Accreditations

The Employee Benefits Group is owned by Centaur Media.

Employee Benefits Group consists of the UK's leading benefits publication, Employee Benefits. This magazine is published monthly and is written for benefits practitioners in large UK companies.

www.employeebenefits.co.uk was first launched in September 2000 primarily as an archive for Employee Benefits magazine. It was relaunched in October 2006 as a resource for busy benefits and HR managers needing the latest information at the click of a mouse.

Equiniti ICS Ltd has been recognised as a leader in business management, picking up an award for Deloitte Best Managed Company.' Criteria considered by the judges in determining the winner included

• strategy
• operations management
• human resource management
• financials and growth potential across all key functions of the business

The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme was open to companies from all 32 counties on the island of Ireland and is the only awards programme that considers business performance from every perspective.

ICS Computing was accredited with the Investors in People Award in 2004. It provides a framework to enable businesses to achieve success through their most valuable resource - their staff. It has helped us ensure that everyone performs to an optimum standard and that we give our people the right knowledge, skills and motivation to work at the peak of their efficiency.

The EFQM 'Mark of Excellence' award is based on the Business Excellence Model, and is a self-assessment programme designed to highlight operational areas that can be improved. Evaluations are carried out by members of staff rather than management.

The journey towards winning the award began in 2003 when Equiniti ICS began working with the Centre for Competitiveness. We now have continuous improvement plans which ensure strong customer focus, and a working atmosphere in which change and innovation are an integral part of everyday life.

ICS Computing has achieved the ISO 9001:2000 in 2001. ISO 9001 is an international set of five related standards for qualification of global quality assurance and quality control standards. The rigorous application process demands the best standards of production, updating records, maintaining equipment, training employees and handling customer relations. The governing international consortium is recognised worldwide.

Equiniti ICS has experienced many benefits from following the ISO 9001 standards including improved product, process and service quality, and increased customer satisfaction levels.

The Institute of Payroll Professionals (IPP) was established to promote and develop the science of Payroll and Pensions Management and to advance education involving the study of Payroll and Pensions Management skills.

Equiniti ICS Computing was judged 'Employer of the Year' at IPPM's 21st conference and awards ceremony in 2005.

The award recognises excellence in the workplace and considers investment in people and processes, technology, training and development opportunities as well as employee benefits, facilities and management.

Six Sigma is a measure of quality that strives for near perfection. Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects in any process - from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service. To achieve Six Sigma, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities.

Six Sigma contributes towards up to 50% process cost reduction, cycle-time improvement, less waste of materials, a better understanding of customer requirements, increased customer satisfaction, and more reliable products and services.

The ISO 14000 accreditation is an environmental management system standard. It provides a framework for managing environmental responsibilities so that they become more efficient and integrated into overall operations. Companies who comply experience many benefits, both financial and operational, including cost savings, decreased insurance costs, increased staff morale and better public perception.

ITIL was developed in the late 1980's by the CCTA (now the OGC), by the mid 1990's it had become the world-wide de facto standard in service management. ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) is a set of best practices standards for Information Technology (IT) service management. The United Kingdom's Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) created ITIL in response to the growing dependence on Information Technology to meet business needs and goals. ITIL provides businesses with a customisable framework of best practices to achieve quality service and overcome difficulties associated with the growth of IT systems. ITIL is organised into sets of texts which are defined by related functions: service support, service delivery, managerial, software support, computer operations, security management, and environmental.

Equiniti ICS has been accredited with The HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) Payroll Standard Accreditation which is awarded to payroll software products that satisfy the requirements of the payroll standard. The payroll standard helps employers identify payroll software products with the essential features necessary to calcluate PAYE, NICs, Statutory Payments and perform a range of other payroll functions. Equiniti ICSs Perito Payroll is a highly flexible payroll solution meeting all requirements of HMRC.

Equiniti ICS has attained Microsoft Gold Certified status as a member of the Microsoft Partner Program. As a Microsoft Certified Partner, Equiniti ICS has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and a proven ability to meet customers' needs.

One of the requirements for attaining Gold Certified Partner status requires Equiniti ICS to employ Microsoft Certified professionals. These members of staff specialise in customisation, installation, configuration and application of the Microsoft CRM system. Equiniti ICS customers were also required to provide references for the company to achieve Certified Partner status which highlights the companys skills, abilities and expertise.

As a member of Oracle Partner Network and participant in the Oracle BPO initiative, Equiniti ICS can offer BPO Powered by Oracle, with access to Oracles comprehensive set of best in class technology, applications, programmes and service. Oracle users can now outsource payroll to Oracle skilled experts to reduce costs and increase efficiency with full data access.

Equiniti ICS has been awarded with the ISO 27001 accreditation. One of the most widely adopted security standards in the world, the ISO 27001 covers known security issues, containing many well considered control requirements and steers companies along a quantifiable path of assessments and improvements.
Compliance shows that information security is being taken seriously and that effective steps are in place.

The coveted Payroll Supplier of the Year Award recognises the essential and high-quality support provided to employers by suppliers of payroll outsourcing solutions. It recognises those suppliers who have gone the extra mile to provide an excellent service.

Equiniti ICS won the 'Wake up to Waste' Campaign competition which asked Northern Irish Businesses to address the 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. The competition, which was sponsored by Tesco, involved submitting 20 ideas that demonstrated how the company had implemented strategies to reduce waste, recycle goods and reuse materials.

The Business Growth award category required evidence of growth in product range and provision of services, client base, staff numbers, new markets, profitability and sales turnover. Equiniti ICS has a proven track record, trebling staff numbers and opening new offices in London, Glasgow and Newbury in the past five years.

The Excellence in Business Practice award required evidence of excellence and innovation in management processes, customer service, operational procedures and product/service development. We have invested heavily in ISO Quality Accreditations, EFQM and Investors In People programmes to ensure that our workforce is well trained and that procedures are in place to make our business processes more efficient and cost effective.

Our "Highly Commended" accolade in the Belfast Telegraph Awards in 2004 recognises our contribution to providing innovative solutions to both the UK & Ireland. We are committed to investing heavily in research and development to find new and innovative solutions for our customers.

The IPP are committed to raising the profile and awareness of payroll as a profession and by achieving this accreditation you have not only shown dedication to the learning and development of your payroll department, but the profession as a whole.