Articles • 3 mins read
As UKAS joins organisations around the world in celebrating World Quality Week 2025, we’re taking time to reflect on what quality really means to us and how we apply this year’s theme, “Quality: Think Differently,” to our own ways of working.
For UKAS, quality is more than a standard to uphold; it’s the foundation of everything we do. Our purpose is to build confidence and trust through accreditation, but that same commitment must also be visible in how we operate as an organisation. To strengthen this internal culture of quality and continuous improvement, UKAS has established a network of Quality Champions across the business.
A shared responsibility for quality
The Quality Champions represent different departments and technical areas within UKAS, from Healthcare and Forensics to Finance and Customer Service. Each Champion acts as a local focal point for discussions about quality, helping to embed the UKAS Quality Management System at a practical, day-to-day level.
Meeting quarterly with the central Quality and Compliance Team, the Champions share insights from their areas, discuss feedback from customers and colleagues, and work collaboratively to identify improvement opportunities and share good practice. They are also responsible for cascading information to their teams, ensuring that quality isn’t confined to a single function but owned collectively across UKAS.
Tracy Pia, Head of Quality and Compliance, says this shared approach is key to maintaining momentum:
“The Quality Champions help ensure that quality isn’t just something we measure, but something we live. By giving colleagues a direct voice in shaping improvements, we’re making our Quality Management System more responsive and reflective of the way UKAS actually works.”
From process to people
While the Quality and Compliance Team oversees governance and policy, the Champions bring lived experience and practical insight from across the organisation. Together, they form a bridge between processes and people, supporting UKAS’s mission to deliver consistency, competency and quality in every interaction.
Lynsey Poyner, Chief Operations Officer, is a strong advocate of this initiative:
“There is a clear link between quality and operations. The Quality Champions play a vital role in helping us think differently about how we deliver our work, whether that’s through improving efficiency, refining communication, or strengthening customer relationships. Their insight is invaluable in helping us understand where we’re succeeding and where we can do better.”
Thinking differently, acting collectively
UKAS’s Quality Champions network reflects our broader approach to organisational excellence: empowering individuals, encouraging innovation and ensuring that learning and improvement are part of the everyday conversation.
By creating a space for open discussion and shared responsibility, UKAS is embedding quality not just in its systems, but in its culture — living out the message of World Quality Week 2025: “Quality: Think Differently.”
As the Champions continue their work, they will help UKAS evolve how it measures success, values feedback and delivers its mission as the UK’s National Accreditation Body. In doing so, they’re ensuring that quality at UKAS remains not just a goal — but a mindset.