Echo's quality ethos is about more than just working to accredited methodologies. As technology makes it increasingly simple to extract reporting information from operational processes, Echo realised long ago that, to be successful, we must be able to cut through the clutter of performance information and find metrics that have real impact and reveal key insights into the services we deliver. To do this, we rely not just on methodology, but on the experience of our people; extracting the most relevant performance measures, and then knowing how best to use them.
An objective of Echo's quality working ethos is to use more relevant, more powerful management information and analysis from our operations to deliver continuous service improvements. This is achieved by employing the best and most experienced people and supporting them with tailored development programmes.
Echo's adoption of a balanced business scorecard approach to performance management has helped to both improve business performance and to strengthen strategic focus.
So much more economic value is released when complex data reports are presented as actionable information, to the right management personnel. Managers in all businesses know that it is practically impossible to get backing for any strategic change without the empirical evidence to support the decision. Equally, our experience has shown that just by monitoring measures to evaluate performance within a specific area, performance in that area will improve over time.
Echo is committed to the ongoing support and implementation of a Quality Management System. The aim is to provide a framework for measuring improvements to our effectiveness and efficiency in meeting our customer's requirements and our business objectives. Echo staff are selected, trained and provided with the resources to meet this objective. The Quality Management System not only meets the requirements for TickIT and BS EN ISO 9001:2008 but also helps us to establish and review our quality objectives, ensuring continual suitability of the programme.
In addition to our existing TickIT and ISO certifications, Echo is adopting standards such as EFQM and BEM and is now has certification for ISO 14001:2004. This certification will recognise Echo's awareness of environmental issues and our performance in addressing them. As part of this initiative Echo is undertaking the following:
At the heart of this work is the acknowledgment that Echo has a responsibility for, and a commitment to, protection of the environment at all levels.