Build Your QMS – Build Your Business
Ditch The Chaos, Embrace The Growth
What Is A QMS System?
A QMS is not a stack of dusty manuals, it is a structured, practical framework for how your business operates day to day – how work flows, who does what, and how quality is maintained and improved.
A great QMS system replaces guesswork with clarity, ad‑hoc fixes with consistent processes, and isolated functions with a joined‑up way of working. Without a QMS, growth becomes painful, issues recur, and the quality of your products or services can vary from one client or project to the next.
However, when you implement a QMS system, you start to see your organisation as a single, integrated system rather than a set of separate departments. You can identify bottlenecks, close gaps, streamline how work really gets done, and achieve predictable, reliable outcomes instead of relying on last‑minute heroics.
We’re ISO 9001:2015 External Assessors
ISO 9001:2015 is the internationally recognized, flexible framework for Quality Management Systems (QMS) which can be tailored to any organisation because it’s simply just a system of processes, procedures and responsibilities designed to ensure an organisation consistsently meet or exceeds customer and regulatory requirements. It emphasizes a process-oriented approach, risk-based thinking, and leadership engagement, making it a powerful standard for driving operational excellence.
As an ISO 9001:2015 certified lead auditor I can transform your business, improve your systems and processes and get your business running like it should.
BUT … you’ve probably heard awful things about ISO 9001 certification and yes, it can be quite labour intensive, though the rewards of certification are also very lucrative. This is why we have created our own certification based on the ISO framework which will ensure you take the best from the ISO structure. Let’s look at this now …
Lean QMS
Lean QMS has been developed by the Shadow CEO team and is a stripped-back, practical version of ISO 9001 – built specifically for small and medium businesses that want the benefits of a quality management system without the headache of full certification.
If ISO 9001 feels heavy, expensive or overkill for where you are right now, Lean QMS is the middle ground. It’s based on the same core principles – process thinking, customer focus, risk awareness and continual improvement – but it’s lighter, more flexible, and designed to fit around how you actually work.
Instead of drowning you in documents and audits, we look at how your business really runs: the way sales come in, work gets done, customers are served, and decisions are made. We map the key processes, clarify who owns what, and tighten the flow of information so things stop falling through the cracks.
We build in risk-based thinking, but in plain English. What could derail your plans? Where are the weak spots in your supply chain, delivery, or service? We keep it simple with straightforward tools so you can spot problems early and act before they become expensive.
Customer focus is baked in. Lean QMS gives you a simple way to collect feedback, track issues, and make sure your products or services consistently meet expectations. No complex portals or forms—just a clear, usable system that keeps you close to your customers.
And then we make improvement part of the rhythm of the business, not a one-off project. Using a simple Plan–Do–Check–Act loop, you keep tuning your processes, trimming waste, and finding easier, faster ways to get great results.
The outcome? Smoother operations. Better communication between teams. Fewer mistakes. Happier customers. A business that feels calmer on the inside, even as it grows on the outside.
Lean QMS is perfect if you want the structure and benefits of ISO 9001 without the cost, complexity or pressure of certification. It stands on proven principles, but it’s built for real life, real constraints, and real SMEs.
If you’re ready to run your business on systems instead of stress, Lean QMS is where we start.