Our Journey to ISO Accreditation ...

Achieving ISO accreditation was more than a Health and Safety compliance exercise for Builtsmart Ltd, it became a defining milestone as a leader in New Zealand's transportable homes and commercial modular construction sector.  

The beginning – I’m competitive

We were there but not quite there!  I saw an opportunity and wanted to push further, a certification that covers our design, build and delivery of homes and commercial builds. 

Starting at Builtsmart, I was the new kid on the block but had a wealth of industry knowledge in Governance, Energy Sector, Transporting, Compliance & Regulation. 

Health & Safety was my role, and I hit the ground running!  I gave myself three months, reviewed every policy, procedure, SOP, checklist, form, guideline, and template.

Every effort before my time showed the team worked hard to deliver high quality builds, safe worksites, and consistent results for clients across the country. But as the business grew, I recognised the need for a more structured, auditable way of demonstrating the professionalism and reliability we had always taken pride in. 

We were due for a certification for prequalify assessment. I reviewed the scope of works involved and I wanted more and why not! I knew we could be betterer (yes that’s my spelling of my people skills and language) ISO accreditation gave us that pathway, and this was the direction I wanted to take the company.  

Stage 1 – Convincing the business

Karl Lapwood, he believed in me and trusted in me to make a commitment! I said YES, we can DO IT. I prepared facts and evidence, had meetings to get all the questions answered and delivered to the Board with the approval with a deadline commitment to achieve this within three months!

From here, my journey began with a full review of our systems, documentation and procedures – everything from how we plan and design each modular unit, to how we manage health and safety on site – right through to our customer communication processes. Stage 1 approved.

Stage 2 – Auditor

What surprised us wasn’t the gaps we had to close, but how much good practice was already part of who we were. ISO simply gave us the framework to formalise it and continually improve it.

The process challenged us in the best possible ways. It required honest reflection, discipline, and commitment from every part of the company. 

Our team stepped up, taking ownership of their roles and contributing ideas that strengthened our systems. Blood, sweat and tears!

What emerged was a more confident, collaborative, and future focused organisation.

Celebration

Receiving our ISO accreditation was a proud moment, not just a certificate on the wall, but recognition of the standards we hold ourselves to every day. It has strengthened our credibility and will do with clients, enhanced our internal culture, and given us a clear roadmap for ongoing improvement.

Not only did we commit to ISO Accreditation, but this also included 100% Tōtika Certification and Mates In Construction (NZ) accreditation.

Going forward – a promise

This isn’t the end of the journey, it’s a promise we’ve made to our clients, our team, our suppliers, and our community. A promise to keep delivering smarter, safer, and the highest of quality buildings, every single time.