With data security at the heart of everything they do, Walpole Partnership Limited turned to the ISO 27001 Information Security Management System to demonstrate their commitment to the security of their customers’ data.

About Walpole Partnership

Walpole Partnership is an IT Consultancy that specialises in Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) systems. They provide guidance and support to businesses that have invested in or are considering tools to increase their sales productivity, and they have delivered some of the largest and most successful CPQ systems in the world.

Busting a Common Myth

Walpole Partnership has always put data security at the very heart of everything that they do and were keen to demonstrate their commitment as a credible and reputable organisation externally. So in 2015 they explored the idea of implementing ISO 27001, but like many businesses they had some reservations about the amount of time and work that would be required to do this.

Managing Director, Andy Pieroux explains “I thought the management system would require much more administration and need completing all at once but that wasn’t the case. The step by step guidance received by ISO Quality Services was excellent and the templates supplied avoided us re-inventing the wheel in areas that were standard and offered intelligent advice for where we were different.”

Building Trust with ISO 27001

One of the weakest links in any organisation’s IT security is its people, but ISO 27001 has helped Walpole Partnership become more conscientious and disciplined when it comes to protecting both systems and data. In order to ensure that each team member understands their role and responsibility, Walpole Partnership has developed a standardised and auditable communication strategy and they have also made discussions around this part of their management process.

Andy comments, “Implementing ISO 27001 has been a great investment for our business.  Not only has it set us apart from our competitors and made tendering easier, it has helped to build trust in our business. Our clients can contact us with the confidence that we have solid processes in place to take care of their sensitive data.”

Our Viewpoint

Naina Chouhan, assessor of the organisation’s ISO 27001 system, adds her perspective, “Walpole Partnership recognises that the security of data is critical to their business success and the MD’s commitment to continuously improve their IT processes and procedures was clear from the outset. Their compliance with ISO 27001 has demonstrated a good level of consistency across their Information Security Management System”.

Account Manager, Rhiannon Lewcock adds “Walpole Partnership has always worked incredibly hard to maintain compliance with their ISO management system. The team are all dedicated to their business, they really are a breath of fresh air! I am very proud to represent them as their Account Manager”.

What’s Next for the Team?

The company are now considering the implementation of the ISO 9001 Quality Management System which will enhance their current system and strengthen their competitor advantage.

For businesses looking to implement a management system themselves, Andy recommends that you “start as soon as you can! You can take it at your own pace and the quality of your processes will grow more naturally over time”.