M2TD receives quality certification from international standards body BSI

In addition to its exceptional compliance with social and diversity-related directions, data-specialist consultancy M2TD has now been recognised for the quality of its services. The firm has been bestowed with an ISO 9001 certificate from the South African branch of BSI; an international standardisation body.

Primarily a data management firm, M2TD has been operational in South Africa since 2009, partnering with highly celebrated firms across the world to offer customised solutions. Data-related services offered by the firm include data movement, data security, analytical value extraction, and the acceleration of data processing.

In terms of operations, the firm prides itself on its preferential procurement policy, which implies the optimisation of the supply-procurement process to ensure uniformity, cost-effectiveness and transparency. In addition, the firm helps with enterprise development, socio-economic development, and skills development through its comprehensive internship programme.

However, what really differentiates the firm is its ownership structure. As a 100% black female-owned company, the firm has been ascribed level 1 status in the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) stipulations. The act – which has been the constant source of debate, particularly for its role as a deterrent to foreign investment – puts forth certain Codes of Good Practice to foster equitable economic development in South Africa.

Now, the firm has been offered certification for its services as well, in the form of an ISO 9001 certification from UK-based standards body BSI. The ISO 9001 is a ‘Quality Management’ certification, which indicates that a firm meets minimum quality standards in the fields of customer focus, motivation at the executive level, and continual improvement.

According to M2TD, the firm engaged in a comprehensive approach to attain the certification, which involved three phases. Firstly, the firm underwent alignment efforts in terms of objectives and principles. Then, an assessment was conducted to identify the gaps between the firm’s requirements and capabilities, following which the gaps were covered.

In the third phase, the firm conducted internal and external evaluations with reference to the stipulations put forth by BSI in order to ensure compliance. The three phases combined involved training and change management to ensure internal coherence across the organisation. 

Commenting on the certification, the General Manager for System Certification at BSI South Africa said, “With our history, we choose our partners very carefully and it is an honour and a privilege to have M2TD as our newest customer. Your business has worked very hard to attain this certification and this is a great achievement and should provide you with the platform to continue improving both your efficiencies and your standards.”

CEO of M2TD, David Matshane said, “The ISO award will give us that much more confidence in the quality we deliver in respect of everything we do, say and touch. Moreover, it essentially provides us with a ticket to the game in the marketplace we play in, namely the world of governance, which tends to be dominated by the large multinationals that are our direct competitors.”