IRIS International Rail Industry Standard

IRIS is the internationally recognised quality standard, specifically designed for the rail industry, based on - but going well beyond — the quality management standard, ISO 9001:2008.

Promoted, owned and managed by UNIFE — the Association of the European Rail Industry — certification to IRIS was initially taken up by rail system integrators and equipment manufacturers.

Following a revision exercise, the standard was re-issued as IRIS Rev01 in November 2007 and extended to rolling stock and signaling suppliers, applicable to businesses carrying out manufacturing and/or design. As from June 2008, IRIS became applicable to rail sector maintenance services. It is strongly anticipated that IRIS will spread further to track and that it will become mandatory for certain suppliers that are seeking to win business later in 2009.

The rail industry is a challenging and competitive market place, governed by legislation, regulations, codes, restrictions and significant expectations. In a safety critical environment, railway operators cannot risk anything less than the highest quality. The purpose of IRIS is to evaluate a business’s management system and provide evidence of best practice.

For some time, certain key rail sector giants have been promoting the suggestion that IRIS should become mandatory for manufacturers and suppliers and have now let it be known that IRIS certification will soon be required for first line suppliers to the rolling stock and signaling sectors.

The Key Benefits of IRIS

Include:

• Winning business — suppliers without IRIS certification will appear less attractive to their rail customers and, as IRIS spreads internationally — not only throughout Europe — suppliers that operate to IRIS standards are likely to win more business as IRIS becomes an integrated part of the rail industry globally. When it becomes mandatory, businesses affected will need it to continue winning work.
• Listing on the UNIFE database — Businesses with IRIS certification are listed by UNIFE and their details can be viewed by railway industry customers around the world.
• Added value — IRIS certified businesses are seen as offering added value by rail industry customers.
• Based on ISO 9001 — IRIS has been produced as an extension to ISO 9001:2008, including the whole of ISO 9001:2008 but with additional requirements. Businesses will be very familiar with the concept so the new system can become quickly embedded. There will only need to be one audit and certification process to avoid any duplication in maintaining two standards.
• Marketing and reputation — IRIS can provide significant marketing and publicity opportunities as a business announces its success to the world in achieving certification and has a great story to tell. This, in turn, provides evidence of an organisation’s determination and commitment to delivering reliable, quality services and products, enhancing its reputation.
• Improved performance and efficiency — IRIS procedures can offer improved performance and efficiency and help avoid lapses in procedures, leading to reduced costs and increased profits.
• Managing the supply chain — IRIS certified businesses throughout the supply chain offer consistency and assurance to customers.
• A new culture — achieving IRIS will gain the support of employees and create a new, dynamic culture, safeguarding the future of the business.

Achieving IRIS Certification

An organisation seeking to achieve certification may need help as IRIS creates a considerable extension to ISO 9001:2008, with particular focus on a range of additional areas, including:

• Analysis of data.
• Customer waiver.
• Nonconformities.
• Obsolescence management.
• Reliability, availability and maintainability (RAMS).
• Commissioning and customer service.
• First article inspection; configuration management.
• Project management.
• Control of monitoring and measuring devices.
• Design and development.
• Tender management.
• Planning of production realisation.
• Work environment.
• Contingency plan.
• Human resources.
• Management of multisite projects.
• Knowledge management, and
• Documentation.

In brief, IRIS can be achieved by:

• Reviewing the organisation.
• Carrying out a gap analysis.
• Designing and documenting new policies and procedures.
• Delivering awareness training.
• Embedding the new system into the organisation.

An assessor from an independent, accredited organisation can then officially audit the new management system and, provided it meets the requirements of IRIS, recommend certification. The concept will be familiar for businesses that are already certified to ISO 9001:2008.

How Touchstone Renard Can Help Rail Industry Businesses

Since 1987, Touchstone Renard has become known as a leading international consultancy to the rail and metro industry, consistently demonstrating unique support to clients by:

• Bringing clarity out of management complexity or uncertainty.
• Carrying out innovative reviews and studies.
• Devising and implementing change programmes in partnership with clients.
• Achieving improvements for clients, their departments, teams and individuals.
• Defining, managing and delivering projects.
• Identifying and achieving cost savings and benefits for clients.

We offer our clients uncompromising expertise and professionalism with a down to earth, customer-friendly approach. Our consultancy delivers a wide and flexible range of support, provided by a large, strong, structured and experienced team of specialists, each of whom is highly skilled, with a proven track record.

We aim to work in partnership with our clients to produce the right result. Communication is essential and we always listen to our clients to discover their needs and objectives. The intention is to bring clarity and certainty and provide clients with confidence that the project will be tailored and delivered to meet all their requirements.

We Offer Support in Various Areas of Expertise, Including:

• Mandatory concerns — such as safety, assurance, quality, compliance, standards, sustainability, business continuity and risk management.
• Performance-driven matters, for example productivity, sourcing, ‘six sigma’ lean programmes, balanced scorecard, organisation design and change realisation.

Our people work in a variety of ways: providing advice and facilitation; carrying out reviews or studies; planning programmes; working hands on, delivering and implementing programmes, often as part of the client’s in-house team. When our clients invite us to remove the burden of project implementation and management systems-related work, they are able to focus on other important issues.

International Experience

Touchstone Renard also has a wealth of experience in rail outside the UK and, as a key member of the Independent Management Consultancies Network (IMCN), we are able to call on an extensive and diverse range of international expertise.

Accreditations

Touchstone Renard holds external certification to the requirements of ISO 9001 and is accredited by Link-Up (the rail industry accreditation body) in 28 areas of competence, some examples as follows:

• Management Consultancy.
• Supplier Qualification.
• Environmental Consultancy.
• Business Management.
• Financial Services.
• Relocation.
• IT Consultancy.
• Development/Review of IT Standards.
• Operational Planning.
• Strategic Business Studies.
• Project Management.
• Programme Management.
• Quality Audit.
• Quality Management Systems.
• Business / Strategic Risk.
• Railway Safety Consultancy.
• Development & Review of safety Standards.
• Safety Management.
• Systems Review.
• Safety Audit.
• Competence management.
• Management & Leadership Skills.
• Project Management Training.
• Business Skills Education Programme.
• Health safety & Environment Training.

Phil Austin, Managing Director of Touchstone Renard, Says:

"Having served the rail industry for over 20 years, we believe in going the extra mile to deliver a high quality service to help our clients succeed and secure the future of their business.

"We would anticipate that IRIS will soon be an essential element for rail industry suppliers and will be viewed as a top priority."

Please Contact Us for Help With IRIS or Other Solutions

If you would like to receive further details or you would welcome a discussion on how Touchstone Renard can assist with achieving IRIS certification or other solutions for your business, please contact Phil Austin:

• Tel: +44 (0)20 7866 8123. Mobile: +44(0) 7768 366 744.
• Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .