February 27, 2020

February 27, 2020 | Devan Brua | Vice President, Compliance and Risk

We’re very proud that Spinnaker Support was the first in our industry to achieve both ISO 9001:2015 (quality management) and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (data security) certifications. In recent weeks, we were visited by an ISO 9001 auditor, who tested and recertified our end-to-end service model. Our hard work and consistency throughout the year paid off handsomely.

But why are these types of international standards important? Do they merit the extensive time and effort required to remain certified? And how do they translate to better customer service?

The Benefits of ISO 9001 Standards

Put in the simplest of terms, ISO 9001 management processes ensure that our customers receive high-quality services as defined under a comprehensive, global quality management system. In contrast, the ISO 27001 data security certification ensures that we apply a systematic approach for managing sensitive company information and reinforces our commitment to respecting intellectual property rights for our customers and our competitors.

For many businesses, a downside of exponential growth is that product or service quality begins to suffer. Not so for Spinnaker Support. As we continue to scale up, with more customers in new countries and requiring support for even more products, our commitment to ISO 9001 standards guarantee that we will continue to provide superior, high-quality processes throughout our enterprise.

In fact, it’s easier to grow when such standards are already in place. ISO 9001 certification provides better internal management and increased efficiency and productivity through constant measuring and monitoring. Regular compliance training, especially for all new employees, delivers consistent outcomes throughout our many offices and departments.

We are focused on continually monitoring and looking for gaps or risks so that we can be sure our customers continually receive the support they need. We address and fix the issue through the corrective and preventative action request (CPAR) process. We also internally and externally audit each ISO process every year to hear from employees and identify any opportunities for improvement that could be worked into the process.

Examples of How Our ISO 9001 Processes Help Our Customers

Here are a few examples that have a benefit to our customers:

  1. Ticket Support and Escalation – This process kicks off when a customer opens a ticket. It ensures a standardized process wherein we receive and respond to tickets within the contracted timeframe, that the appropriate support engineer is assigned, and that the work is continually covered until the ticket is resolved.
  2. Competency Assessment – Managers need guaranteed access to proper assessment tools when hiring potential new employees. This includes periodic employee reviews, goal setting, and employee motivation. This process ensures that we only hire the most qualified candidates to support our existing and future customers, as well as maintaining our subcontractor network for specialty skills.
  3. GTRC Research Process – In 2019, we overhauled our Customer Year-End Process for providing payroll updates to customers. We developed the new Global Tax and Regulatory Compliance (GTRC) Research process because compliance globally is evolving to require more and more automated reporting. We wanted to make sure all compliance changes were covered by the same trusted service model that covered year-end payroll updates.

Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Like most certifications, ISO 9001 must be continuously renewed and tested. Every three years you need to be recertified. In the intermediate years, the auditor reviews a select number of processes. This year, we were subject to the complete, end-to-end review, which I am proud to say we passed. The auditor found no non-conformances, which translates to a verification that we’re practicing our business exactly in the way it has been documented.

The motto of our ambitious compliance effort is “Pursuing Perfection.” This investment in ISO 9001 directly underscores our desire to deliver Oracle and SAP support “the right way” and continually improve all aspects of our customer service. ISO 9001 has made  – and will continue to make – a definitive difference in our operations. I invite you to learn more about our support philosophy and the full list of compliance certifications.