In 2022, after the withdrawal of services by the National Measurement Office, Paul Moody began the process of setting up the UK Metrology Board (UKMB) to offer the weighing and measuring industry Conformity Assessment Services, including Module D certification and ISO 9001 Certification.
The UKMB is now fully operational and sits alongside a number of other providers for the UK market. In this Q&A, Paul details the ups and downs of setting up UKMB, as well as offering advice on what businesses should be looking for when they’re commissioning conformity assessment services.
Q: Why did you decide to set up the UK Metrology Board?
A: Two things really drove the decision to set up UKMB. The first was the National Measurement Office’s decision to withdraw from offering services as a Conformity Assessment Body. We also spoke to a lot of the members of the UK Weighing Federation, which is the trade body for UK manufacturers and suppliers of weighing and measuring equipment and systems, and it seemed that NMO stopping their service would leave a big gap in the market. The decision to set up UKMB was then made by the Federation, and was implemented by the Board of Directors, who had understood that many of their members felt frustrated at the lack of choice, speed of service and cost of achieving certification for their weighing and measuring instruments. I was chosen to head up UKMB, as I had previously been a business owner within the weighing industry and had a good understanding of the certification requirements for the industry sector.
A second factor influencing the decision was Brexit. The government announced that in the future, all products that needed a CE marking would need a UK-specific mark – the UKCA mark. Only UK-based Conformity Assessment Bodies would be able to issue certification to allow companies to put these markings on their products, which led us to believe that the need for these services from a UK-based operator would be growing. Unfortunately, that part of the equation didn’t quite work out…
Q: How did the Government’s U-turn on UKCA markings affect UKMB’s early days?
A: I’m going to be honest; it was a blow. When the Government decided that it was going to retain CE marking as an option, the impact on UKMB was huge. Before I go on to that, I should also say that the short-term impact on our primary customer base, the UK weighing companies, was also pretty bad. Quite a few had invested time and money getting compliant with the new regime, and it turned out they spent that pointlessly. It wasn’t a great time for anyone involved.
However, what it did to UKMB was change our market, and we had to take a new strategic approach to grow our business. We needed to be agile and adapt.
The feedback we regularly receive from our customers is that we make the process of achieving certification as easy, efficient and as quick as possible; this is largely down to our highly experienced technical and auditing team, who have all been in the industry for many years. For example, we recently had a client contact us who needed to be audited very quickly – the audit was completed within two weeks.
We’re also looking at where we can diversify by offering services to other industries, such as Bulk Fuel Tanker Manufacturers, Petrol Pump Manufacturers, Taxi Meter Manufacturers, Water Meter Manufacturers and Manufacturers of Capacity Serving Measures.
Q: Why should weighing companies try to get their Module D certification?
A: It’s all about offering the best customer service. If a weighing company doesn’t have its Module D certification, it means that every time it goes in and repairs and recalibrates a weighing instrument, their customer will need to get that re-verified by a third party, like their local authority Trading Standards department. It’s just adding a complication to a process that should be straightforward. If a weighing company has its Module D, it can go out, recalibrate and re-verify the weighing instrument itself. A much better service and experience for the customer, with the weighing company offering a gold standard service.
Q: What advice would you give a weighing company seeking their certification?
A: I’d tell them to look for a Conformity Assessment Body or UK Approved Body that fits your business model. Look at the Scope of Accreditation for that Body and the knowledge and experience of the auditors and technical team. Can the CAB/AB give you the service level you require and deliver the audit and certification in the time-frame that you need it to? And look at the pre- and post- certification support the CAB/AB can offer, as well as how it communicates with you. Finally, I’d say try not to be driven by price but more by selecting the best CAB/AB for your business.
At UKMB, we know our customers well. I worked in the weighing and measuring industry for 27 years, and 7 of those years was with a manufacturing company. I hope what I bring to UKMB is a sixth sense of what these businesses need when they’re buying the Conformity Assessment Services we offer. Some weighing companies are large-scale businesses with in-house quality managers, and some are SMEs where audits, certification, and managing certifications can be a small part of someone’s bigger job. We can provide a bespoke service that fits with the customer’s business model.
What I do know is that in general people want a smooth, fast and efficient service, with access to expert advice along the way. UKMB offers rapid audits, direct access to your auditor as soon as you receive your audit plan, and expert assistance and advice with all the technical aspects of compliance. Our auditors are genuine experts in their field, with many years of experience under their belt. They make the process straightforward and easy to navigate and all of that we do at a competitive rate. I’m really proud of the standard of service we’re able to offer at UKMB.
Q: What’s next for UKMB?
A: Of course our main focus is growing our customer base and building a sustainable, high-quality certification service. We’ll be reaching out to weighing companies and other industries to make sure that when it’s time for their audit and certification, they understand the benefits of working with us.
Hopefully, as we build our organisation, we’ll grow our already strong base of satisfied customers and keep on making sure that choice, competition and excellence are always on offer in the UK conformity assessment market.
If you would like to submit an application for certification, you can do so here. Alternatively, if you would like to discuss your requirements, you can send us an email info@ukmb.org and one of our team will be in touch.
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