1284 Communications has commenced work towards obtaining ISO 9001 accreditation. 

Moving towards ISO 9001 is an unusual approach within the PR and communications industry.

1284 will use the global standard as further evidence of quality. 

And it comes as 1284 continues to develop process, procedures, and planning as part of its ambitious growth plans for coming years.

1284 recently marked its fifth anniversary with an event alongside clients, advocates and friends since 2020.

ISO 9001 quality standards

ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for Quality Management Systems.

It recognises best practice in customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making and relationship management.  

1284 has been working on its application across the first half of 2025 and will be audited in H2 by the market-leading BSI Group.

ISO 9001 will be another accreditation that solidifies the Leicestershire PR company's commitment to quality. 

Many 1284 Communications customers - innovative East Midlands companies and public sector organisations - will recognise ISO 9001.

Many have themselves been through the process for 9001 and other standards.

Being awarded the accreditation involves an audit of multiple aspects within the organisation.

Amongst other things, the initial audit will assess: 

• Consistency of delivery
• Output procedures 
• Customer satisfaction 
• Policies, processes and planning 
• Assurance and improvement

The to-do list is long and process driven. 

1284's first step was completing a gap analysis - delivered with the support of consultants at process specialists Sirius Transformation. 

Support was also provided through the Leicester Productivity Programme, which works with SMEs to build growth through efficiency.

Audits by Sirius and the LPP helped identify areas that needed work - while also highlighting how much was alreadyin place.

Partnerships Director, Suz Everitt, is leading the project for 1284, and said: "Identifying the areas for improvement and generating a list of things we needed to formalise, set us well on our way. 

"Our policies, procedures and progress are now being stored and tracked in Coda - an online platform we're increasingly using to shape project management and client work."

The outcome of an early mock audit conducted by the Sirius Transformation team was positive.

"There are a few things to work on but we are well on track," added Suz.

"The work doesn’t stop once the accreditation is awarded - ISO 9001 is about committing to continuous improvement.

"We now have a framework in place that will see us maintaining the status and monitoring our progress when it comes to best in class."

The accreditation will put 1284 process on a firm footing and future-proof aspects of the business, including our company culture and policy. 

1284 Communications is aiming to be ISO 9001 accredited by the end of the year.