Q&A ISO 14001

With Michelle Reid, Sales & Marketing Director, Telehouse Europe and Gary Reed, Project Client Manager, Bureau Veritas 

Why did you implement ISO 9001 & ISO 27001 standard for Telehouse in 2006?

We have always understood the need for a high quality service delivered in a highly secure      environment, which is one of the many reasons why our customers come to Telehouse Europe (says Michelle Reid Director of Sales and Marketing), therefore achieving ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 27001:2004 in 2006 affirmed what we and our customers already knew about the Telehouse Europe brand.

Why did you opt for ISO 14001?

Telehouse Europe has a strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility. With the current environmental climate, we wanted to be in a position not only to monitor our impact on the environment, but more importantly to take steps where we can to reduce it. We viewed ISO 14001 as a great system which would help us to achieve these objectives.

How receptive were the Board?

Both the board and staff alike were very keen to achieve this standard. All parties stayed focused and committed throughout the process and were full of ideas and suggestions as to how we could operate in a more environmentally friendly manner. We also saw the building of our new Data Centre, Telehouse West as an opportunity to plan for the future and build responsibly.

Since obtaining the standard we have commenced a “cycle to work” scheme and there are many other initiatives on the way.

What was the greatest challenge in implementing the system?

The greatest challenge was identifying all of the environmental impacts, especially taking Telehouse West into consideration which is being built to meet the requirement of new codes, standards and legislation.

What do you see as the benefits of having this standard?

The benefits of having achieved ISO 14001:2004 are many; firstly it shows that we are a responsible and environmentally aware company. It also demonstrates to our customers that by coming to Telehouse Europe not only do they have a robust and secure site to locate their equipment and services in, but that they are doing so in an environmentally considerate environment - a benefit which they too can pass onto their customers.

Achieving this standard has also put us ahead in our programmes to meet any future environmental legislation that may be introduced within our industry.

What was the company reaction upon achieving the standard?

Going after this standard and achieving it has highlighted the fact that at Telehouse Europe we are amongst likeminded individuals concerned collectively about the impact that we have on the environment in a corporate capacity. The commitment throughout the programme was an indicator that we were on track to passing with flying colours, the news however was still cause for celebration.

Going forward we have placed our emphasis on continuing to deliver, maintain and improve against all three standards.