency.

What was the scope of the certificates?

Our certification applies to all operational aspects relating to the manufacture of Levidian graphene and our LOOP systems. The certificate also covers our approach to research and development of advanced climate technologies.

Can you tell us more about the auditing process, and what preparations were involved?

We started the preparations for implementing the ISO systems in April 2022. This involved developing processes and procedures to ensure we would meet the standards with the support of an external consultant. We also had to identify an auditing body and ensure that we had an audit date booked in!

A key part of the ISO requirement is that all staff members understand and are trained in the systems. I delivered this training by arranging a weekly stand-up with all team members, focusing on one specific element of the requirements each week. Doing this in short bursts ensured that all team members were engaged with the process. This was all done with great support from the management team, and a commitment at leadership level to the ISO standards.

Closer to the time of the audit, I took the time to prepare the team for what the audit would include, what the auditors would look out for, and for the kinds of questions that might get asked. As you’d expect, certain teams were more impacted by the audit process than others, so I made sure that anyone who wanted additional support or advice received it.

The auditing process itself was conducted in two parts, as this was the first time the audits would be completed. These took place in August and December at our HQ in Cambridge.

 

Were there any key challenges that the team had to overcome?

Our greatest challenge was implementing both the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 systems in only nine months, which was also during a period of significant business growth. But thanks to the support and commitment of our entire team, we did it!  

 

ISO certification is an ongoing commitment to environment and quality standards. How will this be maintained by Levidian going forward?

The system and how we work must go hand in hand. So, to ensure this is how we continually operate, there will be inspections, maintenance and calibration activities, process reviews, and risk evaluations and mitigation on an ongoing basis.

It is especially important that the momentum gained from successfully achieving the certification carries on, and that we are constantly looking for ways to make things even better!

As part of holding the certificates, we also will conduct annual internal audits to ensure the systems are being maintained, as well as be formally audited once a year by our auditor, Alcumus.

 

About Wendy

Wendy joined the team in 2022 and has a wealth of experience in health & safety, environmental, and quality management in industries including mining, banking, and manufacturing. Before joining Levidian, Wendy was a Compliance Officer at Royston Labels and was previously a Quality Management Systems Coordinator for Goodfellow Cambridge, a metal supplier.

At Levidian, Wendy oversees all aspects relating to health and safety, environment, and quality, ensuring that we operate in a safe, compliant, and rigorous way. This covers our office spaces including labs, production areas, R&D, and workshops. She also oversees our product and service operations, including taking an integral role in ensuring customer satisfaction.

Wendy will take the lead role in the maintenance of our ISO certifications.

 
Wallis Eden