Sayres Australia's Journey to ISO 9001 Certification
Congratulations to our client, Sayres Australia, on achieving ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems (QMS) certification in June 2026.
ISO 9001 is regarded as one of the most widely recognised quality management standards in the world. Going well beyond basic compliance, it provides a structured framework that helps organisations establish clear, effective processes that support consistent service delivery and strong business performance. It helps organisations strengthen their existing practices while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
Who is Sayres Australia?
Sayres Australia is a veteran-owned Australian company that provides professional and training related services to government, academic and industry clients. Established in 2019 and operating from Canberra, the organisation has steadily expanded both its workforce and client base while demonstrating its growing capabilities and capacity to deliver consistent results for its clients.
A key area of expertise for them is the provision of Learning and Development Services. This is supported by a team of highly experienced practitioners, most of whom are veterans with experience applying Defence training design principles.
“Our team also includes consultants and specialists from diverse backgrounds who have worked at senior levels within government and industry on complex programs and projects. The Sayres Australia team possesses extensive experience in program and project management, government acquisition processes and the defence capability life cycle, and the design, research, and authoring of complex government policies, strategy and concepts,” says Craig Powell, CEO.
Craig Powell, CEO of Sayres Australia
Why ISO 9001 Certification?
For Sayres, the decision to obtain ISO 9001 certification was backed by a need to strengthen its existing quality management practices.
“Our primary motivation for obtaining ISO 9001 certification was to strengthen our quality management practices and demonstrate our commitment to delivering consistent, high-quality services to our clients,” says Duncan MacRae, Operations Manager.
“We wanted a recognised framework that would support continuous improvement, provide assurance to our clients, and help us standardise processes across the business as we continued to grow. Certification also aligns with some of our clients’ expectations and procurement requirements.”
In simple terms, ISO 9001 helped Sayres formalise practices that were already delivering results for the business while also building a framework that would support its future growth.
Preparing for Certification
Unlike organisations that begin their certification journey from scratch, Sayres entered the process with a strong culture of accountability and professional excellence already embedded in its operations.
“At Sayres, we have always fostered a culture where quality is everyone's responsibility rather than the responsibility of a single team or individual,” explains Craig.
“Our staff are highly experienced professionals who take pride in their work, and quality has been embedded in the way we deliver services from day one. Many of our best practices are embedded ways of working that our staff implement through their own commitment to quality, or that have evolved over years of successfully supporting clients and had become part of our organisational culture and day-to-day operations.”
The certification process gave Sayres an opportunity to capture this existing knowledge and experience and translate it into documented procedures, templates, and management controls that could be consistently applied across the business.
Challenges Along the Way
As with most organisations pursuing certification, one of the biggest challenges Sayres faced was turning years of experience and tacit knowledge into documented procedures and processes without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
General Manager Mary Powell explains,
“Preparing for certification required us to take what were often well-understood but sometimes informal processes and translate them into documented procedures, templates, records, and management controls. This involved engaging closely with some staff to understand how work was actually being performed, identifying the key quality controls already in place, and ensuring that these practices were reflected accurately within our Quality Management System.”
Finding the right balance between documentation and practicality was another challenge Sayres had to overcome.
“Our objective was to develop a system that supports our people and reinforces good practice without restricting flexibility, innovation, or professional judgement. Ultimately, the certification process helped us formalise and strengthen practices that were already part of our culture, creating a management system that captures the expertise of our team while supporting consistency, continual improvement, and future growth,” shared Mary.
Benefits of Certification
The certification journey encouraged Sayres to review existing practices, strengthen processes, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Operations Manager Duncan MacRae shared that achieving ISO 9001 certification has encouraged greater consistency, accountability, and clarity across the business. He further stated,
“Since becoming certified, we have seen benefits, including:
Improved document and record management.
Clearer documentation of roles, responsibilities, and some processes.
Embedding continual improvement in our workflow.
Greater staff understanding of how their work contributes to quality outcomes.
Certification has also reinforced our reputation as a professional and reliable consultancy committed to delivering quality services.”
Value of the Quality Management System
According to Craig Powell, CEO, one of the greatest benefits of Sayres Australia’s quality management has been its ability to capture the knowledge and expertise of their staff and turn that into repeatable processes.
“As a professional services provider, our greatest asset is our people. Our Quality Management System has enabled us to capture the knowledge, expertise, and quality-focused practices of our experienced staff and translate them into repeatable processes that can be applied consistently across projects, teams, and clients. This has been particularly valuable as the business has grown, ensuring that the high standards our clients expect are maintained regardless of project size or complexity.”
Craig also says the system helped Sayres gain greater visibility into their own operations and performance.
“Regular reviews, audits, lessons learned activities, and performance monitoring provide valuable insights into what is working well and where improvements can be made. This has helped foster a culture where continuous improvement is embedded in everyday business activities rather than being treated as a periodic exercise.”
Another significant advantage Sayres has gained has been the streamlining of the onboarding process and development of new employees.
“Previously, much of our knowledge existed through the experience and expertise of our people. While that remains a critical strength, documented processes and guidance now allow new team members to become productive more quickly and gain a deeper understanding of how we deliver services and meet client expectations.”
Furthermore, from a client perspective, the system has helped Sayres demonstrate to its clients that it operates within a structured and well-governed framework, providing assurance that quality, accountability, and continual improvement remain central to service delivery.
Craig explains, “Perhaps most importantly, the Quality Management System has not changed who we are as an organisation, rather it has helped us better articulate and support what we were already doing well. It has provided a framework that reinforces our culture of quality, supports our staff in delivering excellent outcomes, and positions the business for sustainable growth into the future.”
Why Certex?
When selecting a certification body, Sayres Australia was looking for an organisation with a strong reputation, a practical approach, and proven experience guiding organisations through certification.
“From our initial discussions with Certex management, it was clear that their focus was not simply on auditing for compliance but on an approach to audit which ensured that organisations developed management systems that genuinely represent and support the way they do business” states Mary Powell, General Manager.
Mary says the Sayres Australia team particularly appreciated the collaborative and practical approach taken by Certex during the audit process.
“We also appreciated the practical approach to the audit process, which was more like a conversation than a stress-inducing audit experience. Rather than focusing solely on compliance checkpoints, the auditor took the time to understand how our business operates, how we deliver value to our clients, and how quality is embedded in our day-to-day activities. The discussions felt collaborative and constructive, allowing us to openly share our processes, challenges, and improvement initiatives.”
Describing her experience during the audit and with the auditor, Mary says,
“The auditor challenged us in a positive way, helping us think critically about our systems and identify opportunities to further strengthen them. This approach created an environment where our team felt comfortable engaging in the process and demonstrating the quality practices that were already part of our culture.
We found the audit processes to be educational as well as evaluative. The auditor’s knowledge and practical insights added value beyond the certification requirements, helping us better understand how our Quality Management System could continue to support the business as we grow. The experience reinforced the view that certification is not simply about obtaining a certificate, but about continually improving organisational performance and delivering better outcomes for clients.
The process was professional, transparent, and supportive. It gave our team confidence in the certification journey and helped position the audit as an opportunity for learning and improvement rather than an event to be feared or endured.
Overall, the experience gave us confidence that we had chosen the right certification partner.”
Looking Ahead
Achieving ISO 9001 certification marked an important milestone for Sayres Australia. While the organisation has long maintained a culture of quality in the way it operated, certification has helped the business formalise those practices, strengthen internal systems and create a system that supports future growth.
Certex is proud to have been part of this journey and looks forward to supporting Sayres Australia as it continues to evolve and deliver outstanding results for its clients.
Thinking About Getting Certified?
Certex is accredited with the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ) quality, safety and environmental standards. To learn more about quality certification for your business, reach out via phone or email.